The Mensheviks after October: Socialist Opposition and the Rise of the Bolshevik Dictatorship

355 Pages·1987·9.581 MB·English

by  Vladimir N. Brovkin

THE MENSHEVIKS
AFTER OCTOBER
And the Lord said unto Cain:
“Where is Abel, thy brother?”
And he said: “I know not: am
I my brother’s keeper?” And
He said: “What hast thou done?”
Genesis 4:9-10
THE MENSHEVIKS
AFTER OCTOBER
Socialist Opposition and the Rise
of the Bolshevik Dictatorship
VLADIMIR N. BROVKIN
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS
Ithaca and London
Copyright © 1987 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book,
or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address
Cornell University Press, 124 Roberts Place, Ithaca, New York 14850.
First published 1987 by Cornell University Press.
First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 1991.
International Standard Book Number 0-8014-1858-5 (cloth)
International Standard Book Number 0-8014-9976-3 (paper)
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 87-47952
Librarians: Library of Congress cataloging information
appears on the last page of the book.
© The paper in this book meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
To my teachers

Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Note on Transliteration and Dating Systems xx
Abbreviations xx
Prologue: The Road to October 1
PART I CATACLYSM AND READJUSTMENT,
OCTOBER 1917-MARCH 1918
1 The Mensheviks in October: From Government Party to
Opposition 15
2 The Mensheviks Confront the Bolshevik Challenge 49
PART II ELECTORAL POLITICS,
MARCH-MAY 1918
3 The Politics of the “New Course” 77
4 The Beleaguered Press 105
5 The Elections to the City Soviets 126
6 Shifting Political Allegiances 161
viii Contents
PART III THE SHOWDOWN,
MAY-OCTOBER 1918
7 Discord among the Socialists 199
8 The Mensheviks under Attack 220
9 The Civil War and the Party Split 256
Conclusions 294
Appendix: Members of the Central Committee of the
Russian Social Democratic Workers’ Party 301
Selected Bibliography 303
Index 321
Illustrations
Iskra headlines: “Comrades, Workers, and Soldiers! The
agreement is broken” 34
Iskra headline: “All Power to the Constituent Assembly!” 38
Campaign poster: “Vote for the United Social Democrats.
Freedom—Peace—Land” 40
Cartoon: “Selling army property at the front” 66
Cartoon: “Peace without annexations” 69
Iskra headline: “The Bolsheviks have strangled freedom of the
press” 107
Cartoon: “Lawmaking projects” 111
Social Democratic campaign poster, Yaroslavl 139
Cartoon: “Self-determination of the Samara horsecar” 143
Izvestiia (Saratov] headlines: “There is no longer any place for
Mensheviks and SRs in the Soviet” 151
Cartoon: “Radiant future” 253
TABLES
1 Number of members in local Menshevik organizations, August
and December 1917, by area and subdivision 42
2 Delegates of the Menshevik organizations at May 1918 party
conference, by area and province 202
3 Party affiliation of delegates elected to Petrograd soviet in June
1918, according to six sources 241
4 Party affiliation of delegates elected to Petrograd soviet in June
1918, by group represented 242