Western Marxism and the Soviet Union

Marcel van der Linden (1952) is Research Director of the International Institute of Social History and Professor in the History of Social Movements at the University of Amsterdam.

“The amount of sources the author has studied is staggering...the book [has] an encyclopedic value and [is] accessible to all scholars interested in political history.” — Martin Kragh, Stockholm School of Economics “Since the Russian experience is still used to vilify the idea of socialism, the debate remains relevant. Van der Linden...has now produced a comprehensive scholarly account of the arguments.” — Ian Birchall, London Socialist Historians Group

• Preface1. Introduction2. From the October Revolution to the Stalin era (1917–29)2.i. Kautsky and the Bolsheviks: three controversiesKautsky versus LeninKautsky versus TrotskyKautsky versus Bukharin2.ii. Levi, Luxemburg and the Bolsheviks: criticism and counter-criticismLeviLuxemburgInterpretationsZetkin, Lukács, and Kautsky2.iii. Left-communist criticismsGorter, Pannekoek, RühleKorsch2.iv. Summary3. From Stalin’s ‘Great Leap Forwards’ to the ‘Great Patriotic War’ (1929–41)3.i. State capitalismMiasnikovAdlerWagnerWorrallPollock3.ii. Trotsky: the theory of the degenerated workers’ state3.iii. Theories of a new mode of productionLauratWeilRizziBurnhamShachtmanCarterPedrosaHilferding3.iv. CriticismCriticism of theories of state capitalismCriticisms of the theory of the degenerated workers’ stateCriticisms of theories of a new mode of production3.v. Summary4. From the ‘Great Patriotic War’ to the Structural Assimilation of Eastern Europe (1941–56)4.i. The theory of the degenerated workers’ state 4.ii. Theories of state capitalismGrandizo/Péret James/DunayevskayaCastoriadis/LefortCliffBordiga4.iii. Theories of a new mode of productionGuttmann4.iv. Interpretations ‘without labelsSternbergCyconFrölichKofler4.v. Debates and mutual criticismThe Deutscher debateResponses to BurnhamMandel’s critique of ‘state capitalism’ and ‘bureaucratic collectivism’4.vi. Summary5. From the Twentieth Congress of the CPSU to the Repression of the ‘Prague Spring’ (1956–68)5.i. Theories of state capitalismThe current around Cliff5.ii. The theory of the degenerated workers’ state5.iii. Theories of a new mode of productionDjilasKuron/Modzelewski5.iv. Theories ‘without labels’Wittfogel and his criticsMarcuseRosdolskyBoeuve5.v. Summary6. From the Repression of the ‘Prague Spring’ to Perestroika (1968–85) 6.i. Theories of state capitalismCliff’s currentMattickMaoist variants: Holmberg, Bettelheim and his criticsThe workerist [operaisti] variant6.ii. The theory of the degenerated workers’ stateElaborationsCriticismsMohun’s revision6.iii. Theories of bureaucratic collectivismStojanovicCritical Rizzi-supporters: Carlo and MelottiFantham/MachoverSweezy6.iv. Theories of the new mode of production without a (consolidated) ruling classPioneers: Arthur, Naville, Alvater/NeusüssThe debate in LinksDutschke and his criticsZiminDigression: Sohn-Rethel, Damus and the ‘social synthesis’Bahro and his criticsSchmiedererTicktin and his criticsThe Hungarian ‘New Left’: Bence/Kis (Rakovski), Konrád/Szelényi, Fehér/Heller/MárkusCampeanu6.v. Summary7. The Collapse and Its Aftermath: From 1985 to the Present7.i. Theories of (state) capitalismThe current around Cliff and its criticsDaum and his criticsSapirChattopadyay and his criticsFernandez‘Aufheben” SandemoseResnick & Wolff and their critics7.ii. The theory of the degenerated workers’ state 7.iii. Theories of bureaucratic collectivismLooneBrenner and his criticsFinger7.iv. Theories of a new mode of production without a (consolidated) ruling classFürediTicktin and his criticsCoxArthurBehrensCampeanu7.v. Summary8. In Lieu of a Conclusion9. Meta-theoretical noteReferencesIndex