Background:
- The Bolshevik faction originated from a split within the RSDLP, primarily due to ideological disagreements and tactical approaches to achieving revolutionary change in Russia.
Ideology:
- The Bolsheviks were inspired by the Marxist principles of class struggle and proletarian revolution. They advocated for the establishment of a socialist state through the leadership of a vanguard party comprised of professional revolutionaries.
- Vladimir Lenin, a prominent leader of the Bolshevik faction, emphasized the importance of disciplined party organization and centralized leadership. Leninism, named after Lenin, became the guiding ideology for the Bolshevik Party.
- The Bolsheviks' ultimate goal was to establish a communist society, in which the means of production would be collectively owned and controlled by the working class, eventually leading to a classless, stateless society.
Rise to Power:
- The Bolsheviks' influence grew significantly during World War I, which intensified social, political, and economic problems within Russia.
- The unpopularity of the tsarist regime and its handling of the war created an environment conducive to revolutionary sentiments.
- The February Revolution of 1917 resulted in the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty and the establishment of a provisional government. The Bolsheviks, through effective organizing and propaganda, gained considerable support among the working class, soldiers, and peasants.
- In November 1917, the Bolsheviks organized the October Revolution (also known as the November Revolution), seizing control of key institutions in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) and establishing their regime.
Post-Revolution:
- Following the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks formed a new government known as the Council of People's Commissars, with Lenin serving as its chairman.
- The Bolshevik Party, now known as the Russian Communist Party, led the transformation of Russian society and institutions, laying the foundation for the Soviet Union, a communist state that spanned Eastern Europe.
- The Bolshevik Revolution had profound regional and global implications, influencing communist movements worldwide and contributing to the ideological conflict of the Cold War era.