LENINE, NIROLAI, a leader of the Bolshevik government in Russia. His name is Vladimir Ilyitch Uulyanoff and he was born of noble parentage at Sim birsk on the Volga in 1870. Taking to economics very early in life he became a convert to Marx doctrines and accepted the dictum of the Third International Congress in favor of the creation of an international state to be dominated by the workers. Although elected to the Second Duma he was exiled in 1905 when the reaction set in. During the early part of the European War of 1914 he was interned in Cracow, Austria, as an alien enemy, but later received permis sion to go to Switzerland. When the Revolution of March, 1917, took place in Russia, Lenine, together with several other Russians in exile, was allowed to proceed to Russia across Germany. Ar riving at Petrograd before Kerensky's government had been established he at once set to work, advocating immediate peace and the "dictatorship of the prole tariat." His effort to overturn the Ker ensky government in July of 1917 was a failure and Lenine was forced to go into hiding for a time. November, 1917, crowned his efforts with success and he found himself at the head of Russian af fairs. Well knowing the longing of the Russian people for peace, Lenin° imme diately opened negotiations with the Ger mans and in March of 1918 signed the peace of Brest-Litovsk by which Ger many was granted a considerable slice of Russian territory. Although formally
at peace with Russia, Lenine encouraged his agents to spread their propaganda among the Germans and effectually contributed to the outbreak of the revo lution in Berlin. The Allied Govern ments continued hostile to Lenine and gave support to men who had for their object the overthrow of the Soviet Gov ernment. One by one, however, Lenine defeated them all and the year 1919 ended with his power more absolute in Russia than when it had begun. Many accusations have been made by his ene mies against him: that he organized a reign of terror in Russia which threat ened to exterminate all who refused to acknowledge his power; that he accepted German gold and has acted in the inter est of Germany; that he has profited by the distresses of his people. The truth of these sweeping accusations cannot as yet be determined. That he is bitterly hated in Russia by some is shown by re peated efforts to assassinate him. The Al lied Governments, including the United States, have steadily, up to July, 1920, refused to recognize his government, and for a considerable time held Russia un der a strict blockade. Prior to his ac cession to power in Russia Lenine pub lished several works on Socialism, the most important of which is his "Develop ment of Capitalism in Russia."