V. I.

Lenin

Resolution on the Disruptive Behaviour of the
Mensheviks, or New-Iskrists

The Congress deems it necessary to place definitely on record the conclusively
proved facts concerning the behaviour of the Mensheviks, or new-Iskrists, after
the Second Party Congress. Without even attempting to question the validity
of the decisions adopted by, and the elections held at, this Congress, they have
shamelessly flouted its decisions. Immediately after the Congress they boycotted
the central bodies it set up, and formed within the Party, and behind its back,
a separate organisation. The aim of this organisation was to foist on the
Editorial Board of the Central Organ and on the Central Committee of the Party
the six candidates who had been turned down by the Congress. To attain this
end, in opposition to the will and the interests of the Party, the Mensheviks
everywhere disorganised the Party’s constructive work. Everywhere they secretly
split the Party and demoralised the comradely relations among the
Social-Democrats; they turned the Central Organ of the Party into an organ of
gossip and squabbles, heaping vulgar abuse on the Party committees that had
elected the central bodies and demanded from them an accounting; they reduced
the Party Council to a mere instrument of factional feuds and had no scruples
about falsifying the voice of the Party which demanded the Third Congress.

The Congress most emphatically condemns this disruptive conduct and warns all
Party-conscious Social-Democrats against the notorious organisation-as-process
theory which has been used to justify disorganisation and which has debased the
theory of revolutionary Marxism in an unheard-of manner.

The Congress affirms that the adherents of the Party Majority, in drawing up
resolutions against the disorganisers and in demanding the Third Congress,
have exhausted all the resources of honest, comradely struggle against
fellow-members of the Party. Now that the centres set up by the Party
have definitely cast off all responsibility to the Party, the Congress is
compelled to consider them beyond the pale of the Party. The Congress
declares that adherents of the Party principle have no alternative but to
work separately from, and independently of, these disorganisers. The
Congress therefore resolves that followers of the Minority, or new
Iskrists, may not be admitted to membership in any organisation of our
Party.

The Congress instructs the Central Committee of the Party to issue a small
pamphlet in explanation of this resolution, for the information of Russian and
international Social-Democracy.

2

Resolution on Plekhanov’s Conduct During the Party Crisis

The Congress admits the correctness of Plekhanov’s position at the Second Party
Congress and at the Congress of the League Abroad on the questions of programme,
tactics, and organisation. The Congress acknowledges that after the League
Congress Plekhanov, in order to restore peace within the Party and heal the
split caused by the Mensheviks, proposed a policy of concessions to people whom
he had aptly characterised before the whole Party as revisionists and
anarcho-individualists ( Iskra , No. 52, November 7, 1903). The Congress
expresses deep regret that Plekhanov did not maintain this position; that,
against the will of the Party, he began to apply the most shameless methods to
secure satisfaction of all the demands of the Mensheviks; that, to justify the
Mensheviks, he lowered himself to the point of defending their stand, which he
himself had declared to be incorrect in principle, and of inventing the most
fantastic differences with the Party Majority.

The Congress emphatically condemns such crafty practices in dealing with
fellow-members of the Party; for such a policy, no matter by what humane motives in respect to certain individuals it may
be prompted, cannot but have a demoralising effect on the Party.

3

Resolution on the Theoretical Position of the New-Iskrists

The Congress considers it of imperative necessity to combat the theoretical
position of the Mensheviks, or new Iskrists, who have deviated from
revolutionary Social-Democracy towards opportunism. This had become evident at
the Second Congress of the Party, from certain lines of argument, as well as
from the very membership of the Minority, composed as it was of the opponents
of the old Iskra and the elements least stable in point of
principle. After the Second Congress this shift of the Mensheviks
towards Rabocheye Dyelo opportunism became so obvious that
they themselves admitted the existence of a gulf between the old Iskra and the new
Iskra. Indeed, on several questions the new Iskra has put
forward slogans and theories which are definitely false and which obscure the
class-consciousness of the proletariat. One such is the organisation-as-process
theory, which reduces Marxism to an apologia for disorganisation and
intellectualist anarchism. Another is the reversion to the false ideas
concerning the relation of Party to class, which lower the tasks of the Party as vanguard,
leader, and organiser of the class. Equally erroneous and reactionary were the
points advanced by the new Iskra , in disagreement with the old
Iskra , on such questions as the attitude towards the liberals and the
plans for a Zemstvo campaign, on the preparation of the uprising and the alleged
utopianism of the ideas of timing and carrying through the uprising, on the
arming of the masses and their technical and organisational leadership in time
of revolution, on the impossibility and undesirability of the
revolutionary-democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the petty
bourgeoisie in the period of the over throw of the autocracy, etc. The views
expressed on these questions tend to set the Party back, not only in the field
of theory, but in actual practice, and they are particularly harmful and
disastrous to the Party of the revolutionary proletariat in the present
revolutionary situation prevailing in

Russia. The Congress therefore instructs all Party members to explain the
falseness of these views in their agitation and propaganda.

4

Resolution on the Relations Between Workers and
Intellectuals in the Social-Democratic Party

The Congress strongly condemns the policy pursued by the new-Iskrists of sowing
distrust and animosity between workers and intellectuals within the
Social-Democratic organisations. The Congress reminds all
class-conscious workers that a few years ago similar methods of
struggle were used by the
Rabocheye Dyelo wing of the Party and that at that time they repudiated
such methods. The empty phrases thrown about by the new—Iskrists
concerning the independent activity of the workers and the elective principle
are not accompanied by any real improvement in the work of our organisations and
they demagogically promise the unattainable. Under conditions of political
freedom, our Party can and will be built entirely on the elective
principle. Under the autocracy this is impracticable for the collective thousands of workers that make up the Party.

The Congress once more calls attention to the task of the consistent adherents
of the Social-Democratic Labour Party, namely, to strengthen with all their
might the ties between this Party and the masses of the working class, by
raising ever broader masses of proletarians and semi-proletarians to full
Social-Democratic consciousness, by stimulating their revolutionary and
Social-Democratic initiative, and by taking care that the working-class masses
advance from their own midst the maximum number of workers fully capable of
leading the movement and all the Party organisations.

The Congress, on behalf of the Party, repeats the advice of the revolutionary
Social-Democrats: to form as many workers’ organisations belonging to our Party
as possible; to strive to bring those workers’ organisations that do not wish to
enter the Party, or have no opportunity for so doing, at least into association
with the Party; and to make efforts to get the greatest possible number of
class-conscious Social-Democratic workers on the Party committees.

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