The long march through the institutions


The long march through the institutions is a slogan coined by Communist student activist Rudi Dutschke circa 1967 to describe his strategy for establishing the conditions for revolution: subverting society by infiltrating institutions such as the professions. The phrase "long march" is a reference to the prolonged struggle of the Chinese communists, which included a physical Long March of their army across China.

Influences

The main influence on Dutschke's thinking is commonly thought to be the work of Italian communist Antonio Gramsci who, while imprisoned by Mussolini, wrote about cultural hegemony and the need for a "war of position" to establish the conditions for a revolutionary "war of maneuver". Degroot also identifies Ernst Bloch as a major influence. Bloch met Dutschke at Bad Boll in 1968 and admired his integrity and determination, qualities that he had written about in 'The Principle of Hope' as being essential for the achievement of utopia.
Herbert Marcuse corresponded with Dutschke in 1971 to agree with this strategy, "Let me tell you this: that I regard your notion of the 'long march through the institutions' as the only effective way..." In his 1972 book, Counterrevolution and Revolt, Marcuse wrote:

Relevant works