--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Have these gentlemen ever seen a…" description: "\"“Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution? A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is an act whereby one part of the pop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/vladimir-lenin-1306_revolution_have-these-gentlemen-ever-seen-a-revolut_660764.jpg" --- # Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution? A revolution… ![“Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution? A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is an act whereby one part of the population imposes its will upon the other part by means of rifles, bayonets, and cannons, all of which are highly authoritarian means. And the…” quote by Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/vladimir-lenin-1306_revolution_have-these-gentlemen-ever-seen-a-revolut_660764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/vladimir-lenin-1306_revolution_have-these-gentlemen-ever-seen-a-revolut_660764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/vladimir-lenin-1306_revolution_have-these-gentlemen-ever-seen-a-revolut_660764.jpg) > ““Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution? A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is an act whereby one part of the population imposes its will upon the other part by means of rifles, bayonets, and cannons, all of which are highly authoritarian means. And the victorious party must maintain its rule by means of the terror which its arms inspire in the reactionaries. Would the Paris Commune have lasted more than a day if it had not used the authority of the armed people against the bourgeoisie? Cannot we, on the contrary, blame it for having made too little use of that authority? Therefore, one of two things: either that anti-authoritarians don’t know what they are talking about, in which case they are creating nothing but confusion. Or they do know, and in that case they are betraying the cause of the proletariat. In either case they serve only reaction.8 This”” [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lenin argues that revolutions inherently use force and authoritarian means, and that failing to fully employ armed power betrays revolutionary goals. **In simple terms:** Revolutions use force; not using it fully is a betrayal. Key Takeaway Embrace decisive action in revolutionary contexts. Themes revolution authority violence politics class struggle Mood tense critical analytical Type political philosophical historical When to use this quote - political uprisings - workers' movements - colonial struggles - social reforms Key Concepts Marxism state theory revolutionary strategy Questions to Reflect On - Is violence ever justified in achieving political change? - How can revolutions maintain ethical standards? A Different Perspective Overreliance on force can lead to oppression and loss of moral legitimacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) ## Related quotes > [“Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-engles/have-these-gentlemen-ever-seen-a-revolution/) Frederick Engles > [Authoritarians tend to consolidate support by using fear, but more importantly by driving a wedge among the people that they want to control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/authoritarians-tend-to-consolidate-support-by-using-fear-but-more/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [The Constitution was definitely and specifically designed to hobble all people who are so foolish as to think themselves capable of leading others by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/the-constitution-was-definitely-and-specifically-designed-to-hobble/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [Somehow, when the authoritarians on the Right search for icons of manly warrior power to venerate, they find only those who like to melodramatically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/somehow-when-the-authoritarians-on-the-right-search-for-icons-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I have never said authoritarians are pathological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-altemeyer/i-have-never-said-authoritarians-are-pathological/) Bob Altemeyer > [“When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/when-political-leaders-set-a-negative-example-professional/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [The behavioral scientist Karen Stenner has written very eloquently about people who have what she calls an authoritarian predisposition, a personality type that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-behavioral-scientist-karen-stenner-has-written-very-eloquently/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-real-division-is-not-between-conservatives-and-revolutionaries/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Steve Bannon is clearly somebody who has studied not-normal politics and the Constitution and the Electoral College. He is somebody who has studied Hitler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/steve-bannon-is-clearly-somebody-who-has-studied-not-normal-politics/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [“Conservatives without conscience do not have horns and tails; if they did they would be easier to identify. Many of them can be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-dean/conservatives-without-conscience-do-not-have-horns-and-tails-if-they/) [John W. Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-dean/) > [“Hitler and Mussolini were indeed authoritarians, but it doesn’t follow that authoritarianism equals fascism or Nazism. 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Germany in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but-the-features-of-a-given/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Our effort to build stability through authoritarians in the Middle East for 60 years had given us neither democracy nor stability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/our-effort-to-build-stability-through-authoritarians-in-the-middle/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/history-has-shown-that-the-masses-have-been-quite-receptive-to-the/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## More by Vladimir Lenin > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Honesty in politics is the result of strength; hypocrisy is the result of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/honesty-in-politics-is-the-result-of-strength-hypocrisy-is-the-result/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Our power does not know liberty or justice. It is established on the destruction of the individual will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/our-power-does-not-know-liberty-or-justice-it-is-established-on-the/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [For the complete extinction of the state, complete Communism is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/for-the-complete-extinction-of-the-state-complete-communism-is/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [The reflection of nature in man's thought must be understood not lifelessly but in the eternal process of movement, the arising of contradictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/the-reflection-of-nature-in-man-s-thought-must-be-understood-not/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/our-program-necessarily-includes-the-propaganda-of-atheism/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/the-best-way-to-destroy-the-capitalist-system-is-to-debauch-the/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [“Private property based on the labour of the small proprietor, free competition, democracy, i.e., all the catchwords with which the capitalists and their press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/private-property-based-on-the-labour-of-the-small-proprietor-free/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Can a nation be free if it oppresses other nations? It cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/can-a-nation-be-free-if-it-oppresses-other-nations-it-cannot/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [International unity of the workers is more important than the national.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/international-unity-of-the-workers-is-more-important-than-the-national/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [I don't care what becomes of Russia. To hell with it. All this is only the road to a World Revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/i-don-t-care-what-becomes-of-russia-to-hell-with-it-all-this-is-only/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [I must say that the tasks of the youth in general, and of the Young Communist Leagues and all other organisations in particular, might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/i-must-say-that-the-tasks-of-the-youth-in-general-and-of-the-young/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be, until they have learned to seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/people-always-have-been-the-foolish-victims-of-deception-and-self/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [One would like to stroke and caress human beings, but one dares not do so, because they bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/one-would-like-to-stroke-and-caress-human-beings-but-one-dares-not-do/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [As an ultimate objective, "peace" simply means communist world control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/as-an-ultimate-objective-peace-simply-means-communist-world-control/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) [Explore all 258 Vladimir Lenin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) ## More Authoritarians quotes > [History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/history-has-shown-that-the-masses-have-been-quite-receptive-to-the/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Our effort to build stability through authoritarians in the Middle East for 60 years had given us neither democracy nor stability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/our-effort-to-build-stability-through-authoritarians-in-the-middle/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Authoritarians have always been here. 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Many of them can be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-dean/conservatives-without-conscience-do-not-have-horns-and-tails-if-they/) [John W. Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-dean/) > [Steve Bannon is clearly somebody who has studied not-normal politics and the Constitution and the Electoral College. He is somebody who has studied Hitler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/steve-bannon-is-clearly-somebody-who-has-studied-not-normal-politics/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The real division is not between conservatives and revolutionaries but between authoritarians and libertarians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-real-division-is-not-between-conservatives-and-revolutionaries/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The behavioral scientist Karen Stenner has written very eloquently about people who have what she calls an authoritarian predisposition, a personality type that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/the-behavioral-scientist-karen-stenner-has-written-very-eloquently/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [“When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/when-political-leaders-set-a-negative-example-professional/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [I have never said authoritarians are pathological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-altemeyer/i-have-never-said-authoritarians-are-pathological/) Bob Altemeyer > [Somehow, when the authoritarians on the Right search for icons of manly warrior power to venerate, they find only those who like to melodramatically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/somehow-when-the-authoritarians-on-the-right-search-for-icons-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [The Constitution was definitely and specifically designed to hobble all people who are so foolish as to think themselves capable of leading others by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/the-constitution-was-definitely-and-specifically-designed-to-hobble/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [Authoritarians tend to consolidate support by using fear, but more importantly by driving a wedge among the people that they want to control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/authoritarians-tend-to-consolidate-support-by-using-fear-but-more/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [The truth is that regimes of corrupt, personalist rule - in which authoritarians wield the state to reward friends, punish enemies and secure their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/the-truth-is-that-regimes-of-corrupt-personalist-rule-in-which/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) [Browse all 24 Authoritarians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Have these gentlemen ever seen a revolution? 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