V. I.

Lenin

PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF THE APRIL THESES [2]

THESES:

1) Attitude to the war.
No concessions to “revolutionary defencism”.

2) “ The demand that the Provisional Government”
should “renounce conquests”.
(α) Attitude to the Provisional Government.
(β) Attitude to the Soviets of Workers’ Deputies.

2 bis ) Criticism of the Soviets of Workers’ Deputies.

3) Not a parliamentary republic, but a republic of
Soviets of Workers’, Agricultural Labourers’, Peasants’
and Soldiers’ Deputies.

(α) Abolition of the army, the bureaucracy and the police.
(β) Salaries to officials.

4) Specifics of propaganda, agitation and organisation
in the period of transition from the first stage of the
revolution to the second. Maximum of legally recognised rights.

Supporters, honest, but duped by the bourgeoisie, of only “war through necessity”, “war
not for conquest”, and their deception by the bourgeoisie.

5) The agrarian programme.
(α) Nationalisation. (Confiscation of all landed estates.)
(β) Each large-scale estate to be turned into a “model farm” under the control of a Soviet of
Agricultural Labourers’ Deputies.

+ (γ) Soviets of Agricultural Labourers’ Deputies to
be pivotal.

6) A single bank under the control of the Soviets of
Workers’ Deputies.

6  bis) Not introduction of socialism at once , but the
immediate, systematic and gradual transition of the Soviets
of Workers’ Deputies to control over social production and distribution of products.

7) Congress.
Change of programme and name.
A new International. Creation of a revolutionary international.... [1]

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Notes:
[1]
The MS. breaks off at this point.— Ed .

[2]
Upon his arrival in Russia on April 3 (16), 1917, Lenin spoke
about the new tasks facing the Bolshevik Party at a meeting
of Petrograd Party workers organised that very night at the former
Kšesinska mansion to mark his arrival. His speech was apparently
based on the preliminary draft of the April Theses.