V. I. Lenin

The Third Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.

APRIL 12–27 (APRIL 25–MAY 10), 1905

 

16

THESES FOR A RESOLUTION ON THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS’ PARTICIPATION IN A PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT

M o t i v e s o f t h e R e s o l u t i o n:
  1. 1) The necessity of political freedom and a democratic republic.
  2. [2) The existence of a revolutionary bourgeois and petty-bourgeois democracy able and beginning to fight for it.
  3. 3) The necessity of the proletariat’s support for revolutionary democracy....]{1}
  4. 4) The necessity of a provisional revolutionary government for the complete overthrow of the autocracy and actual guarantees of freedom for a constituent assembly.
  5. [5) Recognition by revolutionary Social-Democracy of revolutionary action not only, from below, but also from above.
  6. 6) The necessity of Social-Democracy’s participation in a provisional revolutionary government in the event of a complete victory for the revolution, where it directs the uprising.]{2}
  7. 7) The bourgeois-democratic character of the revolution and the necessity of the proletariat’s taking an independent position as distinct from bourgeois democracy.
  8. [8) The existence of an organised Social-Democratic Labour Party capable of open organisation (with broad participation of the workers) and control over the Party’s authorised agents.]{3}
R e s o l u t i v e S e c t i o n o f t h e R e s o l u t i o n
on Social-Democratic Participation in a Provisional Revolutionary Government
1) The propaganda and agitation for the idea of a provisional revolutionary government as a necessary component part of a victorious revolution.
2) Discussion of the whole of our minimum programme at workers’ meetings not only from a general standpoint, as   we all have discussed and should discuss the maximum programme, but from the standpoint of the possibility of its full and immediate implementation.
3) Recognition that in the event of a victorious popular uprising the Social-Democrats may take part in a provisional revolutionary government together with the revolutionary bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois democrats for the purpose of conducting a relentless struggle against all counter-revolutionary attempts, for the purpose of completely clearing the democratic soil in Russia, for the purpose of using all the means ensured by the government for the broadest possible organisation of the working class.
These are subjective conditions. What about the objective ones? for the purpose of carrying on a relentless struggle against the counter-revolution. P. 3. 4) Necessary condition of such participation—control by the Social-Democratic Labour Party over its authorised representatives in the government and undeviating protection of the independent working-class party, hostile to all manner of bourgeois democracy in its striving for a full socialist revolution.
{{ NB A r m e d proletariat }} 5) At any rate, regardless of whether or not the Social-Democrats succeed in taking part in a provisional revolutionary government, the idea must be spread in the working class of the necessity of independent workers’ r e v o l u t i o n a r y organisations to exercise control over e v e r y revolutionary government and to exert pressure on it.
Written before April 18 (May 1), 1905 Printed from the original
First published in 1926 in Lenin Miscellany V
 

Notes

{1} The text in brevier in square brackets is crossed out in the MS.—Ed.

{2} [DUPLICATE "*"]. The text in brevier in square brackets is crossed out in the MS.—Ed.

{3} [DUPLICATE "*"]. The text in brevier in square brackets is crossed out in the MS.—Ed.

  REMARKS ON RUMYANTSEV’S DRAFT RESOLUTION ON THE QUESTION OF OPEN POLITICAL ACTION BY THE R.S.D.L.P. | SPEECH IN THE DEBATE ON THE RESOLUTION ON THE QUESTION OF OPEN POLITICAL ACTION BY THE R.S.D.L.P.  
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