For Lenin, the right of nations to self-determination was one of the fundamental tasks of the socialist revolution, and he regarded its denial as a betrayal of socialism. But the aim of the socialist revolution is not merely to resolve the national question; rather, it is to annihilate the very foundations of all forms of oppression and exploitation. Therefore, like Marx and Engels, Lenin viewed every democratic question—including the national question—within its historical context, and adopted a position based on the historical interests of the working class.
