Today is the anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution, which saw the working class seize power for the first time ever. We are republishing a lesser-known article by Lenin, which outlines the theory of permanent revolution in relation to the Russian Revolution.

On this day in 1917, Lenin returned to Russia, arriving into Petrograd’s famous Finland Station. This was the beginning of his one-man struggle to politically reorient the Bolshevik Party – a vital stepping stone towards the October Revolution.

Continuing our series on the life and ideas of Lenin, 100 years after his death, Dylan Thomas explains how Lenin’s emphasis on the need for class independence was pivotal in arming the Bolsheviks for leading the working class to power in 1917.