The Social Democratic Party

Who were the Social Democratic Party?

The Russian Social Democratic Party was created in 1898 and followed Karl Marx's ideas about communist revolution.

When was the Social Democratic Party important?

The Social Democratic Party was important from its creation, in 1898, until it split into 2 separate parties in 1903.

What did the Social Democratic Party believe?

The Social Democratic Party believed in communism and the need for a revolution in Russia to overthrow the tsarist regime.

Why did the Social Democratic Party split?

The Social Democratic Party split in 1903 because there was a disagreement about how to achieve a communist revolution:

• ❖ The Mensheviks believed the revolution would only happen after Russia industrialised and created a large working class. This would take a long time.
• ❖ The Bolsheviks believed that the revolution in Russia could happen more quickly if a small group of dedicated revolutionaries led the revolution and set up a dictatorship of the proletariat on behalf of the workers.