Communism -- Soviet Union; Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921
c. _Bolsheviki._ Now call themselves the _Communist Party,_ in order to
emphasise their complete separation from the tradition of “moderate” or
“parliamentary” Socialism, which dominates the Mensheviki and the
so-called Majority Socialists in all countries. The _Bolsheviki_
proposed immediate proletarian insurrection, and seizure of the reins
of Government, in order to hasten the coming of Socialism by forcibly
taking over industry, land, natural resources and financial
institutions. This party expresses the desires chiefly of the factory
workers, but also of a large section of the poor peasants. The name
“Bolshevik” can _not_ be translated by “Maximalist.” The Maximalists
are a separate group. (See paragraph 5b). Among the leaders: Lenin,
Trotzky, Lunatcharsky.
d. _United Social Democrats Internationalists._ Also called the _Novaya
Zhizn_ (New Life) group, from the name of the very influential
newspaper which was its organ. A little group of intellectuals with a
very small following among the working-class, except the personal
following of Maxim Gorky, its leader. Intellectuals, with almost the
same programme as the _Mensheviki Internationalists,_ except that the
_Novaya Zhizn_ group refused to be tied to either of the two great
factions. Opposed the Bolshevik tactics, but remained in the Soviet
Government. Other representatives in this book: Avilov, Kramarov.
e. _Yedinstvo._ A very small and dwindling group, composed almost
entirely of the personal following of Plekhanov, one of the pioneers of
the Russian Social Democratic movement in the 80’s, and its greatest
theoretician. Now an old man, Plekhanov was extremely patriotic, too
conservative even for the Mensheviki. After the Bolshevik _coup d’etat,
Yedinstvo_ disappeared.
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