Apprendisti Storici

Il bolscevismo è un fenomeno politico, nonché una corrente costituente del Partito Socialdemocratico Russo (di ispirazione marxista), sviluppatasi durante il secondo congresso a Londra nel 1903. Bolscevismo significa “massimalismo” in opposizione al menscevismo cioè “minimalismo”. I seguaci di questo movimento (bolscevichi) erano favorevoli alle tesi strategiche di Lenin (loro leader). Dopo la caduta dello zarismo nel 1917, Lenin, che era in esilio a Zurigo, rientrò in Russia nell’aprile dello stesso anno. Sempre in aprile enuncia a Pietrogrado le Tesi di Aprile, nelle quali, tra i punti più importanti, annuncia che i tempi della rivoluzione sarebbero stati forzati e che sarebbe stata fatta pace con la Germania. Egli inoltre era favorevole a una rivoluzione immediata e era in contrasto con il principe L’vov (a capo del governo provvisorio della Repubblica russa).

BOLSHEVISM

Bolshevism is a political movement born during the second congress of London in 1903. This current was part of the Social-Democrat Russian Party and the noun means “maximalism”, in opposition with Menshevism, that translated in Russian means “minimalism”. Its followers are named Bolsheviks (in English known as Bolshevists). The Bolsheviks took power in Russia in November 1917 with their leader Lenin, after the exposition of the Thesis of April, eight months before. He wanted the party to be an organization of “professional revolutionaries”, believing in a democratic dictatorship. Bolsheviks considered themselves the leaders of the revolutionary working class of Russia. 

The Brest-Litovsk’s peace deal was signed on 3 March 1918 and it marked the Russia’s exit from the First World War. Russia was already an exhausted country because of the Civil war and the October revolution, and it was not able to bear another conflict; so the Bolshevik government tried to sign up a deal with the Central Powers to stop the conflict. The deal imposed very hard politically and socially conditions to Russia and Russian people, for example the loss of almost all the colonies, like Poland and Ucraine. The deal’s signature caused hard conflicts in the Russian government: according to Lenin’s point of view it was a “shameful but necessary peace”, although all others political parties and the Orthodox Church didn’t agree. (Giulia Pieracci 5AL)