When
Vladimir Lenin returned to Russia on 3rd
April, 1917, he announced what became known as the April
Theses. Lenin attacked Bolsheviks
for supporting the Provisional Government.
Instead, he argued, revolutionaries should be telling the people of
Russia that they should take over the control of the country. In his
speech, Lenin urged the peasants to take the land from the rich landlords
and the industrial workers to seize the factories.
Lenin
accused those Bolsheviks
who were still supporting the Provisional
Government
of betraying socialism and suggested that they should leave the party.
Some took Lenin's advice, arguing that any attempt at revolution at
this stage was bound to fail and would lead to another repressive,
authoritarian Russian government.
Joseph
Stalin was in a difficult position. As one of the editors of Pravda,
he was aware that he was being held partly responsible for what Vladimir
Lenin
had described as "betraying socialism". Stalin had two main
options open to him: he could oppose Lenin and challenge him for the
leadership of the party, or he could change his mind about supporting
the Provisional
Government
and remain loyal to Lenin.
After
ten days of silence, Stalin made his move. In Pravda
he
wrote an article dismissing the idea of working with the Provisional
Government.
He condemned Alexander Kerensky and
Victor
Chernov as counter-revolutionaries, and urged the
peasants to form committees to prepare
to takeover the land for themselves.
Some
Bolsheviks
such
as Lev Kamenev continued to oppose the
April Theses. However, Lenin answered his opponents in many articles,
pamphlets and speeches and he gradually won over the vast majority
of the party.
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