p A revolution is not made “to order" or at someone’s will. Definite historical conditions, objective and subjective prerequisites, are necessary for a revolution.

p The sum of objective conditions needed for a revolution is called a revolutionary situation, Lenin regarded the following as signs of a revolutionary situation:

p 1. On the one hand, the impossibility for the ruling classes to live and rule in the old way, the so-called crisis “from above”, and, on the other, the unrest of the oppressed classes which do not want to live in the old way, the crisis “from below”. “Revolution is impossible without a nation-wide crisis (affecting both the exploited and the exploiters), "  [310•*  Lenin wrote.

p 2. Extreme aggravation of the poverty and suffering of the oppressed classes.

p 3. A considerable increase in the activity of the people. While in ordinary times the masses are relatively calm, in conditions of crisis the situation itself impels them to take independent revolutionary action.

Not every revolutionary situation, however, leads to a revolution. There was a revolutionary situation in Russia from 1859 to 1861, but no revolution occurred. A revolutionary situation, the maturity of the objective factor, merely creates the possibility for a victorious revolution. But to turn this possibility into reality the subjective factor, too, must be ripe, Le., the revolutionary class must be ready and able to undertake revolutionary mass action which is sufficiently strong to overturn (or undermine) the old government which, as Lenin wrote, will never “fall” until it is “pushed”. A victorious socialist revolution is possible only if the working class is organised and politically aware, if it has reliable allies and the revolution is led by an experienced, battle-seasoned Marxist party.