

Leninism and the Communist Party of Great Britain - 1921
Mar 17, 2020
Delve into the early 20th-century clash of ideologies as Lenin's influence shapes the Communist Party of Great Britain. Discover the dilemmas of democratic centralism and its autocratic drift through Harry Pollitt's rise within the party. Unpack the political tensions of the 1920s, including fears of uprisings and the fraught relationship with the Labour Party. Explore the historical connections between English socialism and Marxism while unraveling the complexities of ideological justifications for controversial political actions.
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Democratic Centralism as Control
- Democratic centralism meant party decisions were made centrally and binding on all members.
- It functioned as a tool for autocratic control rather than genuine democracy.
Moscow's Control via Comintern
- Comintern decisions from Moscow were binding on all international communist parties.
- This ensured all parties acted as local agents of Leninist doctrine and policy.
Harry Pollitt and the Jolly George
- Harry Pollitt was a working-class boilermaker influenced by his mother's early activism.
- He organized dockers to refuse loading munitions for Poland, reflecting revolutionary solidarity.