The Significance of Great October Revolution

Dr. Jaswantha Rao Polavarapu

The October Revolution cannot be simply another revolution. It is a revolution that signifies a radical turn in the world history of mankind, a turn from the old, capitalist world to the new, socialist world.

Revolutions in the past, usually ended by one group of exploiters at the helm of government being replaced by another group of exploiters. The exploiters changed, exploitation remained, except the Paris Commune, which was the first glorious, heroic, yet unsuccessful attempt on the part of the proletariat to turn history against capitalism.

The October Revolution differs from these revolutions. Its aim is not to replace one form of exploitation by another form of exploitation, one group of exploiters by another group of exploiters, but to abolish all exploitation of man by man, to abolish all groups of exploiters, to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat, to establish the power of the most revolutionary class of all the oppressed classes that have ever existed, to organize a new, classless, socialist society.

“It is precisely for this reason”, as Comrade Stalin once observed, “that the victory of the October Revolution signifies a radical change in the history of mankind, a radical change in the historical destiny of world capitalism, a radical change in the liberation movement of the world proletariat, a radical change in the methods of struggle and the forms of organization, in the manner of life and traditions, in the culture and ideology of the exploited masses throughout the world”.

It took the instruments and means of production from the landlords and capitalists and converted them into public property, thus counter posing socialist property to bourgeois property. It wrested power from the bourgeoisie, deprived the bourgeoisie of political rights, destroyed the bourgeois state apparatus and transferred power to the Soviets, thus counter-posing the socialist rule of the Soviets, as proletarian democracy.

The October Revolution is not confined to national boundaries of Russia. It is a revolution of an international character. It influenced the development of the revolutionary movement throughout the world. October Revolution has created a powerful and open centre of the world revolutionary movement that can organize a united revolutionary front of the proletarians and of the oppressed peoples of all countries against imperialism.

The October Revolution breached the front of world imperialism, for having overthrown the imperialist bourgeoisie in one of the biggest capitalist countries and put the socialist proletariat in power. The working class has for the first time in the history of mankind risen to a position of the ruling class. This means that the October Revolution has ushered in a new era, the era of proletarian revolutions in the countries of imperialism.

The October Revolution has shaken imperialism not only in the centres of its domination, not only in the “metropolises.” It has also struck at the rear of imperialism, its periphery, having undermined the rule of imperialism in the colonial and dependent countries.

Having overthrown the landlords and the capitalists, the October Revolution broke the chains of national and colonial oppression and freed from it, without exception, all the oppressed peoples of a vast state. The proletariat cannot emancipate itself unless it emancipates the oppressed peoples. This means that the October Revolution has ushered in new era, the era of colonial revolutions which are being carried out in the oppressed countries of the world in alliance with the proletariat and under the leadership of the proletariat.

The October Revolution is not merely a revolution in the economic and social-political arena. It is at the same time a revolution in the ideology of the working class. The October Revolution was born and gained strength under the banner of Marxism- Leninism. It marks the victory of Marxism over reformism, and the victory of Leninism over Social-Democratism.

The world significance of the October Revolution lies not only in the fact that it constitutes a great beginning made by one country in causing a breach in the system of imperialism and that it is the first centre of socialism in the ocean of imperialist countries, but also in that it constitutes the first stage of the world revolution and a mighty base for its further development.

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Dr. Jaswantha Rao Polavarapu

Editor of Janasakthi and Class Struggle;

Secretary, Tarimela

Nagi Reddy Momorial Trust

Source: Cs-nov-2016-edi-significance-great-october

# Sharing (Late) Dr. Jaswant Polavarapu thoughts on the memorable occasion of 53rd Death Anniversary

of Argentine Marxist Revolutionary Che Guevara who influenced revolutionary figures of 20th century.