The Development Of The Socialist Revolutionary Party

• The Great Famine of 1891-92 highlighted the need to reform the rural economy. Ideas of ‘agrarian socialism’ were revived
• Agrarian socialism was the idea of taking estates from landowners and dividing the land between the peasants to be farmed communally
• Students began to champion a new style Populism, taking inspiration from the defunct ‘The People’s Will’ and favouring violent protest.
• The same year, the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR) was founded as a rallying point for those who wished to appeal to the peasantry through a commitment to ‘land socialisation’ and decentralised government.
• Its most influential theorist was Viktor Chernov, a law graduate and editor of the party journal.
• It was a fairly loose organisation, comprising groups with a variety of views.
• Combined Marxist teaching with Populist ideas in a specifically ‘Russian’ revolutionary programme.
• Tried to unite peasants and workers (the ‘labouring poor’ in the fight against autocracy and for land redistribution
• Developed a large peasant and working class membership
• Attempts to stir up discontent in the countryside and strikes in the towns.
• Tried to disrupt government by political assassinations- 2000
• Played an active part in the 1905 Revolution
• Secret police infiltrated the movement and over 4000 were sentenced to death between 1905 and 1909, although only little over a half were actually executed