In the terminology of
communist state
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
s and
Marxism–Leninism
Marxism–Leninism () is a communist ideology that became the largest faction of the History of communism, communist movement in the world in the years following the October Revolution. It was the predominant ideology of most communist gov ...
, the general line of the party or simply the general line is the directives of the governing bodies of a
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
(usually a
communist party) which define the party's politics. The term (Russian: Генеральная линия партии ''general'naya liniya partii'') was in common use by the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...
(since its early days under other names) and also adopted by many other communist parties around the world. The notion is rooted in the major principle of
democratic centralism, which requires
unconditional obedience to collective decisions.
Soviet Union
The term has acquired a significant notoriety in the context of
Soviet political repressions, where deviations from the general line have led to severe punishment. The introduction to a collection of documents from the
Stalinist era[ says that general line statements produced by the Stalinist leadership were written with great care and exact phrasing in prescribed terminology and with established slogans.][
The goal was to provide a means of political and social control. Once the Central Committee formulated a statement about the party line on a particular issue, it was republished in major newspapers, such as '' Pravda.'' Disagreements with the party line were treated as a political crime: anti-Soviet agitation.]
See also
* Mass line
* Party line (politics)
References
{{Marxist & Communist phraseology
Communist terminology