Rise of Stalinism: The degeneration of the Soviet Union

Is Stalin's totalitarian regime the necessary result of Marxist and Leninist ideas? This is at least the most persistent myth put forward by the ruling class to discredit Marxism. However, a river of blood separates the Stalinist bureaucracy from the revolutionary Bolshevik militants.

In reality, the Russian socialist revolution gave birth to the most democratic regime ever known in human history. The Stalinist bureaucracy came to power through a political counter-revolution. To consolidate its power, it had to purge the last Bolsheviks loyal to the ideals of the revolution and crush the already severely battered workers' democracy during the civil war.

Marxists must study the reasons for the degeneration of the Russian revolution and the rise of Stalinism so that the next revolution can bring about the triumph of the socialist society that will end capitalist barbarism.