Organization and composition of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party at the beginning of the XX century

Abstract

The idea of the organizational state and composition of one of the most significant parties in pre-revolutionary Russia – the party of Socialists Revolutionaries – gives a lot to understand its essence. The agreement on the creation of the party was made in the spirit of traditions of illegal conspiratorial organizations. The party appeared as an extremely amorphous formation. Until the turn of 1905–1906, its organizational principles were not formulated and were not approved by the general party forum. The competencies of the structural divisions, the criteria for membership were not clear to everyone. The party structure evolved spontaneously, in the spirit of the traditions of the revolutionary organizations in Russia in the 1970-ies and 1990-ies of the XIX century. Simultaneously existing «non-party» and «party» committees and groups characterized two dimensions: a socio-political movement and a political party. Consolidation in general terms was completed by the end of 1905. At the beginning of the XX century. the main part of the Socialist-Revolutionary organizations was located in the provinces of European Russia. Basically, the Socialist-Revolutionary organizations operated in the intellectual and industrial centers of the country, areas of concentration of the intelligentsia. A significant part of the party leadership was made up of representatives of the generation of the 40–60-ies of the XIX century of birth. The committees were dominated by young people of the 70–80-ies of the XIX century of birth. The party included representatives of various social groups, first of all the intelligentsia, then workers and peasants. Intra-party ties were weak and intermittent; the main unifying center was «Revolutionary Russia». Theoretical, tactical and organizational problems were discussed behind the scenes. In the structure of the party, the features of an illegal circle organization were clearly manifested.

Keywords

• socialist-revolutionary party
• organization
• composition
• committee
• group
• generation
• intelligentsia