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Lenin vs. Gandhi

By Luke Monteiro

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The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and
inflation. Vladimir Lenin. I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it
means getting along with people. Mahatma Gandhi.

When one takes a good look at Mohandas K. Gandhi and Vladimir I. Lenin, it is
extremely easy to point out how different they are in relation to each other. Indeed, there are
many differences that separate the ideologies and goals of the two 19
th
century figures; however,
there are some, though not many, examples of how the two great revolutionaries were similar in
their goals, ideals, and tactics.
Mahatma Gandhi and Lenin were both very different and similar through their times as
leaders and revolutionaries. In terms of goals, the differences occur in the precise thing both
wanted to achieve. Lenin wanted a socio-communistic nation that broke away from the traditions
of capitalism and social pacifism that held the bourgeoisie in power for so long. He had this
desire to eradicate this class and then the class system in general in the Soviet Union and
establish a nation that rejected aspects of capitalist exploitation while affirming beliefs more
closely aligned with that of Marx. In terms of his ultimate goal, Lenin succeeded in establishing
the socialist state that became the Soviet Union; however, he failed in leaving the government in
control of more capable hands. The succession of Stalin derailed aspects of Lenins view of what
the government should have been, as Stalin was more authoritarian in nature, and eliminated
Marxian aspects such as the dissolution of the party and government to make way for a
government completely controlled by the people and a government that refrained from
participating in wars and conflicts outside of the borders and deterring the object of the
proletariat and establishing a nation for war-mongering through World War II and the Cold War.
In comparison, Gandhis goals were a little more reasonable. Through more peaceable measures,
Gandhi attempted to achieve the goal of Indian home rule and Indian unification. He, just as
many other Indian revolutionaries, desired an India apart from British rule. Specifically, he
wanted the British to leave India without the threat of force and as old friends. At first, it would
seem that he had succeeded; however, the split between Muslims and Hindus into Pakistan and
India proved that their separation form the British Empire would only cause more problems and
hurt their cause. Also, it showed that India was not ready for his goal of a peaceful state, as
almost immediately after the British left did fighting ensue. Ultimately, Gandhi differs greatly
from Lenin in many ways. First, Gandhis goal of revolution was to break away from the
oppression of Britain as a form of foreign tyranny whereas Lenins focus was more oriented
towards breaking down the remnants of tsarist Russia as an internal mechanism gone wrong.
Second, their goals differed in that Gandhis goal of revolution had a more utopian aspect in that
nonviolence would cause the British to just leave whereas Lenin had a more pragmatic approach
albeit violent and disliked by other nations. Among all the differences that separate the goals of
Gandhi and Lenin, there are overarching similarities that make the two fairly relatable. First,
both of their goals had s similarly nationalistic desire to eliminate an aspect of their society and
government that oppressed them. For Gandhi it was the British, and for Lenin it was the
bourgeoisie with which they had the goal to eliminate from their respective nations so that they
could establish a new one that better represented the people. Second, they were similar in their
goals in that both strived for unification of the dissenting parts of the state. In the case of Gandhi,
his goal, which ultimately failed, was to untie the Hindus and Muslims under one united Indian
banner whereas Lenin attempted to unite the farmers and the factory/urban workers. Ultimately,
it is clear that there are overarching similarities plagued with differences in individual details.
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When it comes to the tactics of Lenin and Gandhis revolutionary programs there are
supreme fundamental differences. For Gandhi, the tactic was primarily focused around
nonviolence. Upon coining the term, he also developed the tactic as an international precedent to
be followed by people like Dr. King and Nelson Mandela. He based the concept of nonviolence
around the fact that only by melting the heart through nonviolence, can one establish true
change in terms of revolution. He also connected his theories of nonviolence to Satyagraha and
desire to achieve the Truth. In comparison, Lenin is the exact opposite. His revolutionary tactic
was based in the original Marxism, which dictates that there should be a violent revolution to
break the previous system propped by capitalism

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Works Cited:

1. Attenborough, Richard, dir. Gandhi. Dir. John Briley . Columbia Pictures, 1982. Film. 30
September 2013.
2. "Vladimir Lenin." BBC. BBC, n.d. Web. 1 Oct 2013.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/lenin_vladimir.shtml>.