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Revolution and Culture

The Bogdanov-Lenin Controversy

Zenovia A Sochor author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cornell University Press

Published:28th Mar '88

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Revolution and Culture cover

Zenovia A. Sochor here assesses one of the most important debates within the Bolshevik leadership during the early years of Soviet power-that between A. A. Bogdanov and V. I. Lenin. Once comrades-in-arms, Bogdanov and Lenin became political rivals prior to the October Revolution. Their disagreements over political and cultural issues led to a split in the Bolshevik Party, with Bogdanov spearheading the party's left-wing faction and attracting a following of notable intellectuals. Before Lenin died in 1924, however, he had succeeded in shaping Soviet society according to his own vision, and today Bolshevism is commonly identified with Leninism while Bogdanovism is little known. Sochor provides the first full exposition in English of Bogdanov's views, which, she asserts, must be understood to appreciate the choices available and the paths not taken during the formative years of the Soviet regime.

"Sochor here provides the most complete account in English of the theoretical rivalry between Lenin and Bogdanov for control of Bolshevism after 1917. Her book is a significant addition to the literature on Soviet politics in the revolutionary period." -- Robert C. Williams, Davidson College
"This book not only sheds a great deal of light on the troubled relationship between Lenin and Bogdanov but also makes an important contribution to the debate over the role of culture in revolutionary change." -- Rolf Theen, Purdue University

ISBN: 9780801420887

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 25mm

Weight: 907g

256 pages