Menshevik-Internationalists

The Menshevik-Internationalists were a faction inside the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Mensheviks). The faction, representing the left-wing inside the party, emerged in May 1917. It was joined by a number of political leaders returning from exile, the most notable being Julius Martov. The Menshevik-Internationalists opposed the pro-war line of Dan and Tsereteli. The Menshevik-Internationalists hoped to sway the Menshevik Party over to an anti-war stance.[1] The Menshevik-Internationalists dominated the Menshevik Party Organizations in Kharkov, Tula and some other places. They had some control over the Petrograd branch of the party.[1]

At the Menshevik Party congress in August 1917, the Menshevik-Internationalists represented about a third of the gathered delegates.[1] A major chunk of the Menshevik-Internationalist faction broke away and joined the Bolsheviks in August 1917. This group included Yuri Larin.[1]

At the election for the All-Russian Central Executive Committee held at the Third Congress of Soviets in January 1918, the Menshevik-Internationalists obtained two out of 306 seats.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d Rex A. Wade; Rex A.. Wade (21 April 2005). The Russian Revolution, 1917. Cambridge University Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-521-84155-9.
  2. ^ Reprints from the Soviet Press: Current Articles, Speeches, Documents and Reports. 1968. p. 19.