Abstract

The rise of a new bureaucratic ruling class in Russia in the 1930s and 1940s artificially inflated the stock of some critics of the social democratic movement who saw it as the beginning of a dictatorship of “intellectuals” over an untutored working class. What these critics have in common is that: 1) they developed their critique from a “left” or “libertarian” perspective, accusing the socialists of betraying their goals and deceiving their followers; 2) they were not pro-capitalist apologists; and, 3) their writings are relatively inaccessible. Consequendy, the authoritarian nature of their politics has tended to remain hidden. When their politics are carefully examined, however, their reputation fades.