Vladimir Lenin was a world-class politician. He managed to create a completely new state. On the one hand, he was able to win a political and triumphant victory. On the other hand, historically, Lenin was in the camp of the losers. After all, his case, based on the principles of violence, was initially doomed. Despite this, it was Vladimir Ulyanov who determined the vector of development of world history of the twentieth century.
The complete biography of Lenin is contained not only in Soviet encyclopedias. Numerous books are devoted to his life. There is a biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin on Wikipedia. It exists on various sites devoted to the history and biography of famous people. We studied the biography and personal life of Lenin, briefly presenting the information in the article.
Roots
The biography of Vladimir Lenin began in mid-spring of 1870 in Simbirsk. His dad worked as an inspector of schools, he did a lot for public education. Ilya Nikolaevich lost his father early and his older brother was engaged in his upbringing. At that time he was the clerk of one of the city firms. Nevertheless, Lenin's father received a good education. He was a hardworking man - the leader of the proletariat inherited tremendous capacity for work precisely from his father. Thanks to the merits of Ilya Nikolaevich, the Ulyanovs were even given hereditary nobility.
On the mother’s side, Lenin’s grandfather, Alexander Blank, was a doctor and medical inspector of the arms factory hospitals in Zlatoust. At one time, he married a German girl, Anna Grosskopf. Grandfather later retired and received the noble rank. He even became a landowner, having bought the estate of Kokushkino.
Lenin's mother was a home teacher. She was considered an emancipated woman and tried to adhere to leftist views. She was known not only as an excellent and hospitable hostess, but also as a caring, fair mother. She gave her children the basics of foreign languages ​​and music.
There is still debate about the nationality of Lenin (the biography contains a lot of conflicting information). Many are documented, but most are unsubstantiated. Lenin himself considered himself Russian.
Childhood
Lenin's life (a biography confirms this) at first did not differ in originality. He was a smart boy. When Volodya was five years old, he began to read. When Vladimir entered the Simbirsk gymnasium, he was considered a real "walking encyclopedia." The future leader of the state was not interested in exact sciences. The young man loved history, philosophy, statistics, economic disciplines.
He was a diligent, neat and gifted student. Teachers repeatedly presented Ulyanov with creditable sheets.
According to classmates, young Lenin had great authority and respect. In addition, the head of the gymnasium F. Kerensky, the father of the future head of the Provisional Government, at one time also gave a rather high assessment of Lenin's abilities.
The beginning of the revolutionary path
In 1887, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, whose biography we are considering, completed high school education, receiving a gold medal. At the same time, he found out that his older brother Alexander was arrested. He was accused of attempted assassination of the Russian autocrat. Prior to that, Sasha was a university student in the Northern capital. He comprehended the basics of biology, was considered a talented young man and planned to become a scientist. He had no radical ideas then. But be that as it may, in early May 1887, Alexander Ulyanov was executed.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Vladimir also became a student. He studied in Kazan and in his first year began to participate in the student revolutionary movement. After some time, he was completely expelled from the university. Soon the young revolutionary was sent to the first link in the same province.
A year later, Ulyanov was allowed to return to Kazan. A little later, he and his family moved to Samara. It was in this city that the young man began to get acquainted in detail with the postulates of Marxism. He also became a member of one of the Marxist circles.
After some time, Ulyanov managed to pass exams externally at a law course at the University of St. Petersburg. The following year, the young lawyer became an assistant to the attorney. However, he could not prove himself fully as a specialist and soon finally parted with jurisprudence. Vladimir moved to the Northern capital and became a member of the Marxist student circle organized at the Technological Institute. In addition, he began to create a program of the Social Democratic Party.
According to Lenin's biography ( Russian nationality ), in 1895 he first went abroad. Vladimir visited countries such as Germany, Switzerland and France. It was there that he managed to get acquainted not only with the leaders of the international labor movement V. Liebknecht and P. Lafargue, but also with his political idol G. Plekhanov.
Emigration
When Vladimir Ulyanov returned to the capital, he attempted to unite all the disparate Marxist circles into one organization. We are talking about the "Union of the struggle for the liberation of the working class." Of course, members of this organization have already tried to implement their plan to overthrow the Russian autocracy.
A brief biography of V.I. Lenin contains information that he actively promoted this idea. As a result, the revolutionary was arrested. For a long time he was in a prison cell. And after that, in the early spring of 1897, he was sent to Siberia, to the village of Shushenskoye. The term of the link was determined - three years. Here Ulyanov talked with other exiles, wrote articles, and was engaged in translations.
According to a brief biography of Vladimir Lenin, in 1900 he decided to emigrate. He lived in Geneva, Munich, London.
It was during these years that Vladimir created the political publication - Iskra. On these pages he first signed his articles with the party pseudonym "Lenin".
After some time, he became one of the initiators of the convocation of the congress of the RSDLP. As a result, the organization was split into two camps. Ulyanov managed to lead the Bolshevik party. He began to develop an active struggle against the Mensheviks.
In 1905, he continued to prepare for an armed uprising in the Russian Empire. There, Vladimir learned that the First Russian Revolution had begun in the country.
First blood
A brief biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin suggests that he could not remain indifferent to the events in Russia. For a short time, he arrived at home. A little later, Lenin was in Finland. During this time, Ulyanov tried by all means to attract people to his side. He urged them to arm themselves and to attack officials.
In addition, he proposed to boycott the first State Duma. We note that later Lenin admitted his mistake. He also supported the bloody Moscow uprising and from the emigration gave advice to the rebels.
Meanwhile, the revolution finally crashed. In 1907, at the Fifth Congress of the RSDLP, the Bolsheviks were already at war with all parties. Such a factional struggle reached its peak at a party conference in 1912. It happened in Prague.
In addition, in the same period, Ulyanov managed to establish the release of a legal newspaper of the Bolsheviks. Note that initially this publication, in fact, was created by L. Trotsky. It was a non-fractional newspaper. In 1912, Lenin by and large became the main ideologist of the publication. And Joseph Dzhugashvili was chosen as the chief editor.
War
After the defeat in the revolution, Ulyanov began to analyze the mistakes of the Bolsheviks. Over time, these failures turned into a victory. The Bolsheviks rallied as never before and a new wave of revolutionary movement began.
And in 1914, Lenin was in Austria-Hungary. It was here that he learned that the First World War had begun. The future head of the Soviet state was arrested. He was accused of espionage in favor of the Russian Empire. The consequences could be more than deplorable, but the Austrian and Polish Social Democrats stood up for their associate. As a result, Lenin was forced to move to neutral Switzerland. It was during this period that the revolutionary appealed to depose the Russian government and turn the imperialist war into a civil war.
This position led him first to complete isolation, even in social democratic circles. In addition, when the war was on, Ulyanov’s ties with his homeland were almost completely cut off. But the Bolshevik party itself inevitably broke up into several separate organizations.
February 1917
When the February Revolution came, Lenin and his comrades got permission to come to Germany and from there go to Russia. Once in their homeland, Lenin arranged a solemn meeting. He spoke to the people and called for a "social revolution." He believed that power should belong to members of the Bolshevik party. Of course, very many did not share this position at all.
Despite this, Lenin spoke literally every day at rallies and meetings. He tirelessly called to stand under the banners of the Soviets. By the way, at that time, Stalin supported the theses of the Bolshevik leader.
In early July, the Bolsheviks were once again accused of espionage and treason. Now - in favor of Germany. Lenin was forced to hide. He, along with associate Zinoviev, ended up at Razliv. After a while, secretly, Lenin moved to Finland.
And at the very end of the summer of 1917, the Kornilov performance began. The Bolsheviks were against the rebels, and thus they were able to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of socialist organizations.
Meanwhile, in the middle of autumn, Lenin illegally arrived in the revolutionary capital. At party meetings, he, together with Trotsky, managed to secure the adoption of an official resolution related to the armed uprising.
October Revolution
Ulyanov acted tough and promptly. The biography of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Wikipedia also contains this information) suggests that on October 20, 1917, he began to lead a direct uprising. On the night of October 25-26, the Bolsheviks arrested members of the Provisional Government. A little later, decrees on peace and land were adopted. In addition, SovNarKom was formed, headed by Ulyanov.
A truly new era has begun. Lenin had to deal with pressing issues. So, the head of state began to create the Red Army. He was also forced to conclude a peace treaty with Germany. In addition, the development of a program for the formation of a socialist society began. So, the Congress of Soviets of Workers, Peasants and Soldiers became an authority. And the capital of the proletarian state moved to Moscow.
However, several unpopular steps of the new government - such as the conclusion of the Brest Treaty and the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly, led to a complete break with the representatives of the Left Social Revolutionary movement. As a result, a rebellion began in July 1918. This speech of the Left SRs was brutally suppressed. As a result, the political system became one-party and acquired totalitarian features. Together, all this caused discontent. Events resulted in a fratricidal civil war.
Civil War
During the war, Ulyanov was forced to follow the progress of urgent mobilization in the Red Army. He closely dealt with issues related to weapons. He managed to organize the work of the rear. Actually, these measures further influenced the outcome of the war.
In addition, Lenin was able to use obvious contradictions in the White camp. He managed to create a 10-fold advantage of the proletarian army over the enemy. He also attracted tsarist military experts to work.
Unfortunately, at the very end of the summer of 1918, an attempt was made on the leader of the state. As a result, the “red terror” began in the country.
War Communism and New Politics
Having recovered from his wounds, Ulyanov proceeded to economic transformations - the construction of the so-called war communism. He introduced it directively throughout the country. Lenin at that time did not have a clear economic program, but nevertheless he introduced the surplus appraisal, exchange in kind and banned trade. A little later, industry was nationalized. As a result, the production of goods has practically ceased.
Ulyanov tried to save the situation. That is why he decided to introduce compulsory labor service. For her evasion relied on execution.
However, the situation in the economy continued to deteriorate. Then in 1921, Lenin announced the course in the country on a "new economic policy." The program of war communism was finally canceled. The authorities allowed private trade. As a result, a long process of economic recovery began. But Vladimir Ilyich was not destined to see the fruits of the new policy course.
Last years
Due to shaky health, Lenin was forced to withdraw from power. The sole leader of the new state of the USSR was Joseph Dzhugashvili.
With amazing courage and tenacity, Ulyanov continued to fight the disease. To treat the leader, the authorities decided to attract a number of domestic and western doctors. He was diagnosed with cerebral sclerosis. This disease was caused not only by huge overloads, but also by genetic causes.
Everything was in vain - in Gorki on January 21, 1924, Vladimir Lenin was gone. After some time, the body of the founder of the USSR was transported to the capital and placed in the Hall of Columns. For five days there was a farewell to the leader of the country.
On January 27, Ulyanov’s body was embalmed and placed in the Mausoleum, which was specially built for this purpose.
We note right away, after the collapse of the Soviet empire in the 91st, the question of reburial of the head of the proletarian state was raised repeatedly. This topic is being discussed now.
Personal life of the leader
Ulyanov met his future wife Nadezhda Krupskaya back in 1894. Krupskaya's father was an imperial officer. His daughter, Nadezhda, was a student of the famous Bestuzhev courses. At one time, she even corresponded with Leo Tolstoy himself.
When a woman began to live together with Ulyanov, she became not only the chief assistant to her husband, but also a like-minded person. She always followed her husband and took part in all his actions. The woman also followed him when Lenin was exiled in Shushensky. It was here that the lovers got married in the church. The best men were peasants from this village. A companion of Lenin and Krupskaya made engagement rings. They were made of copper nickels.
Lenin had no children. Although some historians believe that the leader had an only son. His name was Alexander Steffen. According to rumors, a companion Inessa Armand gave him a child . They say this relationship lasted almost five years.
Interesting Facts
Briefly about the most important of Lenin’s biography, the reader already knows. It remains only to illuminate some interesting facts from the life of the leader of the proletariat:
- Ulyanov studied at the gymnasium mainly only for five. In the certificate he received the only four - in the discipline of "logic". Nevertheless, he graduated with a gold medal.
- In his youth, the future head of the Soviet state smoked. Once, his mother said that tobacco is too expensive. And in the Ulyanov family there was not much money. As a result, Ulyanov gave up his bad habit and never smoked again.
- Ulyanov had about 150 pseudonyms. The most common are Statist, Meyer, Ilyin, Tulin, Frey, Old Man, Petrov. The origin of the famous pseudonym "Lenin" is still not exactly known.
- Ulyanov could be among the winners of the Nobel Prize. In 1918, his candidacy was considered and wanted to present him with the Peace Prize. But the fratricidal civil war began. As a result, it was these events that were able to deprive Lenin of the prestigious Nobel Prize.
- A number of new names were invented in honor of Lenin: Varlene, Arville, Arlene, Vladlen, Vladilen, Vilen, etc.
- Ulyanov was considered a great foodie. However, his wife was not a cooking lover. Therefore, the Ulyanovs specially hired a cook.