Stalin's *"Marxism and the National Question"* (1913) addresses the role of national identity within the context of Marxist theory, emphasizing how the national question intersects with class struggle and the path to socialism. Stalin defines a nation as a historically constituted, stable community of people with a common language, territory, economic life, and culture. He argues against both the forced assimilation of national groups and the reactionary nationalism that prioritizes national identity over class solidarity.

Stalin critiques bourgeois nationalists for exploiting nationalism to divide workers and prevent class consciousness, while also rejecting cosmopolitanism that ignores the significance of national cultures. He advocates for the self-determination of nations, including the right to secession, as a means to foster unity among proletarian movements by resolving national grievances. However, he insists that the ultimate goal is the unification of workers across nations into a single socialist system, transcending national divisions.

The essay provided a theoretical foundation for the Bolshevik approach to nationalities, combining support for national self-determination with a broader commitment to proletarian internationalism.