Die Diktatur des Proletariats

The term ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ is one of the most enigmatic and powerful concepts of the 20th century. The works by various authors assembled in this book therefore not only trace the different interpretations of the term, but also the fascinating nature of certain patterns of interpretation and their functionalisation in the political sphere. Important individual pioneers and thinkers are introduced, the early statehood of the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ is discussed using case studies, and conceptual shifts and revisions are analysed. Having congealed into a concept that legitimised Marxism–Leninism long before 1989, the term ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ today is itself only part of history.

What does "dictatorship of the proletariat" mean and what consequences did the controversial term have in the 20th century?

With contributions by
Helmut Altrichter, Bernward Anton, Jan Claas Behrends, Béla Bodó, Marie-Janine Calic, Nikolas Dörr, Mario Keßler, Wilfried Nippel, Mike Schmeitzner, Uli Schöler, Tom Thieme and Stefan Weise.