In 'The State and Revolution,' Vladimir Lenin presents a foundational Marxist analysis of the state's role as an instrument of class oppression. Written in 1917, the book argues that the bourgeois state cannot be reformed but must be overthrown and dismantled by a proletarian revolution. Lenin outlines the necessity of establishing a 'dictatorship of the proletariat' as a transitional phase to wither away the state and achieve a classless, communist society. This influential work directly confronts both reformist and anarchist views, serving as a critical guide to revolutionary theory and practice for generations.