The Mensheviks

The Mensheviks
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour party (RSDLP). This Marxist revolutionary political party was formed in 1898 in Minsk in order to fuse the various revolutionary organisations into one party. In 1903 the party split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, with the exclusion of the remaining Mensheviks following in 1912. The Bolsheviks eventually became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

The name ‘Mensheviks’ literally meant ‘minority men’ whilst ‘Bolsheviks’ is Russian for ‘those in the majority’. The Mensheviks believed (contrasting to the Bolsheviks point of view, supported by Lenin) in orthodox socialism, whereupon a working-class revolution in Russia could only take place after a successful middle-class revolution. They thought that not the party but the general public should have a leading role in the revolution. Also the Mensheviks were split as some thought it was allowable to wage a ‘defensive’ war, whilst others led by Lenin’s former close colleague Julius Martov favoured an immediate, negotiated settlement without indemnities, reparations or annexations.

Gifted with talented people like Julius Martov, Georgi Plekhanov and Leon Trotsky, the Mensheviks were greatly supported amongst urban workers and was able to exist as a political force between 1905 and 1917. Throughout this period Menshevik figures were more visible and influential than Bolshevik ones, as most of them were hiding, under arrest or in exile. The Mensheviks had candidates for the Duma, worked with the provisional government and made an effort to improve conditions for Russian workers. The Mensheviks also retained control of the social democratic newspaper Iskra, forcing the Bolsheviks to begin their own publication. Whilst the Bolsheviks were slow to respond when revolution erupted in 1905, partly because Lenin was still in exile, the Mensheviks took a lead role in the trade unions, workers’ groups and most importantly in the formation of the St Petersburg Soviet, where they enjoyed a respectable majority. This resulted in the Mensheviks having the predominant influence in the Soviet in November 1917. As Marxist socialists they believed that war was inevitable in a capitalist society. They considered the war against Germany a war in which only the capitalist society of both nations could benefit. The majority of Mensheviks argued that Russia should only continue to fight in self-defence. The international wing of them wanted Russia to retire from the war altogether.

But the Mensheviks were not without problems, some of which were predicted by Lenin back in 1902. Menshevik party membership was broader and contained a greater diversity of viewpoints and ideas – this however made the party more capable of factionalism and less decisive about key issues. The outbreak of the First World War created fractures: most Mensheviks were opposing the war but some in the party’s right wing supported the war. These conflicting views about the war, along with a lack of strong leadership and the defection of Trotsky (one of the party’s most important figures) weakened the Menshevik movement. By September the party was hopelessly divided and politically ineffective, allowing the Bolsheviks to gain a majority in the Soviets and, a month later, to attempt to overthrow the Provisional Government.

  References:

 -        -   Wade, Rex A. (2005) The Russian Revolution, 1917, 2nd Edition, New York: Cambridge University Press

 -        -   Trotsky, Leon (1934) The History of the Russian Revolution, London: Victor Gollancz Ltd.

 -        -   Abramovitch, Raphael R. (1962) The Soviet Revolution 1917-1939, New York: International Universities Press, Inc.

 -        -   Cash, Antony (1967) The Russian Revolution, London: Ernest Benn Limited

 