Lenin's What Is to Be Done?

Lenin's "What Is to Be Done?" is a booklet arguing that a dedicated revolutionary vanguard—an organized, disciplined group of true socialists—is necessary to lead workers in overthrowing capitalism and establishing socialism. He critiques spontaneous worker protests, emphasizing the importance of conscious leadership and revolutionary theory. Lenin advocates for a centralized party that can effectively guide the proletariat's political awakening and strategy, distinguishing his approach from more reformist or reform-oriented ideas. The work laid the ideological groundwork for the Bolshevik strategy and the eventual establishment of the Soviet state.