|
|
Dictionary definition: Communist Party, Soviet Union
- Article from:
- A Dictionary of Contemporary World History
- Author:
Copyright© A Dictionary of Contemporary World History 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information)
|
Communist Party, Soviet Union
The party emerged from the
Bolsheviks
as the Communist Party of Russia in 1921, but was renamed the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1925. It had branches in each state of the Union, apart from Russia itself. Throughout its existence, it operated on the principle of
Marxism-Leninism
, i.e. it was a party led by a small elite. As the only official political party in the USSR, the party leadership automatically formed the leadership of the state. With around 730,000 members just after the
Russian Civil War
in 1921, initially its membership was relatively selective, as Lenin considered the Russian peasantry and working classes too ‘uncultured’ ...