In Russia, a small faction known as the Bolsheviks, who termed themselves "the majority," aimed to exert total control through a centralized authority. Lenin played a crucial role in drafting the theoretical framework for what would become a dictatorship of the proletariat, which was later discussed and adjusted by fellow communist leaders. This approach highlighted a belief that socialism should be enforced by an educated elite rather than evolving organically from grassroots movements.

This perspective underscored a significant ideological stance that revolutions and systemic changes required direction from the top, rejecting any ideas of gradual or bottom-up transformation. The Bolsheviks' vision aimed for an authoritarian imposition of socialist principles, marking a definitive break from more democratic or spontaneous approaches to social change.