The 1917 victory of the communists in Russia was a contradiction of Marxist theory because Russia was

• A. Mainly an agricultural society
• B. A highly industrialized economy
• C. A capitalist paradise
• D. A feudal system

Answer: (A)

Marxist theory envisions a socialist transformation arising from a mature capitalist system with a strong industrial working class and a developed productive base. Russia in 1917 was largely agricultural, with peasants making up most of the population and industrialization still limited. That mismatch—a socialist revolution occurring in an economy not yet built on a large urban proletariat—made the event seem to contradict the typical Marxist pathway. Yet the Bolsheviks seized power by exploiting wartime crisis, state weakness, and their organized leadership, showing that revolutionary change could emerge even in a less industrialized setting when conditions and leadership aligned. The other possibilities don’t fit because a highly industrialized economy would align with Marx’s forecast, a capitalist paradise isn’t an accurate label for Russia, and Marx’s framework emphasizes the transition from capitalism rather than feudal remnants as the direct seedbed of socialist revolution.