Political + clique opposition -> tsars, PG and Lenin

The Populists - Narodniks - when formed and why

1860s out of dissatisfaction with the emancipation, wanted to overthrow tsar + promote agrarian socialism, wanted land redistribution among peasantry

Chief proponents of the Populists

Chernyshevsky and Lavrov - both influenced by writings of Marx

Chernyshevsky publication in 1863

What is to be done? → will influence Lenin (how poor Russians could be released from their misery)

Lavrov campaign

‘Going to the People’, 1873-74, university students going into the Russian countryside to politically educate the peasants

More organised when Land and Liberty (pressure group) formed in 1876

Scheme did fail however disagreement over whether the Populists should employ direct action (e.g. violence) or pursue a more peaceful approach based on Black Repartition (all land shared out equally peasants)

The People’s Will

Terrorist group that emerged from the Land and Liberty pressure group/movement, formed in 1879

Turned to violence

Primary objective to assassinate Alex II - four attempts made on his life before he was killed in 1881

Were the populists successful?

They did kill the tsar, but overall no, as murdered Alex II right before he introduce a representative assembly, and Alex III even more repressive. Peasantry not politically motivated (no driving force of revolution there).

The SRs origins

Grew out of the populist movement. Formed 1901

SR ideas

Ending tsardom, ending private ownership of land and pledge to return land to the peasants

1901-1905 how many political assassinations

2000 - e.g. the Grand Duke Sergei; functionally successor to the People’s Will

1905 what happened to the SRs

Party split - radical left wings and moderate right-wings

Until 1917 they were

The largest party, although it became clear that the party consisted of many different radical groups rather than a single united one

Elections after the revolution - vote share

37.6% of the vote elections after the revolution, compared to the 24% the Bolsheviks have

But what do Bolsheviks do to SRs

Outlaw them → e.g. summer of 1918 expelled from the Executive Committee

The Social Democrats when

1898

the SDs ideas

Influenced by Marxists ideas (Plekhanov), working-class consciousness - but workers didn’t care abt Marxist theory, SDs also focused on improving pay and reducing working hours therefore

Idea - Tsarist autocracy overthrown + replaced with a socialist system with workers in change

1905 SDs

Signs of division between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks

SD growth

1907 estimates suggest 150,000 members total, 46,000 Bs, 38,000 Ms, and the rest unaffiliated.

Mensheviks

• Moderate

• Wanted to build a large, democratic, socialist party with wide membership

• Willing to work with other opposition groups in Duma and Zemstva e.g. Kadets

• Strikes, cooperatives, etc.

Bolsheviks

• Radical

• Lenin pushed for tightly controlled, disciplined vanguard party of professional revolutionaries

• Uninterested in cooperation with liberals

• Advocated strikes, violent revolution

How did rulers react to SDs

SDs harshly repressed; outlawed, censored and infiltrated by Okhrana. Key leaders (Lenin, Martov, Trotsky) exiled and revolutionary networks smashed. 1905 October Manifesto, creating the Duma, intended to strengthen influence of Mensheviks and weaken radicals. Franchise reduced to minimise SD influence in Duma

Did SDs have any success?

Mensheviks - not really, though did briefly dominate the Petrograd Soviet and took posts in PG - declined after 1917

Bolsheviks obviously leading role in 1917 soviets, ultimate success October Rev.

The Liberals when + what

1860s under Alexander II - educated Russians and zemstva leaders frustrated with limited nature of his reforms

Organised in 1905 after political parties were legalised in the October Manifesto → Kadets and Octobrists 1905, sought a constitutional monarchy and civil rights, and moderate reform within tsarism

Overall wanted Russia to be governed like Western European democracies e.g. Britain

Liberals membership

Kadets - mostly liberal intelligentsia e.g. progressive landlords, smaller industrial entrepreneurs, members of the professions

Octobrists - larger commercial, industrial and landowning interests

Tactics of liberals

• The Octobrists were largely restrictive in their campaigning only going as far as calling for ‘peaceful renewal, the triumph of law and order and the establishment of a strong an authoritative regime.’

• However in the Dumas they did frequently voice serious criticisms of the short-sightedness or incompetence of the tsarist government.

• The Kadets used the Duma to great effect where they were the most outspoken critics of the tsarist system.

Reactions/success of liberals

• Octobrists dismissed by revolutionaries as reactionaries who were unwilling to challenge existing system - monitored and pressured

• Kadets allowed to sit in new Duma, but Nicholas II quickly curbed power with 1906 fundamental laws giving himself veto power

• Not much success - PG would be dismantled, members arrested, many were liberals (+ Bolsheviks takeover)

1906 fundamental laws

Major political changes promised by the October Manifesto largely cancelled out, Romanov dynasty intact until 1917 (WWI effects + Bolsheviks)

PG opposition

Growing strength of workers’ committees esp. Petrograd - vast majority of members of these were opposed to the PG and prepared to listen to other groups, e.g. Bolsheviks

Who was winning elections in Constituent assembly?

THE SRs - not the bolsheviks (stat for after rev. 37.5% vs 24)

How did the left SRs see Lenin

As a traitor to the revolution and a German collaborator - Lenin wanted to pull Russia out of WWI and strike a peace deal with Germany

Civil War (1918-1922) and opposition

• Some historians believed it was welcomed by Lenin as it provided an opportunity to destroy opposition → White army made up of essentially political opponents from the Constituent Assembly

• Though of course Green armies (peasants who opposed Bolshevik rule) suggested perhaps it was not only about politics - also conflicts about nationalities and regions

1921 what did Lenin publish

A paper → ‘On Party Unity’ → laid the base for making all other parties illegal, banned factionalism within the Bolshevik Party

1921-1964 and beyond what was Russia?

a one-party state

After overthrow of PG in 1917, which prominent Bolsheviks called for a coalition to be formed with other socialist groups

Zinoviev, Kamanev, Rykov, etc.

Although some left-wing SRs were allowed to join ranks, how did Lenin react to his colleagues’ urges for coalition with other socialist groups

He bullied his Bolshevik colleagues into rejecting an alliance with opposing political groups

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and opposition

Opposed by the left, esp. Trotsky

Lenin countered his opponents, claiming that the war would soon be over (he was right…)

War communism opposition

Considered harsh by some party members → Lenin conceded to pressure for change and introduced his NEP

This however heightened tensions and widened divisions → right Bolsheviks favoured this temporary concession towards capitalism, left did not (betrayal of revolutionary principles)