Russian Political Parties in 1905/06

Flashcards covering key political parties and concepts related to Russian politics in 1905/06.

Mensheviks

A faction of the Socialist Democratic Party (SPD) led by Yuli Martov; they believed that the revolution should be slow and that party membership should be open to many.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Socialist Democratic Party (SPD) led by Lenin; they believed in a rapid revolution through aggressive methods and limited party membership to professional revolutionaries.

Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs)

Founded in 1901 by Viktor Chernov; they focused on peasant land ownership and included various factions with different ideologies, including anarchists and Marxists.

Octobrists

Formed in 1905 after the October Manifesto, they believed it was the ideal settlement of political demands, supporting the Tsar while advocating for legislative change through the Duma.

Constitutional Democrats (Kadets)

A more radical liberal group formed in 1905 that saw the October Manifesto as a starting point for democracy, aiming for a reduction in the Tsar's power.

Nationalists

A conservative group of wealthy nobles and politicians who supported the Tsar and viewed the extension of democracy as a threat to their traditional position.

October Manifesto

A document issued in 1905 that aimed to address political demands and led to the formation of several political parties, including the Octobrists and Kadets.

Proletariat

The working class that is expected to rise against the bourgeois during a revolution according to Marxist theory.

Bourgeois

The capitalist class that owns most of the wealth and means of production, contrasting with the proletariat.

Marxism

A socio-political theory developed by Karl Marx, emphasizing class struggle and the idea that history progresses through predictable cycles.