Russian Marxism and its London Colony before the October 1917 Revolution

Abstract

London had only a small 'colony' of political emigrants. They never went native and they arrived and left with their doctrines intact. Outwardly they were devoted to a cause which permitted no national priority; but their assumptions, which were probably unconscious, were focused on the Russian Empire. Britain was predominantly a useful place to do research, publish material, send out correspondence and hold party meetings. British socialists were also useful to the 'colony', but they were not considered interesting or important in themselves. The 'colony' kept itself to itself. From this complacent and dogmatic frame of mind stemmed some of the outbursts of fanaticism that afflicted Soviet Russia in the early years of the October Revolution and later.