Nikolaï Boukharine

Nikolaï Ivanovitch Boukharine (in Russian: НиколайИвановичБухарин) (September 27th, 1888 = October 9th 1888 of the new calendar - March 13rd 1938) is a Intellectuel, Révolutionnaire Bolchevik and Soviet Politician .

First steps of a young Bolshevik

Nikolaï Boukharine was born with Moscow parents teachers from primary school education. Benefitting from a benevolent paternal education, this very good impassioned pupil of mathematics attends the best Muscovite establishments.

In 1906, to 17 years, it adheres to the social democrat working Parti of Russia (POSDR) after having supported it at the time of the events of 1905. Member, in 1908, of the faction Bolshevik of this party, it is thorough with the exile in 1911. He does not return in Russia before the beginnings of the Révolution of February 1917. For this period, he lived successively in Austria, in Suisse, Sweden and with the the United States.

During its exile, it writes several works and takes part in the review Novy Mir ( a New World ) in collaboration with Trotsky and Alexandra Kollontaï. It at that time builds a stature of leader but especially of brilliant theorist. Enough eclectic, it does not fear the theoretical quarrels with Lénine but this last does not hold rigor of it to him if one judges of it by the loans that the leader of the POSDR does not hesitate to make him. Thus the opuscule of Boukharine on the Impérialisme will inspire several later texts of Vladimir Illitch.

A follower of positions extremists

After its return in Russia in April 1917, it becomes one of the persons in charge Bolsheviks of Moscow more in sight then is elected with the Central committee. After the success of the Revolution of October, it is charged with the edition of the Pravda . It carries then the flag of the Ultra-gauche. Its youth (it is 29 years old) made of him the headlight of the young maximalist revolutionists.

As of this moment and until its death, Boukharine has two faces, that of the revolutionist extremist able to theorize his maximalist sights for happiness of the Russian people, that of the combatant who does not hesitate to exclude the opponents at the time of the civil war or, later, in the fight to be able it after the death of Lénine. This approach appears contradictory with that, quite as true, of the man filled up of softness, “saint more than rebel”, of small size, tempting, loved children, collector of butterflies, at ease everywhere, in the factories or with the platform, capable of leniency towards its enemies and the opponents.

It is difficult to slice in these two faces, Boukharine constantly going to alternate between these two poles. For as much, all these ideological, strategic and tactical positions by their variations will without any doubt contribute to prepare the ultimate failure in front of a more cynical Stalin and less changing.

After October, Boukharine preaches the revolutionary war with excesses. It directs the communist opposition of left to the signature of the Traité of Brest-Litovsk, hoping that the Bolsheviks can use the circumstances of the war to become the world carry-standard of the great proletarian revolution. Indeed, in addition to the very famous ABC of Communism (appeared in 1919 and written with Evgueni Preobrajenski) which shows undeniable gifts of pedagog, Boukharine runs up then against Lénine on the idea of the “Capitalisme of State”. It writes in May 1920 Economic transitional period , work very theoretical and difficult of access - what makes interpretations difficult - which defends the Communisme of war, durable means to arrive at the Socialisme.

The reversal of the NEP

Volte-face surprising, in 1921, Boukharine approves the installation of the NEP (Nouvelle economic policy). Some consider that this radical change of opinion, from the left towards the line, consolidates an appreciation of Lénine, formulated in its “political legacy”, according to which Boukharine never completely would not have assimilated and includes/understands the Dialectique Marxiste. It is possible to as think as Boukharine, become aware of the reality of the absolute capacity that it contributed to build during the civil war, now tries to attenuate it, which passes by an easing of the living conditions of the population, dependant on a revaluation of its economic analyzes. Boukharine will never return to its radical opinions of the beginning of the revolution. This evolution also will mark the beginning of the strategic and tactical errors in the fight for the succession of Lénine. However, it does not replace of it less sick Lénine with the Political office in 1922 before becoming member about it the following year. It chairs in 1926 the Internationale Communist (Comintern).

As from 1926, Boukharine, then considered as leader of the right wing of the Communist party, is combined with the center tendency directed by Stalin and who constitutes the leading faction then after this last had broken its former alliance with Zinoviev and Kamenev. Boukharine then develops the thesis of the “Socialisme in only one country” according to which the Socialisme - representing in the Marxist theory the first stage towards Communism - could be implemented in only one country separately. This new theory meant that the revolution did not owe, by need, being encouraged in the capitalist countries , Russia being able with it only to carry out socialism. This thesis was to continue to inspire and mark the Stalinisme well after the liquidation of Boukharine, victim of the Grandes Purgings.

Boukharine, solid allied of Stalin, brings not only of the determining arguments in the victory of the Duumvirat but also does not hesitate to cultivate intolerance against its enemies. It brings to Stalin to XVe Congrès of December 1927 a decisive help in the crushing of the adversaries. At the beginning of 1928, Boukharine seems to be the large winner of the confrontations but, little by little, he discovers the danger of the any power of the General secretary. He however believes to still profit from a sufficient strong position to stop Stalin. Whereas it tries to replace this last in its station with the Plenum of July 1928, it discovers with its partisans, not without stupor, that all the delegations are mined interior. Attacked of all shares, Boukharine and its allies adopt a low profile to save what remains their positions. This prudence is useless. The Boukharine November 17th, Rykov and Tomsky are excluded from Politburo.

The setting with the variation and the liquidation of a leader

Winner of the other factions, Stalin then chooses an economic strategy completely opposed to the preceding options of his camp In addition to the immediate Industrialization, Boukharine was also opposed to the collectivization of the agriculture preached by his adversary but it does not have any more the means of acting, nor to influence the Party. In addition to its setting with the variation of the interior authorities, it also lost its station with the Comintern where its partisans, led to the international level by the American Communist Jay Lovestone, are taxed “droitiers” and are excluded from the organization. They found then, kind of export of the theses of Boukharine, a Communist party of opposition abroad.

Temporarily rehabilitated and named responsible for the edition of the Izvestia in 1934, Boukharine, at that time, abdicated about completely. Good number of its partisans were eliminated, liquidated, imprisoned. He endeavors not to give of catch to criticism. Remained member of the Party, there however keeps a great authority beyond its weak political role. For as much, even if it never dropped to take part in the amazing worship which is set up little by little in all the country for the benefit of Stalin, it had on several occasions to agree to swallow the grass snakes that the GenSec presented to him.

As of August 1936, at the time of the lawsuit Zinoviev-Kamenev, Boukharine was blamed by the accused but it still profits from the protection from moderate of the Central committee. The disappearance of the latter few before the lawsuit Radek in January 1937 allowed this time the charge to go until the end.

In February 1937, it is stopped with Rykov. Thirteen months later, on March 2nd, 1938 opens a lawsuit with large spectacle where, with its 18 qualified fellow accused of “anti-Soviet block of the droitiers and the trotskystes”, Boukharine is shown of all the anti-Soviet fixed prices. It did not undergo of physical torture but the threat which weighs on his/her two year old son and his young woman are enough to convince it to recognize the counts of indictment. During the lawsuit, it shows a rather worthy attitude, accepting in block the delirious charges of Vychinski, but while refusing to endorse the details of them. March 15th, 1938, one announces in Moscow that Boukharine was carried out. Certain known sources a few years later indicate that “Boukharine and Rykov died by cursing Stalin, without beseeching grace, nor to crawl on the ground of their cell like Zinoviev and Kamenev”.

Little before its arrest, Boukharine dictated its will with his wife who learned it then by heart. This text was made available of the Soviet population only one half-century later. At the hour to die, Boukharine wrote with a great clearness: “I am overpowered by the impotence felt vis-a-vis the explosive device which, with moyenâgeuses methods, deploys a titanic force, product of the lies to the chain according to a carefully concerted plan and whose audacity competes with the insurance. (…) I am member of the Party since the eighteen years age, and fights it for the interests of the working class, for the victory of socialism, is the single goal of my life. (…) I once was more mistaken on the ways of construction in socialism, I ask only whom the posterity does not judge me more severely than Vladimir Ilitch did it. The first, we engaged towards a single goal, taking a way that nobody had still taken. It was another time, with others practical. In Pravda, a column was reserved for the discussion, everyone took part in it, the ones like the others we endeavoured to find ways new, we disputed, to reconcile us then and advance together. I address to all the members of the Party. (…) In these days, which are perhaps the last of my existence, I keep the conviction that historical truth will wash my name of all the mud of which it was soiled. (…) Will know comrades whom on the flag that you carry, moving triumphal towards Communism, there are also a drop of my blood! ”

Nikolaï Ivanovitch Boukharine was officially rehabilitated by the Soviet authorities in 1988.

Works

political economy of the shareholder - critical of the economy marginalist , 1914.
the Theory of the historical materialism , 1921.
ABC of Communism , 1923.
the accumulation of the Capital and imperialism - Critical of Rosa Luxembourg , 1925.
With the future generation of the leaders of the Party , 1938.

Appendices

Sources

Stephen Cohen, Nicolas Boukharine: life of a Bolshevik (1888-1938) , Paris, Maspero, 1979.
Anna Larina Boukharina, Boukharine my passion , Paris, Gallimard, 1990.

External bond

Texts of Boukharine on marxist.org

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