Bolshevik facts for kids

A Bolshevik was a member of a major Russian political group. They were a type of Communist group. They were also known as the Bolshevik Communists. This group was part of a larger Marxist political party. This party was called the Russian Social Democratic Workers Party.

In 1903, members of this party had a big meeting. They disagreed on many things. Because of these disagreements, the party split into two main groups. These groups were the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. The name "Bolshevik" means "those who are more" or "the majority." The leader of the Bolshevik group was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. The other group, the Mensheviks, was more moderate. Their name meant "those of the minority." Julius Martov led the Mensheviks. Even though the Bolsheviks were called "the majority," there were actually more Mensheviks before 1917. Some people who disagreed with Lenin worried he wanted too much control.

In 1905, the Bolshevik group became its own separate political party. It was known as the RSDLP(B). The 'B' in brackets stood for 'Bolshevik'.

The Russian Revolutions

After the February Revolution in 1917, Russia had a temporary government. This was called the Russian Provisional Government. Some Mensheviks joined this new government. However, Lenin believed that socialists should not support this temporary government.

The Provisional Government soon began to lose power. As it weakened, Lenin and the Bolsheviks gained more influence. Because of this, many Mensheviks decided to join the Bolsheviks.

The Bolsheviks then led another major event in Russia in 1917. This was the October Revolution. They announced that they had created the world's first Workers' State. This meant a country where workers were supposed to be in charge. The Mensheviks did not support the new government led by the Bolsheviks. Many Mensheviks were put in prison or even killed. After this, some Mensheviks continued to oppose the Bolsheviks from outside Russia. They lived in exile in other countries.

After the Revolution, the Bolshevik Party changed its name. It became known as the Russian Communist Party.

Images for kids

• 

  Bolshevik, a painting by Boris Kustodiev from 1920.

• 

  Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, and Lev Kamenev in 1919.

• 

  "Down with Bolshevism. Bolshevism brings war and destruction, hunger and death," an anti-Bolshevik German poster from 1919.

See also

In Spanish: Bolchevique para niños