How a small faction of professional revolutionaries seized control of the Russian Empire
In short: The Bolsheviks began as a radical splinter group defined by Vladimir Lenin’s demand for a disciplined core of full-time revolutionaries. From their 1903 split with the Mensheviks to the 1917 October Revolution, they transformed from a fringe movement into the sole legal power of the Soviet Union.
The Bolsheviks emerged from the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) during the 1903 Second Party Congress. While the Mensheviks envisioned a broad, inclusive membership, Lenin insisted on a rigid, vanguardist structure. He argued that only a dedicated, professional cadre could prevent the working-class movement from drifting toward reformism or abandoning the revolutionary cause entirely. This ideological divide was cemented by Lenin's 1901 pamphlet, What Is to Be Done?, which advocated for democratic centralism and a party spanning the entirety of Russia.
Internal factionalism defined the party's early years. By 1907, the Bolsheviks were a small but growing force, with membership reaching 46,100. Their operations were often funded through unconventional means, including bank robberies that netted hundreds of thousands of roubles. These funds supported full-time revolutionaries, ensuring they remained focused on the party's objectives. Despite attempts at reunification, such as the 1910 Paris meeting, deep-seated disagreements—exacerbated by Tsarist police infiltration—made a permanent split inevitable. In 1912, the Bolsheviks formally declared themselves an independent party.
The party's trajectory shifted dramatically during the 1917 Russian Revolution. After the February Revolution, Lenin returned to Russia, issuing his April Theses and calling for all power to be transferred to the soviets. By the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks had successfully mobilized radicalized workers to overthrow the Provisional Government. Following the Russian Civil War, they established the Soviet Union, eventually consolidating power under Joseph Stalin. Under his leadership, the party—renamed the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1952—pursued rapid industrialization and state-controlled agriculture, marking the final evolution of the movement that began as a minority faction in 1903.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Bolsheviks
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