ABSTRACT
There is a striking element of continuity between early communism and socialism on the one hand and Stalinist ideology on the other. The communists staged successful revolutions in ‘backward’ countries with small industrial proletariats and predominantly agrarian economies, like Russia, China, Cuba and Vietnam. Instead of focusing on the competitiveness of the socialist economy, Lavrov argued that a country’s vast scope and abundant natural resources could provide it with the necessary staying power. Economically, the states on the European continent stood in awe of British industrial and commercial power. How to get things going, to catch up with Great Britain, and to create a strong, modern economy were matters of urgent concern. Internationally, Germany was completely outclassed by Britain’s economic power. Marxism was an answer to all of these concerns -not merely to class and social issues. The Marxists became more Marxist than Marx, and the Russian social democrats cut themselves off, theoretically, from the socialist revolution for decades.
