Primary sourceBook1918
The Chief Task of Our Times
Vladimir Lenin · 1918
Lenin's 1918 article, written as Chairman of the Soviet government, on the central task facing revolutionary Russia.
Lenin wrote this as head of the Soviet government, explaining the revolution's purpose to foreign readers.
About this source
What it is
This is a 1918 article by Vladimir Lenin, written while he was Chairman of the People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Republic, during the period of the Brest-Litovsk peace negotiations. It was published as a pamphlet by a workers' socialist organization.
Why it matters
The piece shows Lenin presenting the revolution as part of a world-historical struggle between the oppressed and their oppressors. It reflects how he framed Soviet Russia's difficult position to supporters abroad during a critical and uncertain period.
Look closer
- What emotional language does Lenin use to describe Russia and the revolution?
- Why might this pamphlet have been published in English for a British audience?
- What does the pricing and publisher tell you about who was meant to read this?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vladimir Lenin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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