Decoding of the RSDLP. Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party

Parties that set the task of freeing the proletariat from exploitation by parasitic classes have traditionally been called social-democratic from the end of the nineteenth century. Moreover, the ideological basis of these organizations was Marxism of the most revolutionary kind. The decipherment of the RSDLP includes the Socialist formula, but during its early development the party platform was much more diverse than traditional Marxism. It allowed to maneuver in a wide range, from legal and legitimate forms of struggle to terrorism. In this were the shortcomings and dignities of the young party of Russian Social Democrats.

The creation of the RSDLP

At the end of 1895, the "Union of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class" was created, representing the unification of Marxist circles in order to coordinate their work. Only three years later, on the basis of this organization, it was possible to work out a unified party program and declare the emergence of a single party. The founders of the RSDLP were nine delegates of the "Union of Struggle" from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev and representatives of the Bund (Jewish Workers' Union). This event took place in early March 1898 in the city of Minsk.

Then the name arose. The decipherment of the RSDLP, five letters, unequivocally spoke of the revolutionary nature of the organization, Social Democracy in the slang of the then politicians was synonymous with radical Marxism.

"Spark" and the first crack of the split

Two more years passed, and the party passed from declarations to actions. At the end of 1900 the first edition of the newspaper Iskra was published, edited by Lenin (Ulyanov VI), assisted by Plekhanov, Martov, Zasulich, Axelrod and Potresov. In the course of the work of this printed organ, serious contradictions in the approach to the methods of the impending class struggle were revealed. The essence of the conflict was in relation to the legal struggle and compromises, which had to go in its process, as well as to discipline. Comrades argued, sometimes to hoarseness, to a common denominator could not come, the split was brewing, and its initiator was Vladimir Ulyanov, then still quite a young (thirty) man with a thin beard and a burning gaze. He insisted on a rapid, revolutionary overthrow of the foundations of the "old world," and he was intellectually opposed by the old man Plekhanov, the patriarch of Russian Marxism.

The split and the emergence of Bolshevism

The Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party has existed for seven years, carrying in itself a kind of two-edged beginning, Plekhanov-Leninist. But nothing lasts forever. The discussions and discussions only deepened the contradictions, making them antagonistic, and at the Second Congress the question was put squarely: who would make the revolution, the representatives of the bourgeoisie or the proletariat? Who will become a hegemonic class after it?

Lenin with his supporters voted for the dictatorship of the working class, and won by typing the majority. As a result, the party organizationally divided, a split occurred, the RSDLP decryption remained the same, but depending on whether it belonged to one of the two factions, the abbreviation was supplemented with a letter "b" or "m" in round brackets. Those who at the Second Congress voted for proletarian hegemony, became Bolsheviks, and Plekhanov's supporters, on the contrary, Mensheviks.

The minimum program and the maximum program are two components of Russian Marxism

These organizational moments did not prevent the adoption of a general program consisting of two parts (minimum and maximum). At the very least, Russian socialism agreed, this is the abolition of the monarchist-landlord order, the bourgeois revolution, the distribution of land to the peasants (free of charge) and the provision of an eight-hour working day to the workers. And in the future loomed far more scale transformations, during which the proletariat was to become a dictator. This is the maximum that the Bolsheviks counted on. Further progress in public thought was not part of their plans.

Seventh Congress - Rubicon

The third, fourth and fifth congresses of the RSDLP completed the split between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks completely expelled the Mensheviks from the party leadership by 1907. At that moment they formed a disciplined, united and very active detachment, including, in particular, a military wing capable of conducting underground work and owning the means of propaganda. The Mensheviks could not boast of such assets, for which they later paid.

Social Wars and War

The Party of the RSDLP experienced another internal conflict at the beginning of the World War. This time the conditional "front line" was more complicated, she divided the Bolsheviks into three main groups: internationalists, pacifists and patriots. To advocate for the defeat of his homeland, and in fact, to become her traitor, one must have special personal qualities, this is not everyone can. It was not possible for Plekhanov to cross the line. Lenin did it.

At that time the Social-Democratic Labor Party could only be called Russian on the basis of its territorial character. The Bolshevik agitators made enormous efforts to convince the soldiers that they should not fight for their homeland, but they must fraternize with the enemy, killing their commanders. Surprising is only the softness shown by the "bloody royal regime" in relation to the trapped traitors. In fact, the destiny of the country of Lenin and his associates was of little interest, they raved about the world revolution, which, it seemed, was already close, but in fact never came.

Why did the RCP (B) become the CPSU (b)

After the seizure of power in 1917, the Bolsheviks had serious disagreements with the Social-Democratic movement, whose representatives in many countries held less radical views, showing "shakiness." The positions of the German, French and other European Social Democrats expressed the desire to use legal mechanisms, in extreme cases, combining them with underground work, and to achieve victory by promoting their representatives to the government through elections. Such a path did not suit the Leninists, they understood that if they were given the opportunity for free expression of will, they would hardly have come to power, that's why they made a coup d'état by overthrowing the Provisional Government (the very fact of its dispersal is absurd, because it was created for the time before the elections).

The decipherment of the RSDLP ceased to express the essence of the party, and in order not to be confused with other public associations, in 1918 it was renamed the VKP (All-Union Communist Party) with an indispensable letter (b) at the end so that no one doubted the doubts. The first abbreviation until 1925 meant "All-Russia", and after the formation of the USSR, the party became an all-Union one. Such it remained until 1952, which marked the onset of mature Stalinist socialism. This year, the next XIX Congress was held, at which the CPSU (b) was renamed the CPSU, without any small letters in the brackets. This was the last name of the Leninist party.