Mensheviks

The Mensheviks (Russian: ??????????) were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1903 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. At the 2nd Congress of the RSDLP, Lenin argued for a small party of professional revolutionaries with a large fringe of non-party sympathizers and supporters. Martov disagreed, believing it was better to have a large party of activists. A majority of party members, including Fedor Dan, agreed with Martov and formed the Mensheviks, while Lenin's faction became known as the Bolsheviks. Although a majority of rank and file party members agreed with Martov, they formed a minority among the party leadership, and hence Menshevik is a Russian word meaning "minority" while Bolshevik means majority. They were often also called "The Whites", as opposed to "The Reds".

Related Articles

• History of the Soviet Union