Marcuse's Soviet Marxism (hereafter SM) is an interpretation of both the political phenomenon of Communism in the Soviet Union and its ideological doctrine and departures from classical Marxism. His study combines Marxian ideology critique with political analysis of the Soviet Union, using as sources documents, speeches and party pronouncements, as well as the classical texts of Marxism-Leninism. The interconnection of philosophical and political factors makes Marcuse's study a complicated and often difficult presentation of a complex and controversial phenomenon; consequently, SM demands a detailed analysis and criticism of Marcuse's interpretation — a task neglected in most previous discussions of Marcuse's thought.