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Video 1917 Russian Revolution The Art of Insurrection

Marxist Theory · 2019-05-13

Core Argument

The central thesis of this talk is that revolutionary insurrection is not a spontaneous outburst or a voluntarist putsch, but a science — governed by objective laws that Marxists must master. Daniel Morley argues that the Bolsheviks succeeded in October 1917 precisely because they understood insurrection as an art requiring careful preparation, correct timing, and the convergence of objective revolutionary conditions with subjective revolutionary will. The talk insists that insurrection cannot be reduced to a mechanical formula or a Blanquist conspiracy; it is the culminating act of a mass movement, not a substitute for one. The key claim is that the October Revolution remains the paradigmatic example of how to seize power, and that contemporary Marxists must study its lessons to avoid both adventurism and passivity.

Theoretical Grounding

The analysis draws directly on the classical Marxist tradition of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky, with particular emphasis on Lenin's 1917 writings — especially "The State and Revolution" and his September 1917 letters on insurrection. Morley grounds the argument in the Marxist theory of the state as an instrument of class rule, and in the Leninist conception of the party as the organised vanguard capable of leading the masses to power. The talk situates itself within the tradition of revolutionary Marxism against both reformism (which denies the necessity of insurrection) and ultra-leftism (which treats insurrection as a purely technical or conspiratorial act). It draws heavily on Trotsky's "History of the Russian Revolution" for its concrete analysis of the relationship between mass spontaneity and Bolshevik leadership, and on Engels' "Anti-Dühring" for the dialectical understanding of force in history. The theoretical framework is explicitly anti-determinist: objective conditions create the possibility of revolution, but only correct subjective intervention — the "art of insurrection" — can realise it.

Conjunctural Relevance

Though the talk was delivered in 2017, its relevance to the current conjuncture is sharp. The article connects the lessons of 1917 to the crisis-ridden character of contemporary capitalism, arguing that the conditions for revolutionary situations are ripening globally. Morley points to the growth of mass movements — from the 2018-2019 gilets jaunes in France to strike waves and anti-austerity struggles — as evidence that the objective preconditions for insurrection are emerging, even if the subjective factor (revolutionary leadership) remains underdeveloped. The talk implicitly addresses the strategic paralysis of much of the left, which has abandoned the question of power altogether. It argues that the Russian Revolution is not a museum piece but a living school: the same laws of insurrection apply today, and Marxists must prepare theoretically and organisationally for moments when the ruling class can no longer rule in the old way and the masses no longer wish to be ruled in the old way. The geopolitical context — the decay of US hegemony, the rise of inter-imperialist rivalry, and the exhaustion of social democracy — is treated as the fertile ground from which revolutionary situations will again emerge.

Where the Argument Continues

This talk is part of a broader corpus within In Defence of Marxism that systematically examines the Russian Revolution and its lessons. It should be read alongside the IDOM article "The Russian Revolution and the Art of Insurrection" (also by Daniel Morley), which provides a more detailed textual analysis of Lenin's 1917 letters. The argument continues in the IDOM series on the October Revolution, including pieces on the role of the soviets, the question of dual power, and the relationship between the Bolshevik Party and the masses. Against the Stream episodes on the Russian Revolution and on revolutionary strategy — particularly those discussing the 1905 Revolution, the February Revolution, and the Kronstadt uprising — develop the same themes. For the broader theoretical framework, readers should consult Trotsky's "History of the Russian Revolution" and Lenin's "The State and Revolution", both of which are repeatedly referenced as essential texts. The talk also connects to IDOM's ongoing polemics against reformism and centrism, which argue that the abandonment of insurrectionary strategy is the defining feature of opportunism in the workers' movement.

Connections

  • Lenin, "The State and Revolution" — the foundational text on the Marxist theory of the state and the necessity of smashing the bourgeois state apparatus.
  • Lenin, "Marxism and Insurrection" (September 1917 letter to the Central Committee) — the key text on the timing and preparation of insurrection.
  • Trotsky, "History of the Russian Revolution" — the definitive Marxist account of 1917, from which Morley draws his analysis of the relationship between mass spontaneity and Bolshevik leadership.
  • Engels, "Anti-Dühring" — for the dialectical treatment of force in history.
  • Marx, "The Civil War in France" — on the Paris Commune as a precursor to the Bolsheviks' understanding of the state.
  • IDOM, "The Russian Revolution and the Art of Insurrection" — the companion article by the same author.
  • IDOM, "The October Revolution: A Workers' and Peasants' Revolution" — for the class analysis of the revolution.
  • Against the Stream, episodes on the Russian Revolution — for audio discussions of the same themes.

Key Quotes

  1. "Insurrection is an art. It is not something that can be left to spontaneity, nor is it something that can be reduced to a mechanical formula. It requires careful preparation, correct timing, and above all, a correct understanding of the relationship between the objective and subjective factors."

  2. "The Bolsheviks succeeded in October 1917 not because they were a tiny conspiratorial group, but because they were able to win the confidence of the vast majority of the working class and the poor peasantry. The insurrection was the culmination of a mass movement, not a substitute for it."

  3. "Lenin understood that the state is not a neutral arbiter between classes, but an instrument of class rule. The question of power is the fundamental question of every revolution. To avoid it is to abandon the revolutionary perspective altogether."

  4. "The art of insurrection consists in knowing when the objective conditions are ripe — when the ruling class can no longer rule in the old way and the masses no longer wish to be ruled in the old way — and then striking at the decisive moment with maximum force."

  5. "What distinguishes the Bolsheviks from the reformists and the centrists is not that they were more radical in words, but that they had a clear strategy for the seizure of power. Without that strategy, all the radical phrases in the world are worthless."

  6. "The Russian Revolution is not a museum piece. It is a living school for revolutionaries today. The same laws of insurrection apply, and we must study them if we are to be prepared for the revolutionary situations that are undoubtedly coming."