Revolutionaries

• Populists (Narodniks)

  • First Russian revolutionaries
  • Came from intelligentsia
  • Assassinated Alexander II in 1881
  • Wanted peasants to overthrow Tsar
  • ‘Going to the people’ was meant to encourage revolution through educating peasantry but little success
  • ‘Propaganda of the deed‘ was a desperate measure that the ‘People‘s Will’ was founded with 400 members
  • Influenced all revolutionary groups to some extent
• Social Revolutionaries

  • Represented peasantry
  • Influenced by Narodniks
  • Had great support due to land policies
  • Largest socialist group as it won 410 seats in Nov 1917
  • Carried out hundreds of political assassinations
• Menshevik Beliefs

  • Two stage revolution
  • Membership open to all revolutionaries
  • Decisions made democratically
  • Wanted to ally with other socialist parties and trade unions
• Menshevik significance

  • Participated in 1905 revolution
  • Participated in Dumas
  • Fell apart after 1912 and permanently repressed in 1922
• Bolshevik Beliefs

  • One stage revolution, original Marxist belief could be telescoped into one
  • Exclusive organisation
  • All decisions by Central Committee (democratic centralism)
  • No cooperation with other parties
  • Aimed to turn workers to revolutionaries rather than improve conditions for them
• Bolshevik significance

  • Participated in 1905 revolution but Lenin in exile
  • Boycotted elections of first Duma
  • Gaining revenue for party was done through robbery
  • Participated in Feb revolution but got more support when Lenin came back