5th Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Encyclopedia
The 5th Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
was held in London
between May 13 and June 1, 1907. The congress was the largest in attendance of the congresses of the unified RSDLP. Thirty-five session of the congress were held in the Brotherhood Church
in Hackney
, during which stormy debates took place.
(SDKPiL), 29 delegates of the Latvian Social Democracy
and 4 'non-faction' delegates. Lenin was a delegate, representing the Upper Kama
region.
The congress was a site of clashes between the Bolshevik
and Menshevik
factions of the party. The Bolsheviks argued in favour of preparations for an armed uprising against Czarist rule, a position which the Menshevik leader Julius Martov
denounced as 'putschist'. Another issue of disagreement was the debates on how the party should relate to the labour movement
. The Mensheviks argued in favour of creating a 'Workers' Congress', seen as a first step towards reforming the party into a West European-style legal Social Democratic party.
On both of these issues the Bolsheviks were able to gather support from Polish and Latvia Social Democrats, guaranteeing a revolutionary majority at the congress.
In the clashes between the Bolshevik–Polish–Latvian and the Menshevik–Bundist sides, Trotsky (who had escaped from captivity) acted as an intermediary (attending as a non-voting delegate). Having adopted a 'centrist' position, he was the sole person at the congress who could mediate between the two sides.
Another debate dealt with the issue of expropriations. Alongside their political activities, RSDLP and other revolutionary groups (such as anarchists and Socialist Revolutionaries) practiced a range of militant operations, including "expropriations", a euphemism for armed robberies of government or private funds to support revolutionary activities. The most militant Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin
supported continuation of the use of robberies, while Mensheviks advocated more peaceful and gradual approach to revolution, and opposed militant operations. At the 5th Congress, a resolution passed condemning participation in or assistance to all militant activity, including "expropriations" as "disorganising and demoralizing", and called for all party militias to be disbanded. This resolution passed with 65 percent supporting and 6 percent opposing (others abstained or did not vote) with all Mensheviks and even some Bolsheviks supporting the resolution. Ironically, one of the most famous expropriations the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery
, which was organized by a small group of Bolshevik leaders, would take place only weeks after this vote.
, and could thus not recognize the name 'fifth congress'. A motion, proposed by the Bundist delegate L. G. Shapiro, was passed by the congress, through which the name 'London Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party' was adopted.
and the editorial board of Sotsial-Demokrat neither of the Russian factions won a majority. The Polish and Latvian Social Democrats, who were troubled by the Bolshevik-Menshevik division, played a vacillatory role in the party leadership. The newly-elected Central Committee had twelve full members and 22 alternate members;
The elected Central Committee was sharply divided along factional lines, and could not function as a unified party leadership. At the end of the congress, the Bolshevik delegates elected a Bolshevik Centre led by Lenin.
Two Bundists were included in the Central Committee at a later stage, Raphael Abramovitch
and Mikhail Liber
.
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
was held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
between May 13 and June 1, 1907. The congress was the largest in attendance of the congresses of the unified RSDLP. Thirty-five session of the congress were held in the Brotherhood Church
Brotherhood Church
The Brotherhood Church is a Christian anarchist and pacifist community. An intentional community with Quaker origins has been located at Stapleton, near Pontefract, Yorkshire, since 1921.-History:...
in Hackney
Hackney
-Places:* London Borough of Hackney, formed in 1965** Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, formed in 1900 and abolished in 1965** Hackney Central** Hackney Central , a political division of the Council** Hackney Central railway station** Hackney College...
, during which stormy debates took place.
Delegations
In total 338 delegates attended the congress. The delegates represented around 150,000 party members (43,000 Mensheviks, 33,000 Bolsheviks, 33,000 Bundists, 28,000 Polish Social Democrats and 13,000 Latvian Social Democrats). 300 of the delegates had voting rights. There were 105 Bolsheviks, 97 Mensheviks, 59 representatives of the General Jewish Labour Bund, 44 delegates of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and LithuaniaSocial Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania
The Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania was a Marxist political party founded in 1893. Its original name was the "Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland" and it eventually became part of the Communist Workers Party of Poland...
(SDKPiL), 29 delegates of the Latvian Social Democracy
Communist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.- Latvian Social-Democracy prior to 1919 :The party was founded at a congress in June 1904. Initially the party was known as the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . During its second party congress in 1905 it adopted the programme of...
and 4 'non-faction' delegates. Lenin was a delegate, representing the Upper Kama
Kama River
Kama is a major river in Russia, the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge; in fact, it is larger than the Volga before junction....
region.
Debates
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
and Menshevik
Menshevik
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
factions of the party. The Bolsheviks argued in favour of preparations for an armed uprising against Czarist rule, a position which the Menshevik leader Julius Martov
Julius Martov
Julius Martov or L. Martov was born in Constantinople in 1873...
denounced as 'putschist'. Another issue of disagreement was the debates on how the party should relate to the labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
. The Mensheviks argued in favour of creating a 'Workers' Congress', seen as a first step towards reforming the party into a West European-style legal Social Democratic party.
On both of these issues the Bolsheviks were able to gather support from Polish and Latvia Social Democrats, guaranteeing a revolutionary majority at the congress.
In the clashes between the Bolshevik–Polish–Latvian and the Menshevik–Bundist sides, Trotsky (who had escaped from captivity) acted as an intermediary (attending as a non-voting delegate). Having adopted a 'centrist' position, he was the sole person at the congress who could mediate between the two sides.
Another debate dealt with the issue of expropriations. Alongside their political activities, RSDLP and other revolutionary groups (such as anarchists and Socialist Revolutionaries) practiced a range of militant operations, including "expropriations", a euphemism for armed robberies of government or private funds to support revolutionary activities. The most militant Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
supported continuation of the use of robberies, while Mensheviks advocated more peaceful and gradual approach to revolution, and opposed militant operations. At the 5th Congress, a resolution passed condemning participation in or assistance to all militant activity, including "expropriations" as "disorganising and demoralizing", and called for all party militias to be disbanded. This resolution passed with 65 percent supporting and 6 percent opposing (others abstained or did not vote) with all Mensheviks and even some Bolsheviks supporting the resolution. Ironically, one of the most famous expropriations the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery
1907 Tiflis bank robbery
The 1907 Tiflis bank robbery, also known as the Yerevan Square expropriation, was an armed robbery by Bolshevik revolutionaries of a bank cash shipment in the Georgian city of Tiflis . The robbery occurred on 26 June 1907 in Yerevan Square...
, which was organized by a small group of Bolshevik leaders, would take place only weeks after this vote.
Naming dispute
At the congress itself, a controversy erupted over the naming of the congress. The Bolsheviks referred to the meeting as the fifth congress. One delegate, Fyodor Dan, opposed this naming. Mensheviks and the Bund didn't recognize the third party congress3rd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The 3rd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was held during 12-27 April [25 Apr - 10 May ] 1905 in London, UK. It was the congress of the Bolsheviks only with a handful of Mensheviks. The meeting was so secretive we do not know the name of the hall they used.Besides the routine...
, and could thus not recognize the name 'fifth congress'. A motion, proposed by the Bundist delegate L. G. Shapiro, was passed by the congress, through which the name 'London Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party' was adopted.
Election
Although the congress saw several victories for the Bolsheviks, in the elections to Central CommitteeCentral Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
and the editorial board of Sotsial-Demokrat neither of the Russian factions won a majority. The Polish and Latvian Social Democrats, who were troubled by the Bolshevik-Menshevik division, played a vacillatory role in the party leadership. The newly-elected Central Committee had twelve full members and 22 alternate members;
| Faction | Full members | Alternate members |
|---|---|---|
| Bolsheviks | 5 | 10 |
| Mensheviks | 4 | 7 |
| SDKPiL | 2 | 3 |
| Latvian Social Democracy | 1 | 2 |
The elected Central Committee was sharply divided along factional lines, and could not function as a unified party leadership. At the end of the congress, the Bolshevik delegates elected a Bolshevik Centre led by Lenin.
Two Bundists were included in the Central Committee at a later stage, Raphael Abramovitch
Raphael Abramovitch
Raphael Rein Abramovich was a Russian socialist, a member of the General Jewish Workers' Union in Lithuania, Poland and Russia and a leader of the Menshevik wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party .-Life:...
and Mikhail Liber
Mikhail Liber
Mikhail Isaakovich Liber .M.I. Liber, sometimes known as 'Mark Liber', was a leader of the General Jewish Workers' Union . He also played a role in the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party and among the Mensheviks...
.