April Theses
The April Theses is a pivotal political document that outlines a series of directives proposed by Vladimir Lenin upon his return to Russia in April 1917. In it, Lenin, a leader of the Bolsheviks, called for the rejection of the existing provisional government, advocating for the seizure of power by the Soviets and the redistribution of land to the working class. The theses articulated ten key points, including demands for the nationalization of banks, control of industry by workers, and an end to Russia's involvement in World War I. Initially met with skepticism by some Bolshevik leaders, the ideas gained traction among the general populace, contributing to their popular support. This document ultimately laid the groundwork for the October Revolution later that year, which overthrew the provisional government and established Soviet power. The April Theses marked a significant shift in revolutionary ideology, emphasizing Marxist principles and the critical role of the proletariat. Lenin's vision was both a response to the desperate conditions faced by many Russians and a call for a new governmental structure.
April Theses
The April Theses is the name given to the written version of a list of directives first presented in a speech given by Russian leader Vladimir Lenin on April 16, 1917. Lenin, a Bolshevik leader, returned from exile to lead a revolution that changed the government in Russia. The theses called for the Bolsheviks to refuse to support the existing government, distribute land to the common people, and wrest control from those in power. Although they were originally rejected, Lenin rallied support for the April Theses, and they were soon approved. They became the basis for the actions that led to the October Revolution in 1917 that put the Soviets in power.
Background
Lenin was born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov in April of 1870 in Simbirsk, Russia. He attended law school, where he encountered others who favored revolution. The execution of his brother as a revolutionary furthered Lenin's interest in more radical viewpoints, especially those in opposition to the czar. These ultimately resulted in his expulsion from university, arrest, and exiles to Siberia and Switzerland. In 1901, he changed his name to Lenin, but his revolutionary ideas stayed the same.
Nicholas II was the Russian czar in power at the time but was unpopular for a number of reasons, including the heavy losses suffered by the Russians during World War I (1914–1918). Russian soldiers were dying, and Russian citizens were facing shortages of virtually everything, especially food. Many people, including Lenin, wanted to overthrow the czar and establish a new government.
Lenin became a leader of the Bolsheviks, one of the political factions that grew in Russia out of the turmoil caused by the poor conditions and the czar's apparent inability to correct them. The word Bolshevik meant "one of the majority" in Russian. The Bolsheviks were part of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party. Despite having few leaders in Russia at the time, the Bolsheviks managed to unseat the czar and force him to abdicate on March 15, 1917. A provisional government was established by the Soviets, but many people, including the Bolsheviks, were not satisfied with this patchwork government of committees of soldiers and workers. In April, Lenin and a number of other Bolshevik leaders, who were granted amnesty by the czar before his abdication, returned to Russia.
Lenin arrived at Finland Station in Petrograd (later Leningrad) on April 16 in a sealed train car that had been granted passage through Germany. Shortly after his arrival, he delivered the speech that formed the basis of the April Theses. The speech outlined his planned policy for the Bolsheviks and included ten specific points. Within a few days, Lenin repeated these points before meetings of the Bolshevik leaders and the Social-Democratic Workers' Party. However, neither group was impressed.
The points gained popularity with the working people. By the Bolshevik party's gathering on May 7, the theses had gained enough popularity to be adopted by the party. Combined with the slogan, "All Power to the Soviets," the April Theses became the impetus for the October Revolution that gave power to Lenin and the Soviets.
Overview
The April Theses had its roots in Lenin's experience in the Russian Revolution of 1905 that unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow Czar Nicholas and resulted in Lenin's exile. In the theses, Lenin essentially reworked Bolshevik viewpoints to present a new Marxist point of view. Named for its originator, philosopher Karl Marx, Marxism promoted a viewpoint that emphasized the role of the proletariat—the people in the working class—in overcoming the world's problems. His views were published in The Communist Manifesto, which was cowritten with Friedrich Engels and published in 1848.
The April Theses put forth ten specific points that Lenin felt were necessary for the Bolsheviks to successfully gain control over the Russian government. They included the following:
The Bolsheviks should give no support to the provisional government.
The Soviets needed to be willing to fight to take full power of the government.
The Russians should end their participation in World War I.
All large property estates should become the property of the new government for redistribution.
The banks should be nationalized.
The workers should take control over the country's industry.
A militia made up of the people should replace all police and army personnel.
The state bureaucracy should be replaced with an administration of workers.
The Communist Party should be proclaimed.
The government should be advanced to an international form of government.
Lenin saw these as key steps if the provisional government was to be overturned and a new form of government instituted. He also promoted a policy of "peace, land, bread," promising to end the desperate conditions faced by so many Russians because of the war. The emphasis on meeting the needs of the people along with the new role of the workers made the theses very popular with the working class. This helped Lenin and his colleagues gain the support needed to make the revolution successful.
By November, the Bolsheviks had begun their revolution. With the help of a number of others, including Leon Trotsky, another Marxist revolutionary, Lenin was able to unseat the provisional government. Three years of civil war followed before Lenin's forces were victorious. Lenin served as the leader of the Russian Republic from 1917 to 1918, then led the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1918 to 1922, and finally served as the first leader of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1924. He led Russia from an imperial form of government led by a czar to a Communist form of government.
Bibliography
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