ABSTRACT
Ananalysiscomparing,e.g.thebrokenstateandsullen temperoftheRussiancountrysideaftertheemancipation of1861withitsdefiantspiritaftertherevolutionof1918 wouldreveal-theproletariandictatorshipnotwithstanding-allthatisoriginalinthepresentchange,and pregnantwithstrangepossibilities.Butthoughthe sparkwhichf!redthispotentrevivalwassuppliedbythe war,manyforceshadhelpedtocollectthetinderduring thepastfewdecades.Onewouldhardlyhavesuspected Marxismofhavingbeenoneofthem:itwassoutterly concernedwiththeindustrialproletariatastoseem annoyedattheveryexistenceofaneedyruralclass. ButMarxismowesmuchofitsinfluencetoitscomingto lifewheneconomicandpoliticalissueswereeverywhere throwingthemassesintoaferment,andwhilethedemocraticvirusnaturallywasmostactiveamongthecompact industrialmasses,theslowermovingcountrysidecould
nothaveremainedaltogetheruntouchedbyit.Modern education andmeansofcommunicationwerebringingthe greatpubliccontroversiesintothevillage;andthe ruinousagriculturalcrisesoftheeightiesandnineties madethevillageripeforastimulusthatwouldpushit intoplaceamongthecontendingpopularforces.That stimulus,itwouldseem,wassuppliedbyMarxism, thoughindirectlyandnotwithintent.
