Opposition to Tsarist: Social Democrats and the Socialist Revolutionaries Flashcards
Which two major socialist political parties were formed between 1898 and 1902?
The Social Democrats and the Socialist Revolutionaries.
When was the Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) established?
1898.
What is Marxism?
- A movement that emerged in the late 19th century, inspired by Karl Marx
- Marxists argued that industrialisation and capitalism led to the exploitation of the proletariat
- They advocated a proletarian revolution against capitalism to create a genuinely free and equal society
What were the divisions in the RSDLP?
Russian Marxists disagreed fundamentally on the strategy of the RSDLP:
- Lenin and the Bolshevik argued that the proletariat was too weak and poorly educated to create a revolution - therefore the RSDLP should become a vanguard party - small secretive party of professional revolutionaries - who would revolt on the behalf of the workers
- Julius Martov, Fyodor and the Mensheviks argued that the RSDLP should be a mass party which educated and organised the proletariat
When was the Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) founded?
1902.
Who were the Socialist Revolutionaries?
- A political party who stressed the needs of Russia’s peasants
- The SRs’ main aim was land reform
- They also believed that peasant communes (or mars) could become the basis of a new socialist society
Who was the leading figure in the SRs?
Victor Chernov - influenced by Marxism, and argued that together the proletariat and the peasants should overthrow the Tsar.
What did some SRs stress the importance of? What were they influenced by?
Revolutionary violence - they were influenced by anarchism.
Who were the radical SRs and populists responsible for the assassination of?
- Nikolay Bogolepov - the Tsar’s Education Minister, in 1901.
- Vyacheslav von Plehve - the Minister of the Interior, in 1904
How many members were there between the RSDLP and SRs by 1905?
No more than 100,000 - therefore, they remained small.
How was opposition to the Tsar profoundly divided?
- Liberals wanted reforms to guarantee political rights whereas socialists wanted a full-scale revolution to change the economic and social structure of Russia
- The RSDLP was divided between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks - and divided on the issue of violence.
How did the government repress and neutralise opposition groups?
1) The Okhrana exiled leading radicals
2) Lenin was exiled to Siberia
3) Pavel Milyukov and Pyotr Struve - both banned from attending the first Congress of the League for Liberation
On how many occasions did the police and army use extreme violence to end strikes?
On almost 800 occasions between 1900 and 1902.
Explained the ukase.
- In order to defuse political opposition, the Tsar issued a decree or ukase in December 1904 stating that the government would respect individual rights.
How did the ukase divide liberals?
Some believed this was the first step to serious reform; others recognised that it would never be implemented.
