What If… The Russian Revolution Hadn’t Been Bolshevik?
Sep 8, 2024
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Edward Acton, a prominent historian of Russia, dives into a thought-provoking alternate history of the Russian Revolution. He contemplates a scenario where the Left Socialist Revolutionaries triumphed over the Bolsheviks. Would Lenin have been marginalized? Could the repressive Terror have been avoided? Acton discusses the broader implications for global socialism had Marxist communism not taken root. The conversation uncovers missed opportunities and showcases the intricate dynamics that could have reshaped Russia and the world.
The victory of the Left Socialist Revolutionaries could have steered Russia towards agrarian socialism, prioritizing peasant interests over radical Bolshevism.
If the Left SRs had taken power, the potential for a less violent political transition may have diminished the fear surrounding revolutionary socialism.
A new government led by the Left SRs might have improved international relations, shifting perceptions of Russia away from Bolshevik radicalism.
Deep dives
The February Revolution's Aftermath
After the February Revolution in 1917, Russia experienced a significant political shift as the czarist regime collapsed and was replaced by a liberal leadership that struggled for legitimacy. The constitutional democrats, despite their initial hopes, found themselves in a weak position without active support from the populace and faced a tidal wave of demands for change from socialist groups. Popular organizations emerged, creating pressure on the liberal factions, and the socialists, eager to maintain influence, pushed for a coalition government. Ultimately, the liberal government’s insistence on continuing the war led to its rapid collapse, paving the way for a rise in revolutionary sentiments among both workers and soldiers that would favor more radical socialist factions over the moderates.
The Dilemma of Socialist Parties
The socialist revolutionaries faced a critical decision after the collapse of the provisional liberal government: whether to continue supporting the failing regime or distance themselves from it. This struggle was intensified by the catastrophic situation generated by the First World War, which not only exacerbated public discontent but also divided the socialist movement. The Mensheviks and Left Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) found themselves torn between the desire to guide the revolution towards a more peaceful direction and the necessity of maintaining some form of governance to avoid a complete disintegration of order. Ultimately, their coalition with the liberals was disastrous, leading to a dramatic loss of credibility and influence within the revolutionary framework.
The Rise of the Left SRs
As the liberal experiment in governance faltered, the Left SRs began to attract more support by emphasizing their commitment to the peasantry and the need for a genuine socialist revolution. Unlike the Bolsheviks, who focused on urban workers, the Left SRs represented a vast majority of the peasant population, thereby having a significantly broader base of support. Their increasing mobilization efforts and establishment of Soviets put them in a strong position as the political landscape shifted in late 1917, paralleling the social unrest in rural areas. With a greater affinity for the agrarian population, the Left SRs seemed poised to emerge as a dominant political force if the October Revolution had turned out differently.
The Bolshevik Seizure of Power
In the latter half of 1917, as political tensions mounted, Lenin advocated for a preemptive seizure of power, pushing against the consensus within the Bolshevik Party to wait for a Congress of Soviets. This decisive move was driven by the urgent need to assert control before the Left SRs could solidify their influence amidst the chaos. The Bolsheviks successfully convened a revolution around this moment, but their actions were met with hesitation and opposition from other factions within the broader socialist coalition. This conflict highlighted the fragile balance of power among the leftist groups vying for control, revealing how precarious Lenin's leadership position was at this pivotal moment in Russian history.
Consequences of a Left SR Victory
Had the Left Socialist Revolutionaries succeeded in seizing power, the course of Russian and global history could have been dramatically altered. Their governance would likely have emphasized a more agrarian-focused socialist policy aligned with peasant interests, reducing reliance on violent repression and Bolshevik-style terror. The resulting Left SR regime might have garnered more favorable international relations with Western powers, as they were seen as a distinctively Russian movement rather than the radical Bolshevism that instigated fear. This could have led to a different post-World War I scenario, potentially averting some of the major conflicts and instabilities associated with the rise of authoritarian regimes in the 20th century.
Today’s episode is another big early twentieth-century counterfactual: David talks to the historian of Russia Edward Acton about how the Russian Revolution might have unfolded if the Left SRs and not the Bolsheviks had come out on top. Could Lenin have been sidelined? Might the Terror have been avoided? And what would it have meant to the wider world if revolutionary socialism had been liberated from Marxist communism?
To hear the second part of David’s conversation with Chris Clark about the fateful origins of the First World War sign up now to PPF+ and get ad-free listening and all our other bonuses too: £5 per month or £50 a year for 24 bonus episodes https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus
Next time: What if… The 1919 Paris Peace Conference Had Actually Kept the Peace?
