One of the hostile forces’ constant objectives is to sabotage, distort and deny the role of the Russian October Revolution, particularly since the collapse of the Soviet Union and socialist states in Eastern Europe. However, they cannot attain their intention, and the revolution is still of profoundly epochal and historical importance.

In practice, when the October Revolution had just succeeded, representatives of the bourgeoisie and opportunists sought to twist and negate completely the historical value and epochal significance of the revolution. Nowadays, taking advantage of the disintegration of socialism in Soviet Union and countries in Eastern Europe, the bourgeois scholars and opportunists have become so vocal in insulting and denying the genuine value, international influence and significance of the October Revolution. No matter how hard they brag and craft their speech, they cannot overshadow a historical truth, which was in line with laws and brought about a momentous turning point and great achievements in the 20^th century. They are unable to undermine the epochal significance of the October Revolution in shaping the development of the human race in both the 20^th and 21^st centuries since this is a great revolution in accordance with the development of the natural history.

Meeting of Russian Revolutionary Parliament after the success of the October Revolution (photo: Getty Images)

Indeed, right in the “Manifesto of the Communist Party,” written in February 1848, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels affirmed that the outdated capitalism would be surely replaced by the civilized communist society through revolutionary transformation. Seventy years later, that scientific prediction turned into reality with the victory of the Russian October Revolution in 1917. That was the first proletarian revolution, which succeeded in one-sixth of the Earth, breaking the weakest link of the imperialist chain and ushering in a new age – the transition from capitalism to socialism on a global scale.

The great Russian October Revolution represents a resplendent milestone, marking a turning point in the history of the world revolution. Since then, a new era has been opened for the human race in the struggle for emancipating the peoples and classes from every oppression, exploitation and injustice to build a better society of the people and by the people. The October Revolution is also the first milestone, marking a great triumph of Marxist-Leninist revolutionary theory over the hostile ideological and opportunist trends in the international workers’ movement. Given victory of the October Revolution, scientific socialism has been transformed from theory into practice. Henceforth, communism was no longer “a specter haunting Europe” but has become the reason for living and belief of the working people in all continents; scientific socialism has become a vivid reality from Europe to Asia and Latin America alike. Victory of the October Revolution and people’s revolutions after World War II, and what has been happening in Russia, Soviet states and countries in Eastern Europe have proved the great value and eternal vehement vitality of Marxism-Leninism – the pinnacle of human intelligence, and a sharp and irreplaceable theoretical weapon of the working classes and people in the fight to abolish old regimes and build new ones. Therefore, in spite of being constantly distorted, spoken ill of and negated by the hostile forces, Marxism-Leninism, after the October Revolution, has been rapidly spread throughout the planet and become a guideline leading and promoting the world revolutionary movement. After World War II, over one thousand million people in Europe, Asia and Latin America, accounting for more than one sixth of the world population, have embarked on the road to socialism through various forms. In the capitalist system at that time, the working classes and people, under the leadership of communist parties, launched an effervescent revolutionary movement with the participation of thousands of millions of the masses thirsting for independence, democracy, peace, social progress, and socialism.

The Russian October Revolution has demonstrated that, no matter how brutal they are and whatever counter-revolutionary violent tools they may have, any obsolete social regimes are likely to be overthrown, even when enemies of the revolution resorting to extremely barbarous fascist means to suppress the working people’s struggle and their urgent legitimate aspiration. When the populace at large no longer stand oppression of the ruling class, and the working classes and people have stood up under the guidance of a sound political guideline put forth by a Marxist party, they will form an invincible force capable of annihilating the reactionary bastions and building new better societies. This has been proved very clearly in reality. Victory of the October Revolution has demonstrated that the working classes and people in each country can proactively stand up to the enemies to liberate their peoples, classes and themselves from oppression of the ruling classes.

Victory of the October Revolution is not only of Russian people but of the proletarian revolutions and national liberation revolutions around the world. Consequently, communists, working classes and people in the world have regarded the Soviet Union, the direct fruit of the October Revolution, as the first fatherland of the proletariat, the world’s revolutionary base, the leading flag, the source of encouragement, and the backbone of the world revolutionary movement. In fact, in a relatively long time, the Soviet Union was a true example for other peoples to follow, a pride of communists and working people, and a strong backbone and stronghold of the world revolution. Victories of the working classes and people in all five continents in the struggle for national emancipation and the building of new societies throughout seven decades have aligned closely with development and huge support of the Soviet state. The October Revolution has dealt a blow to the world capitalist system and exerted a great influence on the struggle of the working classes and people in capitalist countries, and the fight against imperialism and colonialism for national independence and social progress of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The working classes in capitalist countries, during their struggle against the bourgeoisie, has held aloft slogans of the October Revolution calling for improving people’s living standards, democracy, anti-oppression, anti-exploitation, and anti-war movements.

The Russian October Revolution has set an example to every revolutionary in the world of strategy to carry out revolutions. V.I. Lenin and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union dealt successfully with fundamental issues, which were of decisive significance to victory of bourgeois revolutions. Those issues, among others, were the establishment and continued consolidation of the absolute leadership of the working classes – the most advanced classes closely connected with the modernized production bases, typical for the ascending road of history, and the most genuine representatives for the interest of working people – through their new-style political parties. It is necessary to build a new-style political party of the working classes, who are absolutely loyal to Marxism-Leninism, unified in thought and action, and closely unified in organizational terms. There is a need to establish a robust alliance of workers and peasants; combine, in a close and harmonious way, the socialist revolutionary movements with national independence movements launched by the oppressed people; fully exploit the enemies’ contradictions to split and isolate them with a focus on the most peril one; make use of every method and form of revolutionary struggle to create the integrated strength and take opportunities to defeat the enemies and seize power for workers and peasants. The October Revolution has put forward a lively lesson on flexible, sensible and creative application of theory on revolution and violence, and uprising to seize power. It is a revolution, which deeply features peoplehood. It is the uprising of the public at large under the banner of “united workers, peasants and soldiers,” and the close and flexible combination of the armed forces and the political forces with a view to forming revolutionary violence strong enough to smash counter-revolutionary violence and seize power for the people. Those are the most basic matters, which are widespread in all countries conducting proletarian revolutions. They are also hot topics in revolutionary tactics and strategies today.

The October Revolution has worked out the most accurate path for the world revolutionary movement. The revolution ushered in a new age on a global scale because it was of great international importance, marking a turning point in the direction and development of human history. Right after the October Revolution, V.I. Lenin assessed correctly this important turning point in the human society and clearly specified fundamental characteristics of the new era. “A new age was ushered in the new world history,” said Lenin. That turning point was the “turning point in the world history, transforming from bourgeois democracy to proletarian democracy, and from bourgeois dictatorship to proletarian dictatorship,” he added. Victory of the October Revolution marked a turning point not only in socio-economic-political relationships between Russian peoples, but also in the world views of the international working classes, reflecting the soundness of Marxism-Leninism in reality. Given its popular experience and profound ideas, the October Revolution has had a considerable influence on the world revolutionary process. President Ho Chi Minh affirmed that: “like the glaring sun, the October Revolution has illuminated all of the five continents and enlightened millions of oppressed people on earth. There has never been such a revolution in the human history.”

Although there are a number of major changes in all dimensions on our planet, they cannot alter the quality and content of an era of historical importance all over the world, marked by the Russian October Revolution in 1917 – the transition from capitalism to socialism on a global scale.

By Associate Professor, Doctor Bui Dinh Bon, The Central Council of Theory