While The New Class was a bestseller, physical first editions are rare and expensive. Libraries often restrict access to reference copies. A free, scanned PDF allows students in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America to access a text that is often censored or ignored in their local curricula.
Djilas argues that the party is not a tool of the class; the class is the party. There is no distinction. He writes that the party "makes itself the owner of the means of production."
Djilas blends personal observation from inside Yugoslav leadership, comparative examples (Soviet bloc practices), anecdote, and theoretical reasoning. He avoids heavy statistical apparatus but gives descriptive vignettes and institutional analysis to show how privilege manifests — appointments, access to foreign goods, housing, and the control of information.
Djilas’ most provocative term was the "Red Bourgeoisie." He argued that the Soviet Union was not a socialist state, nor was it state capitalism. It was a new form of class society more brutal than the old capitalism because it lacked the "civilizing" pressures of a free market or a free press. Milovan Djilas Nova Klasa.pdf
He famously wrote:
"The new class appropriates its privileges and economic preference in the form of material gain and social prestige. The ownership of the means of production is not the same as the control of the means of production."
1. The "New Class" The central thesis of the book is that the Communist Party bureaucracy constitutes a distinct, exploiting class. Djilas argues that while the system claims to act on behalf of the proletariat, the party elite (the "New Class") enjoys special privileges, controls national resources, and exploits the working class just as the bourgeoisie did under capitalism. While The New Class was a bestseller, physical
2. The Nature of Ownership Djilas redefines the concept of ownership in a communist state. He argues that the "New Class" does not own property legally, as the state owns the means of production. However, because the party controls the state, the party bureaucracy collectively possesses the wealth. They derive their power and luxury from administrative control rather than legal ownership.
3. Bureaucratic Tyranny Djilas describes the New Class as a specific type of bureaucratic elite. He argues that this class is more oppressive than previous ruling classes because it monopolizes not just the economy, but all aspects of life, including ideology, culture, and education. He famously describes the Communist Party as "the greatest parasite in history."
4. Historical Materialism and Dogma The book critiques the Marxist-Leninist dogma, suggesting that the philosophy was used merely as a tool to gain power. Once in power, the "New Class" became conservative, using the ideology to justify its continued dominance and suppress dissent. Djilas argues that the system inevitably leads to stagnation because the bureaucracy prioritizes its own survival over the needs of the people. "The new class appropriates its privileges and economic
The New Class was not an academic exercise written from a safe distance. Djilas wrote it while being persecuted by his own system. A hero of the Partisan war against the Nazis, Djilas fell out with Tito in 1954 over demands for democratic reform. After publishing excerpts of The New Class in The New Leader (USA), he was arrested.
He spent nearly a decade in prison—not for murder or theft, but for describing reality. The regime’s vicious response inadvertently proved his point: a true ruling class does not debate critics; it incarcerates them.
While reading the Milovan Djilas Nova Klasa.pdf, pay close attention to the following sections, which are the most frequently highlighted by scholars: