V. I. Lenin

The Third Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.

APRIL 12–27 (APRIL 25–MAY 10), 1905

16

THESES FOR A RESOLUTION ON THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS’ PARTICIPATION IN A
PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT

Motivesofthe Resolution :

1) The necessity of political freedom and a democratic republic.

[2) The existence of a revolutionary bourgeois and petty-bourgeois democracy able and beginning to fight for it.

3) The necessity of the proletariat’s support
for revolutionary democracy....] {1}

4) The necessity of a provisional revolutionary government for
the complete overthrow of the autocracy and actual guarantees of
freedom for a constituent assembly.

[5) Recognition by revolutionary
Social-Democracy of revolutionary action not only, from below, but also
from above.

6) The necessity of Social-Democracy’s
participation in a provisional revolutionary government in the event of a
complete victory for the revolution, where it directs the
uprising.] {2}

7) The bourgeois-democratic character of the revolution and the
necessity of the proletariat’s taking an independent position as distinct
from bourgeois democracy.

[8) The existence of an organised
Social-Democratic Labour Party capable of open organisation (with broad
participation of the workers) and control over the Party’s authorised
agents.] {3}

Resolutive Sectionofthe Resolution on Social-Democratic Participation in a Provisional Revolutionary Government

| 1) | The propaganda and agitation for the idea of a provisional
revolutionary government as a necessary component part of a victorious
revolution. |
| --- | --- |
| 2) | Discussion of the whole of our minimum programme at workers’ meetings
not only from a general standpoint, as we all have discussed and should discuss the maximum programme, but from the
standpoint of the possibility of its full and immediate implementation. |
| 3) | Recognition that in the event of a victorious popular uprising the
Social-Democrats may take part in a provisional revolutionary government
together with the revolutionary bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois democrats
for the purpose of conducting a relentless struggle against all
counter-revolutionary attempts, for the purpose of completely clearing the
democratic soil in Russia, for the purpose of using all the means ensured by the
government for the broadest possible organisation of the working class. |
| These are subjective conditions. What about the objective ones? for the purpose
of carrying on a relentless struggle against the counter-revolution. P. 3. | 4) Necessary condition of such participation—control by the
Social-Democratic Labour Party over its authorised representatives in the
government and undeviating protection of the independent working-class party, hostile to
all manner of bourgeois democracy in its striving for a full socialist
revolution. |
| {{ NB Armed proletariat }} | 5) At any rate, regardless of whether or not the Social-Democrats succeed in
taking part in a provisional revolutionary government, the idea must
be spread in the working class of the necessity of independent workers’ revolutionary organisations to exercise control
over every revolutionary government and to exert pressure on it. |

| Written before April 18 (May 1), 1905 | Printed from the original |
| --- | --- |
| First published in 1926 in Lenin Miscellany V | |

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Notes:
{1}
The text in brevier in square brackets is crossed out in the
MS.— Ed .

{2}
. The text in brevier in square brackets is crossed out
in the MS.— Ed .

{3}
. The text in brevier in square brackets is crossed out
in the MS.— Ed .