Lenin’s Theory of Socialist Industrialization

Lenin’s exposition on the establishment of modern industrial process represented by large machine industry in underdeveloped socialist countries.

After the proletariat gained power, economically backward countries, in order to turn backward agricultural countries into advanced industrial countries, vigorously use modern science and technology to equip industry, and use it to equip agriculture and various sectors of the national economy. After the victory of the October Revolution, Soviet Russia was faced with the realistic problem of how to transform a backward agricultural country dominated by small-scale peasant economy into an economically developed industrial country. This paper gives a preliminary answer to the questions of why and how to realize socialist industrialization.

Lenin argued that the realization of industrialization is a necessary condition for the establishment of a real socialist society. Without modern industry, it is impossible to establish a real socialist society. In essence, socialist society requires highly developed productive forces, so as to create rich material wealth to meet the growing material and cultural needs of the broad masses of working people. If there are no large capitalist factories and highly developed large industries, there will be no socialism at all. This is especially true for an agricultural country. Without industrialization, it is impossible to maintain national independence and consolidate the union of workers and peasants. Lenin solemnly pointed out at the Fourth Congress of the Communist International: “Without industry, we will perish, and we will not become an independent country.” Big industry is also the material basis for transforming small farmers, only by restoring and developing large-scale industry can we “unite the advanced industrial workers and the classes realizing the dictatorship of the proletariat”. To raise the class consciousness of the proletariat, to strengthen the class foundation of the proletariat and to consolidate the worker peasant alliance, “the material basis of socialism can only be the large machinery industry which can also transform agriculture”.

As for the way to realize socialist industrialization, Lenin argued that free trade and commerce should be developed first, so as to promote the recovery and development of large industries as soon as possible. He pointed out that we should seize the existing backward small industries, or the weakened and damaged large industries, and make the commerce active on the current economic basis, so that ordinary farmers can feel economically active. We can use this to carry out the work of restoring large industries step by step, more tenacious, more extensive and more effectively. Active commerce is a long way to go, but it is a relatively reliable and the only way to go, and only this road “can guarantee the possibility of the recovery of large industries”. In order to realize socialist industrialization, capital, technology and equipment of capitalist countries should be used. Using the capital, technology and equipment of capitalist countries, we can quickly solve the problem of lack of means of production and construction funds, “Our main concern is to obtain as soon as possible the means of production such as locomotives, machinery, electrical equipment and so on from capitalist countries. Without these means of production, we cannot restore our industry in a decent way or even at all.” Lenin put forward the formula of “trade relations and foreign relations = revitalization of China’s large industry”. To realize socialist industrialization, modern science and technology should be used to transform and restore large industries. Lenin realized that the industrialization of backward countries should not start from the narrow vision of small production, but should aim at the latest achievement of scientific and technological development－electrification, so as to promote economic development. It is necessary to restore industry and agriculture on the basis of the latest modern scientific achievements, and to transform and restore agriculture and industry on the basis of modern science and technology and modern technology based on electric power. In order to realize socialist industrialization, we should give priority to the development of heavy industry, and at the same time, we must give consideration to the development of agriculture and light industry. Lenin pointed out that in the whole social production, the fastest growth is the production of means of production, followed by the production of means of production to produce the means of consumption, and the production of means of consumption the slowest. The priority growth of means of production is mainly manifested in the priority development of heavy industry, especially in the most basic heavy industry sector. Lenin also pointed out that heavy industry, that is, the production of means of production, serves the development of consumer goods in the final analysis. The first category of social products (the manufacture of means of production) can and should develop faster than the second category (the manufacture of consumer goods), however, it can never be concluded that the production of means of production can develop completely independent of the production of consumer goods, nor can it be said that the two are unrelated. During the period of national economic recovery, Lenin attached great importance to the development of agriculture and argued that the food problem was the basis of all problems. He pointed out: the first issue of the Republic’s domestic and foreign policies is to develop the whole economy, first of all, to develop agriculture. The increase of agricultural productivity will inevitably promote the development of industry. Lenin advocated giving priority to the development of heavy industry, while giving due emphasis to the development of agriculture and light industry.