Leaflet: The CPSU: Stages of History December 1980
Published in late 1980 in the lead up to the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) this booklet provided an official overview of the party's history and of each of its congresses to that point.
It begins before the first congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1898 -- the eventual Bolshevik wing of which evolved into the CPSU after the revolution -- with the formation of the League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class in St. Petersburg, 1895.
Due to length we have divided this post into two parts. The first one here looks at the period from 1895 to the 20th Congress in 1956 after the death of Stalin. This includes the emergence of the Bolsheviks, the Revolution of 1905 and the Great October Socialist Revolution, the civil war and World War II.
It is told entirely from the line held by the CPSU in the late 70s and gives a look at how it saw its own story of revolution, the consolidation of power and the struggle to build a socialist society. There are numerous interesting facts, archival photos and illustrations.
The second part will look at the history of the party through to the dawn of the 80s and will include a fascinating set of indexes at the end that provide historical statistical beakdowns of the growth and composition of the party through the decades. (Part Two has now been posted and can be found at: The CPSU: Stages of History December 1980 Part II)
(click on scans to enlarge)
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