Vladimir Ilyich LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin, [Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov] (1870-1924) First Leader of the Soviet Union

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Quote

“One of the basic conditions for the victory of socialism is the arming of the workers (Communist) and the disarming of the bourgeoisie (the middle class).”

Vladimir Ilyich LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin
~ Vladimir Ilyich Lenin


Ratings and Comments


LeftyHenry, New York

The middle class is often working class. Middle class is not a communist class. He mean that. But it is a good quote by Lenin

Joe, Rochester, MI

...in the U.S. socialism is arming government agents (BATFE, FBI, police, etc.) and disarming other citizens (middle class, poor, black, women, etc.). The rich don't require arms because they are able to hire body guards and extra police, which the rest of us cannot afford. I can afford arms (a handgun or six, rifle, shotgun), but no body guards. Lefty, I think Lenin meant what he said, arm the loyal party members, disarm the average citizens.

Logan, Memphis, TN

Disarming one and arming another, taking from one and giving to another, stripping one man of his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness because he may have more than his neighbor-- yeah, socialism certainly creates "equality". Is the man receiving the legalized plunder or constituted privilege any less a slave than the man being stolen from?

E Archer, NYC

Those chanting for gun control should be reminded that Hitler, Lenin, and Mao first disarmed the citizenry before killing off millions of their own people.

helorat, Milton

Where is A, Reston drooling over the words of his hero and mentor?

Tovarishch, Pgh., PA

First, the term "middle class", as used by Lenin is not the same as we think of that term in the U.S. today. It does not mean middle income but, rather, those who own the means of production, as opposed to the landed aristocracy of earlier periods. Within Lenin's use of the term, one who works for somone else is not middle-class - no matter how big her/his paycheck is. Second, Lenin, as do all Marxists, saw the struggle between classes as a war. What sane leader in any war would not have his side fully armed with the best weapons and the other side without the means to fight. One of the conditions for victory in any war is the disarming of the vanquished. Finally, do not confuse liberal Democrats with class-conscious workers. No class-conscious worker wants their fellow workers disarmed - quite the contrary. Arm the masses!

Reyter, Stockholm

Since when is "the bourgeois" the "middle class"???? It is absolutely 100% certain that Great Comrade Lenin never uttered such nonsense!

Zachary Aslanian-Williams, San Francisco

Are the parenthetical statements Lenin's? The working class of the United States is about 70% of the population. The bourgeois is about 2%. I think one could easily surmise from reading Lenin that he would be pro-2nd Amendment and against gun control laws, since he wants the majority to be armed as a condition of revolution and democracy. It's the conservative police who ride around disarming black people, and the Marxist BPP that wanted people to arm themselves. Get it right people!

Gen, Mexico

First of all, arming of the workers as Lenin stated, is not the right method to have a socialist govt nowadays, There are some other pacific ways to accomplish socialism, as in Chile or Venezuela, the democratic one. If more left associations would join to strength, a true left party, this might work better, more efficiently and more peacefully. That is something not mentioned by Marx or Lenin. If people would follow the meaning of this, it would end up really bad among people from a same nation. It seems impossible to me to have a revolution in the US having the proletariat with weapons and all the sophisticated weapons in possession of the govt and the burgeoisie. Certainly socialism creates more control over the meaning of production and creates a society more equal and more dependent to the govt.

Mark, NY
  • Reply
    Mark, NY    10/3/13

    Henry, Workers are NEVER "middle class". They are working class. Middle class is medium sized business owners.

    Mike, Norwalk

    A defining element of socialism is to develop hatred between classes. Taking away property rights from everyone but the elite is one failing of socialism. Arming one class of individuals in order to kill off the undesirables is another. Socialism's theocratic utopia is a "Borg" fulfillment. 

    Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

    This quote is a expression of an immature juvenile delinquent if not an not an all out lunatic. The Social man(Socialist) will display and express the most intense disdain, contempt, and rejection of the use and support of any type of weaponry. The Socialist will reach deep down into their Social abilities human inheritance and find the social tools and technological aids to serve in the construction and implementation of the Socialist human preservation environment. The Socialist is not a destroyer in the least capacity, only a constructor and a creator of the life force.

    Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown
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    • Reply
    Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown 10/13/23

    Correction: This quote is an expression of an immature juvenile delinquent if not an all out lunatic. The Social man (Socialist) will display and express the most intense disdain, contempt, and rejection of the use and support of any type of weaponry. The Social man (Socialist) will reach deep down into their Social abilities inheritance and find the social tools and technological aids to serve in the construction and implementation of the Social human preservation environment. The Socialist is not a destroyer in the least capacity, only a constructor and a creator of the life force.

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