MENSHEVIKS: ORIGINS AND IDEOLOGY - HISTORY - 2025

The Mensheviks were born in Russia in 1903, in the context of the second congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. This faction arises after the differences between its leader Yuli Martov and that of the majority in the party, Vladimir Lenin. Both represented Russian Marxism, but the Mensheviks considered themselves the moderate wing of the party.

On the other hand, the Bolshevik majority was rather akin to radicalism, especially after the failed revolution of 1905, when they determined to abandon the use of arms for revolutionary achievement. The Mensheviks insisted on the use of political force as a means of action to overthrow Tsarism.

Yuli Martov, leader of the Mensheviks

In addition, they communed with the use of the allied bourgeois class to form a legal party and progressively take power through democratic elections. In 1912 they ceased to be a faction of the POSDR and formed an independent party.

In the year of the revolution (between February and October 1917) they allied themselves with the provisional government imposed by tsarism and gained political participation until October, when the Bolsheviks took power. They immediately dissolve the Constituent Assembly and begin to isolate politically all the Menshevik achievements.

Origins and history

Although the activity of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party is centered on the beginning of the 20th century, we must go back to the previous years to understand the origin of the party.

The Russian Empire came from defeating Napoleon's French Empire in its invasion attempt. This gave him the necessary military boost to regain lost lands and invade some regions of Eastern Europe. During their invasions, alliances began to form in the old continent that were consolidating the "westernization" of the Russian Empire.

Some years earlier, the publications Communist Manifesto and The Capital of Karl Marx, were already influencing the thinkers and politicians of the Tsarist Russian Empire, describing the declining labor situation of the proletariat after the Industrial Revolution.

Congresses of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party

In 1898 the first meeting between these thinkers was held, exiled after the student demonstrations and the printed publications of protest. This first Congress is held in Minks and the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party is officially founded.

It is in the second Congress, held in Brussels and London (the headquarters were changed to avoid persecution) when the two factions of the party were consolidated: on the one hand the majority (Bolsheviks), led by Lenin. On the other hand the minority (Mensheviks), led by Martov.

Ideology of the Mensheviks

Moderation

The Mensheviks were characterized as the most moderate wing of Russian Marxism. This restraint was reflected in the promotion of politics as a means to achieve their goals, instead of using weapons.

Social democratic thinking

The followers of this current agreed on the establishment of a representative democracy, in principle based on the capitalist structure in the sphere of production.

Match width preference

The Menshevik ideology favored the existence of different parties, and went against the one-party characteristic of Lenin's proposal.

Main differences between Mensheviks and Bolsheviks

The Menshevik movement had many problems consolidating its ideology and organization. Their leaders oscillated with Bolshevik ideas and internal disputes often broke out. The main differences were based on the position of the faction on the support of the working class.

However, there were key differences with the Bolsheviks that culminated in separation first, and political persecution later:

European socialist tradition

The Mensheviks were closer to the Western European socialist tradition and took these parties as the model for the Russian party.

Relationship with the peasantry

While the Bolsheviks relied on the revolution of the majorities, the Mensheviks did not elaborate any program that would benefit the Russian peasantry (the majority of the population of the Empire). They also did not trust his participation in the Revolution. It was characterized by being a fundamentally urban movement.

Approach to the working class

The Mensheviks relied on the formation of a party led by the working class with the capabilities to produce revolution and lead the nation in coalition with the bourgeoisie. By contrast, the Bolsheviks allowed only a small group of revolutionary thinkers into their ranks.

The capitalism

The Mensheviks held to the idea that capitalism should be allowed to develop while gradually implementing socialism.

The Bolsheviks relied on immediate revolution through the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Violence in the fight

The Mensheviks rejected the use of extreme means of struggle for the revolution. The Bolsheviks relied on the use of arms for the seizure of power.

First World War

The First World War in 1914 ended up marking the differences between the factions, which were positioned in opposite perspectives.

While the Bolsheviks oppose Russia's participation on the grounds that it would be a war between imperialist bourgeoisie against the interests of the universal proletariat, the Mensheviks divided their position in two:

- The defenders, who supported Russia's participation in the war in defense of the fatherland.

- The internationalists, led by Martov, who rejected participation in the war but did not ally themselves with the Bolshevik force.

Russian Revolution

The 1905 revolution was an uprising against the policies of the Tsarist Russian Empire led by the working class and the peasantry. These uprisings were devised in assemblies that ran throughout the empire and were called soviets.

After massive strikes, riots and popular disturbances, they achieved the reform of the structure of the Empire and a Limited Constitutional Monarchy was established with a Legislative Assembly, known as the Duma.

Despite this restructuring, Tsar Nicholas II maintains a strongly centralized government and continues to repress all social movements that were demonstrating en masse.

Parliamentary election

The Mensheviks assume power from the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party and manage to win 65 deputies in the elections to the posts of the Legislative Assembly.

Two years later the Tsar dissolved the Duma, brought the Social Democratic deputies to trial and the Russian people were once again strongly repressed.

In February 1917 the people's revolution takes place that will overthrow the Tsar and put an end to the monarchy, surprising the entire political spectrum, including Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

Menshevik control

Between February and October, the government was headed by Prince Georgy Lvov, but was controlled by the Soviet of the capital, led by the Mensheviks.

Therefore, it is considered that this interrevolutionary period was actually ruled by Mensheviks under certain conditions negotiated with the executive branch. This coalition with the liberalism of the prince did not convince either the working mass or the Bolshevik party.

October revolution

In October 1917 what we know today as the October Revolution, led by Bolsheviks, took place, which ended up overthrowing the government and gave rise to the birth of the Soviet Union (USSR), ruled by the Communist Party of Russia with Lenin at the helm. head.

During subsequent years, the Bolsheviks suppressed the Constituent Assembly, expelled Menshevik members from government positions, and began an ideological persecution that ended in exile for most of its members.

References

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