Opposition to Tsardom: Revolutionaries and Reformers in Russia (1894-1924)

Revolutionaries (Russia 1894-1924)

Individuals who believed Russia's progress required the destruction of the tsarist system.

Reformers (Liberals)

Critics of the tsarist system who believed it could be improved through external pressure and internal reform.

Populists (Narodniks)

A revolutionary group whose core belief was that the future of Russia rested with the peasants, who must spearhead the overthrow of tsarism.

'Going to the People' Policy

Effort by educated Populists to live with peasants in rural areas to radicalize them, largely unsuccessful.

'The People's Will'

A Populist faction formed in 1879 that resorted to terrorism, notably assassinating Alexander II in 1881.

Social Revolutionaries (SRs)

Party derived from the Populist movement, formed in 1901 by Victor Chernov, aiming to expand 'The People' to include all those desiring an end to tsardom. They supported land redistribution.

Social Democrats (SDs)

Party established in 1898 with the aim of achieving revolution in Russia by adhering to the ideas of Karl Marx.

Karl Marx's Theory (Russian Context)

Posited that history is driven by class struggle (dialectic) culminating in the revolutionary triumph of the proletariat (industrial working class) over the bourgeoisie (capitalist class), leading to a 'dictatorship of the proletariat'.

George Plekhanov

Often called 'the father of Russian Marxism,' he founded the SD Party in 1898 and championed proletarian revolution, though his approach was seen as too theoretical.

Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin)

Emerged as a leading advocate for a more active revolutionary approach within the SDs, reshaping Marxist theory for Russian conditions and identifying the Bolshevik Party as the instrument for change.

Iskra ('The Spark')

A newspaper co-founded by Lenin and Julius Martov, used by Lenin to articulate his views and criticize Plekhanov.

'What Is To Be Done?' (1902)

Lenin's pamphlet arguing that revolution in Russia required a meticulously organized party of dedicated, professional revolutionaries, rejecting 'economism'.

Bolsheviks

Lenin's faction of the SD Party, named after 'majority,' advocating for a small, tightly-knit, exclusive party to direct revolution from above.

Mensheviks

Martov's faction of the SD Party, named after 'minority,' generally favoring a broad, inclusive party open to all revolutionaries and more moderate approaches.