A lot has been said about the Bolsheviks and the Soviets. But what is the difference between the two? Contrary to popular belief, they are not one and the same. In fact, there are several key differences between the two. Read on to find out more.
What are the Bolsheviks?
Bolsheviks were a party of Marxist revolutionaries who took control of Russia during the 1917 October Revolution. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, ousted the ruling Provisional Government which had replaced Tsar Nicholas II after the February Revolution earlier that year.
They then established the Soviet Union, the world’s first socialist state. The Bolsheviks were committed to socialism and saw it as the only way to end Russia’s economic problems and bring about social justice.
However, their policies led to widespread suffering and millions of deaths during the Russian Civil War and the years of Soviet rule that followed. Today, the Bolsheviks are largely seen as a tragic example of what can happen when idealism is allowed to run amok.
What are the Soviets?
Soviets were originally a group of workers in Russia who revolted against the Tsar in 1917. They eventually came to power and established the Soviet Union, a socialist state that lasted until 1991. The Soviets were known for their heavy-handed tactics, including censoring the press and quashing dissent. They also engaged in a series of conflicts, most notably the Cold War, in which they competed with the United States for global domination. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many of its former republics became independent countries. Today, “Soviet” is often used as a term for anything that is related to the Communist era, including its architecture, propaganda, and cuisine.
Difference between Bolsheviks and Soviets
Bolsheviks and the Soviets are two related but distinct groups that played an important role in the early years of the Soviet Union. The Bolsheviks were a political party that came to power in the Russian Revolution of 1917. They were led by Vladimir Lenin and believed in a Marxist-Leninist ideology, which called for a communist society based on common ownership of the means of production. In contrast, the Soviets elected councils that represented workers and peasants. They served as a check on the power of the Bolsheviks and helped to legitimize their rule. However, the Bolsheviks eventually came to control the Soviets, and they remained the dominant force in Soviet politics until Lenin’s death in 1924.
Conclusion
The Bolsheviks were a faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party that wanted to pursue more radical change than the Soviets. They believed that socialism could only be achieved through a violent revolution, while the Soviets favored a more gradual approach. Ultimately, the Bolsheviks would come to power in Russia and establish the Soviet Union.
