with the concept of Social Revolution itself, v/hich Lenin defined as a deep
and essential change in the society, "a sharp turn in the lives of a vast
number of people", in all fields, namely political, economic and cultural,
aimed at putting an end to exploitation, and at placing power in the hands
of the working masses, are today familiar to all true revolutinnaries.
The usually violent nature of the revolution was stressed by Lenin, who
explains that the bourgeois, the minority priviledged class, will never
voluntarily agree to give the power to the class of the exploited and
oppressed, and that it will therefore be necessary to wrest that power
by forces "It is very probable- even most probable - that the bourgeois will
not make peaceful concessions to the proletariat and at the decisive moment
will resort to violence for the defense of its priviledges.  In that case,
no other v/ay will be left to the proletariat for the achievement of its
aim but the revolution."
He also emphasised the need for organisation, unity and correct and strong
leadership for any revolution to be able to succeeds "In the struggle for
power the proletariat has no other weapon but organisation....the proletariat can, and inevitably v/ill, become an invincible force only through its
ideological unification... .being reinforced by the material unity of organisation, v/hich welds millions of toilers into an army of the v/orking class.
" 0,Without a party of iron, that has been tempered in the struggle, a party
enjoying the confidence of all honest people in the class in question, a
party capable of watching and influencing the mood of the masses, such a
struggle cannot be waged successfully."
Lenin experienced the difficulties derived from the initial disproportion
of forces, which lead many comrades to abandon the struggle, convinced that
victory is not possible.  Lenin said, referring to the Russian Revolutions
"He who turns away from the socialist revolution now taking place in Russia
and points to the obvious disproportion of forces is like the conservative
'man in a muffler' v/ho cannot see further than his nose, who forgets that
not a single historical change of any importance takes place without' there
being several instances of a disproportion of forces. Forces grow in the
process of the struggle, as the revolution grows".
Lenin stressed that the revolution, in order to be victorious, must be
truly popular, that is, must count upon the participation of the masses
of the people. Because - he explains - the larger the part of the- population that participates in the revolution, and fights for its victory, the
deeper are the changes that can be undertaken. Thus Lenin established the
difference between the bourgeois revolutions, and the socialist revolutions.
The first of these are led and guided by small groups v/ho, pretending to
be fighting for progress and freedom, succeed in winning the support of
the masses, but who, after having won the political power, use it only to
satisfy their personal interests,  True socialist revolutions, on  the
other hand, are characterised by the active participation of the working
masses - because the goal of these revolutions correspond to the interests
of the majority of the society, at least of all exploited people. And,
after the conquest of political pov/er, the peojjle's participation continues i
it is the people v/ho will build the new social system,
- 26 -