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Stalin's Bolshevism: The First Decade*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 February 2009
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This article discusses Stalin's Bolshevism during his Tiflis and Baku periods in the first decade of the century. It focuses on his position in the inner-faction debate between Lenin and Bogdanov. It holds that Dzhugashvili's tactical and organizational views in the years from 1907 to 1909 moved from sympathetic to Bogdanov to a position near Lenin, though remaining somewhat to the left of the latter. Dzhugashvili never belonged to the leftist tendency. He was a typical representative of the “Russian” praktiki, whose main concern was to further conciliation in the Bolshevik faction.
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- Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1994
References
1 Stalin, I. V., Sochineniia, vol. 2, 1907–1913 (Moscow, 1946), pp. 165Google Scholar ff. [ Sochineniia] dates prior to 1918 will be given according to the old style.
2 Suny, Ronald Grigor, “A Journeyman for the Revolution: Stalin and the Labour Movement in Baku, June 1907– May 1908”, Soviet Studies, XXIII, 3 (01 1972), pp. 373–394CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
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4 Williams, Robert C., The Other Bolsheviks. Lenin and His Critics, 1904–1914 (Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1986), pp. 119–121Google Scholar, 142, 155.
5 See: Tucker, Robert C., Stalin as Revolutionary, 1879–1929. A Study in History and Personality (New York and London, 1974)Google Scholar.
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10 “Pis'mo TsK RS-DRP k part, organ, o dumskoi fraktsii”, Proletarii, 21, 26 (13) (February 1908), p. 3.
11 Nikolaevskii, Boris, “Bol'shevistskii Tsentr. Okonchante”, Rodina, 5 (1992), p. 28Google Scholar.
12 Barchugov, P., Soveshchanie rasshirennoi redaktsii “Proletariia” (Moscow, 1961), p. 20Google Scholar.
13 , Maksimov, “Boikotisty i otzovisty”, Proletarii, 31, 17(4) 06 1908, pp. 2–3Google Scholar.
14 Swain, Protokoly Soveshchaniya, p. 266.
15 Bogdanov was also provoked by Lenin's ally I. F. Dubrovinskii, who grossly attacked him during a lecture in Geneva on 28 May 1908. (“ G. A. Aleksinskii i Mikha Tskhakaia V. I. Leninu [Zheneva, nachalo iiunia 1908g]” in Dokumenty k istorii “Bol'shevistskogo Tsentra” [a collection of B. I. Nikolaevskii's materials, held by the International Institute for Social History, Amsterdam], Materialy-3, pp. 1–5).
16 Nikolaevskii, “BoPshevistskii Tsentr. Okonchanie”, 5, p. 29.
17 “Rezoliutsiia ‘otzovistov’”, Proletarii, 31, 17(4) June 1908, p. 6.
18 Ostroukhova, K. A. (ed.), Revoliutsiia i RKP(b) v materialakh i dokumentakh. (Khrestomatiia) Tom piatyi. Epoklia reaktsii (1907–1911 gg) (Moscow, n.y. (1927?)), p. 275.Google Scholar This collection contains the full text of the resolution.
19 Pospelov, P. N. et al. (eds), Istoriia kommunisticheskoi partii Sovetskogo Soiuza. vol. 2, Partiia bol'shevikov v bor'be za sverzheniia tsarizma. 1904-fevral' 1917 goda (Moscow, 1966), p. 259Google Scholar.
20 Swain, Protokoly Soveshchaniya, p. 282n.
21 “Ne po doroge”, Proletarii, 42, 12(25) February 1909, pp. 67ndash;7.
22 Swain, Protokoly Soveschchaniya, pp. 162, 283n. See also: Nikolaevskii, “Bol'shevistskii Tsentr. Okonchanie”, p. 29.
23 Swain, Protokoly Soveshchaniya, p. 176. Krasin considered himself expelled too, see pp. 241ff. See also pp. 76–81.
24 Ibid., pp. 242–243, 245. The full text “Otchet tovarishcham bol'shevikam ustranennykh chlenov rasshirennoi redaktsii ‘Proletariia’” is given here.
25 Krasin, who had moved to Berlin in 1908, remained aloof from the group.
26 Swain, Protokoly Soveshchaniya, p. 244.
27 Sovremennoe polozhenie i zadachi partii. Platforma, vyrabotannaia gruppoi bol'shevikov (Paris, n.y.), pp. 1–2.
28 “Na dorogu?”, in Lenin, V. I., Polnoe Sobranie Sochinenii. vol. 17, Mart 1908-iiun' 1909 (Moscow, 1961), p. 363Google Scholar.
29 “Ocherednaia zadacha”, Proletarii, 50, 28(11) December 1909, pp. 2–3.
30 For a recent discussion on Lenin's and Bogdanov's positions o n workers and intellectuals see Marot, John Eric, “Alexander Bogdanov, Vpered and the Role of the Intellectual in the Workers' Movement”, The Russian Review, 49, 3 (07 1990), pp. 241–264CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Zenovia A. Sochor, “On Intellectuals and the New Class”, ibid., pp. 283–292; and Andrzej S. Walicki, “Alexander Bogdanov and the Problem of the Socialist Intelligentsia”, ibid., pp. 293–304.
31 Dzhugashvili's status among the Tiflis Bolsheviks is indicated by his attendance of the Bolshevik Party Conference in Tammerfors in December 1905 as one of two representatives from Tiflis. See Bubnov, A., VKP(b) (Moscow and Leningrad, 1931), p. 467Google Scholar. At both the Fourth and Fifth Party Congresses in 1906 and 1907 he was the only Bolshevik representative from Tiflis. See Chetvertyi (ob”edinitel'nyi) s”ezd RSDRP. Aprel' (aprel'-mai) 1906 goda. Protokoly (Moscow, 1959), p. 540; Piatyi (londonskii) s”ezd […], p. 630.
32 Ts. Agaian, P. et al. (eds), Ocherki istorii kommunisticheskikh organizatsii Zakavkaz'ia. Chast' pervaia. 1883–1921 gg (Tbilisi, 1967), pp. 102Google Scholar, 167, 171. See also Antoniuk, D. I. et al. (eds), Perepiska V. I. Lenina i rukovodimykh im uchrezhdenii RSDRP s partiinymi organizatsiiami 1905–1907gg. vol. 1, 22(9) Ianvaria – Mart 1905g. Kniga vtoraia. Mart 1905g (Moscow, 1979), p. 341Google Scholar.
33 Many of the pamphlets and articles were unsigned. The researchers working during Stalin's lifetime tried (as far as I could judge) to establish conscientiously which of them could be attributed to Stalin. They made detailed stylistic comparisons with known writings, took the whereabouts of Stalin at the time of writing and his activities into account, and discussed possible other authors. Generally two or three researchers made an assessment and they often came to different conclusions. I should add that the writings selected for publication in the Sochineniia were subjected to the same system and their authorship is no more or less certain than that of many writings not included.
34 Rossiiskii Tsentr Khraneniia i lzucheniia Dokumentov Noveishei Istorii, f. 71, op. 10, d. 169, 1. 61. All other references to archival materials in the present article are from the RTsKhlDNl.
35 Ibid., I. 64.
36 Ibid., II. 101–102.
37 Sochineniia, vol. 1, p. 76.
38 F. 71, op. 10. d. 169, II. 189–190.
39 Ibid., 1. 286.
40 Ibid., 1. 296.
41 Sochineniia, vol. 1, p. 190.
42 Ibid., pp. 207, 209.
43 Chetvertyi (ob“edinitcl'nyi) s”ezd (1959), pp. 357–358. Lenin claimed he only voted for the resolution in support of some of its other provisions – not out of real support for Participation in the elections themselves. The significance of the difference in voting behaviour at the Congress between Lenin and Dzhugashvili should therefore not be overestimatcd.
44 F. 71, op. 10, d. 193, 1. 98.
45 Ibid., II. 107, 109.
46 Sochineniia, vol. 1, pp. 253, 259.
47 Ibid., p. 371.
48 Ibid., vol. 2, p. 410.
49 Akopian, G. S., Stepan Shaumian. Zhizn' i deiatel'nost' (1878–1918) (Moscow, 1973), P. 67Google Scholar.
50 Sochineniia, vol. 2, pp. 87f.
51 “The dissolution of the Duma and the tasks of the proletariat” (ibid., pp. 41–45).
52 “The Cadet danger and electoral agreements”, in Bakinskii proletarii, no. 2 (10 July 1907), p. 1. A copy of the article is included in a collection of articles by Stalin compiled by I. P. Tovstukha, with a stamp Kabinet proizvedenii I. V. Stalina on it (f. 71, op. 10, d. 196, 11. 199–200). See also f. 155, op. 1, d. 80.
53 F. 558, op. 1, d. 2889, 1. 146. Italics are mine.
54 For his argument, based on an interpretation of some of Stalin's writings, see Himmer, “Origin and Significance of the Name ‘Stalin’”, pp. 276–277.
55 Sochineniia, vol. 2, pp. 78–80.
56 Ibid., pp. 149, 157.
57 Ibid., pp. 183ff.
58 Himmer, “Origin and Significance of the Name ‘Stalin’”, pp. 271, 279, 285.
59 F. 71, op. 10, d. 193, II. 26–27.
60 Ibid., d. 196, 1. 53.
61 Sochineniia, vol. 2, pp. 152–153.
62 See Krasin, L. B. (Nikitich), Dela davno minuvshikh dnei (Vospominaniia) (Moscow, 1934), pp. 34ffGoogle Scholar, 91ff; and O'Connor, Timothy Edward, The Engineer of Revolution. L. B. Krasin and the Bolsheviks, 1870–1926 (Boulder, San Francisco and Oxford, 1992), pp. 40fGoogle Scholar.
63 Agaian, Ocherki istorii, p. 216; Garibdzhanian, G. B., V. I. Lenin i bol'sheviki Zakavkaz'ia (Moscow, 1971), p. 98Google Scholar.
64 Dokumenty k istorii, Materialy-4, p. 5. See also Swain, Protokoly Soveshchaniya, p. 265n.
65 See Mogilevskii, B.. Nikitich (Leonld Borisolch Krasin) (Moscow, 1963). pp. 59–60Google Scholar.
66 Nikohevskii. “Bol'shevistskii Tsentr. Okonchanie”. 3. p. 33.
67 On Stalin's possible involvement in the great hold-up in Tiflis in 1907. See Sapis, Boris. From the Archives of L. O. Dan (Amsterdam, 1987), pp. 101Google Scholar, 104.
68 F. 332, op. 1. d. 53, 11. 19–20. 13 May is the date given in this document.
69 F. 558. op. 2, d, 42, 1, 9.
70 F. 157, op. 1, d. 122, 1. 82. See also ibid., d, 57, 11, 98, 104.
71 Agaian, Ocherki istorii, p. 172.
72 See Shaumian's letter to Tskhakaia, dated 27 July 1908 (St. Shaumian. Pis'sma, 1896–1918 (Erevan, 1959), p. 151; also p. 288). In his letter Drhugashvili referred to Bogdanov's leaving the editorial board of Proletarii. The latter announced his decision to that effect in a letter of 10(23) June 1905 (f. 377. op. 1, d. 49).
73 F. 558, op. 1, d. 5262.
74 Shaumian, Pis'ma, pp. 151–153.
75 F. 377, op. 1, d. 55.
76 Shaumian, Pis'ma, pp. 154–155, 157. The All-Russian conference referred to the Fifth Party Conference.
77 Swain, Protokoly Soveshchaniya, pp. xxvff.
78 Sochineniia, vol. 2, p. 168.
79 Ibid., pp. 147, 155.
80 Agaian, Ocherki istorii, p. 216; Garibdzhanian, V. I. Lenin, p. 98.
81 F. 377, op. 1, d. 311.
82 F. 558, op. 1, d. 4516.
83 Ibid., d. 26.
84 Sochineniia, vol. 2, pp. 198–199.
85 Ibid., pp. 209ff.
86 F. 558, op. 1, d. 29.
87 Ibid., d. 2777, 1. 4.
88 Sochineniia, vol. 1, p. xiii.
89 Antoniuk, D. I. et al. (eds), Perepiska […] Kniga pervaia. 22(9) lanvaria-Fevral' 1905g (Moscow, 1979), p. 333Google Scholar. See also p. 459.
90 For the letter of 1909 see f. 558, op. 1, d. 5225.
91 ibid., d. 938.
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