Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)

Lenin’s Path to Power: Bolshevism and the Destiny of Russia, by George Katkov and Harold Shukman. 1971. MacDonald St. Giles House, London, and American Heritage Press, New York

Pivotal Jewish Role in Making the Russian Revolution Happen

Author George Katkov emigrated from Russia in 1921, and eventually became an authority, at the University of Oxford, on Soviet institutions. His work touches on Judeo-Bolshevism, and reminds us that the numbers of Jews in Communism are not as significant as those Jewish Communists in key positions at specific times.

Enter Alexander Lvovich Parvus (Helphand), (Israel Lazarevich Gelfand), a Jewish Marxist theoretician and activist. He was a key player in enabling Lenin to come to power.

HELPHAND ENGINEERED GERMAN SUPPORT FOR LENIN

The authors write, “One of the most intriguing figures of the revolutionary movement–Alexander Helphand, alias Parvus. A wealthy Russo-German Social Democrat, he was influential in guiding German policy towards support of the Bolsheviks.” (p. 51).

THE GERMANS SET UP LENIN THROUGH HELPHAND

Katkov and Skuhman write, “The Germans also published their own newspapers in Russian intended mainly for Russian internees and prisoners-of-war. They would not, of course, try to involve Lenin in such publications. By 1915, they had been thoroughly informed by their agents, the Russian Parvus and the Estonian Keskuela, of Lenin’s potential importance in case of sudden developments in the revolutionary situation in Russia and they would not want him to be compromised by his taking part in overt sedition.” (p. 46).

HELPHAND ORCHESTRATED THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

The authors comment, “Parvus went back to Scandinavia where, powerfully supported by German secret funds, he continued his efforts to transform the ever-increasing wave of strikes in Russia into a major anti-government demonstration, which, was we have just seen, reached considerable dimensions in 1916.” (p. 46).

That Helphand did not cause the Russian Revolution sooner was not for lack of trying! Katkov and Shukman write, “Parvus’ failure to produce a revolution in Russia early in 1916, and other political setbacks, increased German skepticism about playing too many cards in the political game. But they kept Lenin as a potential weapon for the appropriate moment. It came in March 1917.” (p. 52).

SIGNIFICANCE OF TROTSKY

Let us now consider another pivotal Jewish Communist, Trotsky (Bronshteyn). The authors write, “In October [1917] declared: ‘The Bolsheviks must seize power immediately’, but it was Trotsky, president of the Petrograd Soviet, who was to plan and execute the coup.” (p. 78).

THE SUBSEQUENT COVERUP

After the Russian Revolution, the Germans tried to cover their tracks. Katkov and Skukman describe this, “The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered Helphand-Parvus to issue a denial of ever having supported Lenin and to swear it before a public notary. The press department was instructed to fight the rumours by every available means.” (p. 81).

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For more on the role of Alexander Helphand in the Russian Revolution, see:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2020/11/15/zydokomuna-in-the-russian-revolution-german-support-for-lenin-mediated-by-high-level-jewish-influence-socialism-does-not-necessarily-require-nationalization-of-production-zeman-and-scharlau/

For more on Jews in the Russian Revolution, see:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2019/11/04/zydokomuna-russian-revolution-wilton/