The Bolsheviks were a radical, far-left, and revolutionary Marxist faction founded by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov. They split from the Menshevik faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903. After forming their own party in 1912, the Bolsheviks took power during the October Revolution in the Russian Republic in November 1917. Their beliefs and practices were often referred to as Bolshevism.
About Bolsheviks in brief
The Bolsheviks were a radical, far-left, and revolutionary Marxist faction founded by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov. They split from the Menshevik faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party at its Second Party Congress in 1903. After forming their own party in 1912, the Bolsheviks took power during the October Revolution in the Russian Republic in November 1917, overthrowing the Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky. They considered themselves the leaders of the revolutionary proletariat of Russia. Their beliefs and practices were often referred to as Bolshevism. Lenin’s political pamphlet What Is to Be Done?, written in 1901, helped to precipitate the split. Lenin believed that a revolution can only be achieved by the strong leadership who would dedicate their entire lives to the cause. After the proposed revolution had successfully overthrown the government, this strong leadership would relinquish power to allow socialism to fully develop. The pamphlet also showed that Lenin’s view of a socialist intelligentsia was in line with Marxist theory. Lenin agreed with the Marxist ideal of social classes ceasing to be and for the eventual \”withering of the state\”. Most party members considered unequal treatment of workers immoral and were loyal to the idea of a completely classless society. Internal unrest also arose over the political structure that was best suited for Soviet power. Lenin and Plekhanov disagreed on the topic of nationalizing land or leaving it for private use. Those who opposed collectivization of property would remain on the socialist path towards complete socialism and disagreed with Lenin’s views.
Lenin supporters became known as ‘hardships’ while Lenin supporters of the factionalism could be attributed to Lenin’s steadfast belief in his own belief in utopia and loyalty to his own self-visioned utopia. Lenin was even seen by his fellow party members as being so utopia-ed so as to even be seen by fellow members as’soft’ and ‘unwavering’ in his loyalty to the party. The split was caused by Lenin’s refusal to drop less active editorial board members from Iskra or Martov’s support for the Organizing Committee of the Congress which Lenin opposed. The differences grew and the split became irreparable. Lenin wanted to limit membership to those who supported the party full-time and worked in complete obedience to the elected party leadership. Martov wanted to extend membership to anyone who recognises the Party Programme and supports it by material means and by regular personal assistance under the direction of one of the party’s organisations. The two had disagreed over the issue as early as March–May 1903, but it was not until the Congress that their differences became irreconcilable and split theParty. Lenin believed his plan would develop a core group of professional revolutionaries who would devote their full time and energy towards developing the party into an organization capable of leading a successful proletarian revolution against the Tsarist autocracy. The base of active and experienced members would be the recruiting ground for this professional core.
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