did the working class ever hold political power in Bolshevist Russia?
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  did the working class ever hold political power in Bolshevist Russia?
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Author Topic: did the working class ever hold political power in Bolshevist Russia?  (Read 1584 times)
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Miamiu1027
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« on: December 01, 2007, 12:53:19 AM »

did the working class ever hold political power in Bolshevist Russia?

I'm trying to analyze the interval between the October Revolution and the start of the Red Terror  / "heating up" of the Civil War because I know for a fact the working class never held political power after the onset of the Civil War and Red Terror (hell, the governing Bolshevists murdered striking industrial workers...)  - but, anecdotes seem to suggest this period may have been different.  does anyone have knowledge on this subject?
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Erc
Junior Chimp
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« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2007, 03:22:14 AM »

Not too familiar with that period...

But you could argue that they really had most of the power for much of 1917.  The Soviets were probably more powerful (especially on a local basis) than Kerensky's government.  It probably didn't change all that much immediately after the October Revolution, but I really can't say anything about after January 1918.
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minionofmidas
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« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2007, 07:23:20 AM »

did the working class ever hold political power in Bolshevist Russia?
No, of course not. Bolshevist Russia differs from Tsarist Russia only in that it was at least theoretically possible to rise out of the ranks of the Dispossessed, not in the power held by the Dispossessed.

Oh, you mean during the Civil War? Well, the working classes had the power that being on the right side of a gun gives you - the power to settle some very old scores. Most of the Red Army commanders were workingmen.

As to the Soviets... nobody really held power during 1917. It was more like a power vacuum.
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Хahar 🤔
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« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2007, 12:46:39 PM »

I in fact believe that they did.
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Erc
Junior Chimp
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« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2007, 01:29:42 AM »

Oh, you mean during the Civil War? Well, the working classes had the power that being on the right side of a gun gives you - the power to settle some very old scores. Most of the Red Army commanders were workingmen.

A lot of them were former Tsarist junior officers (and others in the Army who didn't get much respect--even Brusilov worked for the Reds), if I remember correctly.  Perhaps not from the best background in large part, but hardly proletarians.
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Tetro Kornbluth
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« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2007, 10:23:02 AM »

did the working class ever hold political power in Bolshevist Russia?

In general, no.

But if you were a loyal Bolshevik, they would love you.

EDIT: Of course talking about a 'working class' in Pre-1920s Russia is somewhat problematic; at the very least that class was nothing like its counterparts in Britain or France. Funnily enough Russia needed the communist to invent a western style working class.
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