If I remember right, Lenin and Trotsky were both lawyers (but didn't hold office and Lenin was in exile before returning to Russia) and Stalin was a career criminal (he robbed banks on behalf of the revolution) and soldier. Kropotkin didn't partake in the October revolution nor Russian Civil War and was living in exile in France.

My soviet history isn't very good, so others feel free to correct me and call me a dumbass for making shit up. I'd say a significant number of revolutions didn't include anyone with a title or office. The major figures that created the USSR were public employees at best in a place where noblemen still held vast amounts of land and wealth.

I think Mao was from the nobility and renounced his title, but maybe I'm wrong there. I know ~~Che's~~ Castro family owned a plantation.

Edit: brainfart

[–] newacctidk@hexbear.net 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Che's family was Argentinian, you are thinking of Fidel. Mao was from a minor landlord family.

However none of these figures had any connections to people in political power. Being born rich is less important in this sense than being a social climber who is friends with some politicians. Fidel for instance had long since alienated all his former ties

[–] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 7 points 1 week ago

Fixed. I knew that sentence didn't look right lmao