HEADLINE: Lenin's Violent Innovation: Vanguardism and Revolutionary Defeatism GUEST AUTHOR: Professor Sean McMeekin 50-WORD SUMMARY: Vladimir Lenin, inspired by Marx's violence, adopted vanguardism (professional revolutionaries guiding workers). His innov

HEADLINE: Lenin's Violent Innovation: Vanguardism and Revolutionary Defeatism GUEST AUTHOR: Professor Sean McMeekin 50-WORD SUMMARY: Vladimir Lenin, inspired by Marx's violence, adopted vanguardism (professional revolutionaries guiding workers). His innovation was "revolutionary defeatism," arguing imperialist war should be turned into civil war. Lenin advocated a global series of civil wars to usher in the proletarian revolution. Anarchists like Bakunin were prophetic, fearing the resulting state tyranny.