Russian Revolution: Parties, Crisis, and Lenin's Rise

Russia's Revolutionary Landscape (Early 1900s)

From the beginning of the 20th century, there were three principal revolutionary parties in Russia:

• The Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRs): Their main base of support was the peasantry. Influenced by anarchism, they frequently resorted to political terror.
• The Social Democrats: Following the classic doctrines of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, they believed that the development of capitalism would create a radicalized proletariat that would eventually stage a revolution and introduce socialism. They rejected political terror as futile.
• The Constitutional Democrats (Kadets): This party stood for representation in Parliament and the drafting and passing of a Constitution.

The Social Democratic Split (1903)

The Social Democratic Party split in 1903 into two major factions:

• The Mensheviks: They concentrated on developing ties with labor and rejected political revolution in agrarian, largely pre-capitalist Russia.
• The Bolsheviks: Closer ideologically to the Socialist Revolutionaries in their immediate revolutionary zeal, they believed that Russia was ready for socialism. Their leader, Vladimir Lenin, was a disciplined revolutionary who organized a small, dedicated party bent on seizing power.

The Collapse of Tsarist Rule (1917)

By 1917, the bond between the Tsar and most of the Russian people had been broken, and his reactionary policies had spread widespread dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the war showed that Russia was no longer a military match and had a disrupted economy.

The February Revolution

Riots over food shortages broke out in the capital on February 24th. When most of the Petrograd garrison joined the revolt, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. When his brother refused the throne, more than 300 years of rule by the Romanov dynasty came to an end, and a Provisional Government was appointed by the Duma.

Lenin's Return and German Strategy

During WWI, Lenin agitated for Russia's defeat. This attracted the attention of the Germans, who realized they could not win the war unless they succeeded in forcing Russia to sign a separate peace. In April 1917, they arranged for Lenin's transit through Germany to Sweden and then to Russia. To this end, they generously supplied Lenin with the money necessary to organize his party and build up a press.

Political Turmoil and Bolshevik Ascent

Lenin immediately sought to launch a revolution. However, near success, the Provisional Government released some information regarding his dealings with the Germans, and the rebels dispersed. Afterward, the chairmanship of the Provisional Government passed to Alexander Kerensky.

Kerensky soon had a conflict with General Lavr Kornilov that broke into the open in August (the Kornilov Affair). Following this turmoil, the Bolsheviks began to win majorities in the Soviets (councils of workers' and soldiers' deputies).