Consider the following statements concerning the Russian Revolution:

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1. The Bolsheviks believed that in a repressive society like Tsarist Russia, the party should be disciplined and should control the number of its members.
2. The Mensheviks believed that the party should be opened to all (as in Germany).

Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct ?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-2 – 2019

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Both statements accurately describe the differing organizational philosophies of the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP). The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, advocated for a tightly controlled, disciplined party of professional revolutionaries, particularly suited for underground work in the autocratic Tsarist regime. The Mensheviks, led by Martov, favoured a broader, more inclusive party membership, similar to the mass social democratic parties in Western Europe, like the Social Democratic Party of Germany.

– Bolsheviks: Disciplined, exclusive party of revolutionaries, favoured in repressive environments.
– Mensheviks: Broad, inclusive party, open to wider membership, inspired by Western European models.
– These differences contributed significantly to the split within the RSDLP in 1903.

The split between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks occurred at the Second Congress of the RSDLP in 1903. While the initial disagreements were seemingly minor points of party organization (specifically, Article 1 of the party rules regarding membership), they reflected deeper philosophical differences about the nature of the revolutionary party and its role in bringing about socialism in Russia. These differences had profound implications for the course of the Russian Revolution.

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