Challenge: Soviet Union without Bolsheviks

Specifically, Russian Revolution still occurs, and the radical left still wins, but NO Bolsheviks. Remember, still has to be radical left, just not Bolsheviks. Considering there were other Socialists running around, you should be able to find a replacement.

Also, please try to write a TL of this new state up to 1947.
 
What does "radical left" mean?
What does "Bolshevik" mean?

Most other socialists in 1917–1921 weren't revolutionaries. Most organisations that supported a massive redistribution of social wealth in 1917 did not support a change in the class nature of the social power. Individuals of all "socialist" parties did support a change in the class nature of social power, but, often they were isolated, or they "lagged behind" the actual consciousness of the working class. The Bolsheviks were unique in a couple of respects, their leadership especially and specifically supported the overthrow of existing governance relationships; and, a large majority of revolutionary workers supported their position in 1917.

If we grind the dual power situation into 1918 or 1919 other groups (Left SRs, Mensheviks, Bolshevik splits) may radicalise. Or they might not. The urban industrial working class will continue to radicalise unless cohesively crushed by a white reaction.

Moreover, unless a "large" organisation, of equivalent size to the Bolsheviks or larger, manages to take an even more radical position than the Bolsheviks; the parties will be lagging behind the class in a very very dramatic way.

yours,
Sam R.
 
Ah, very true. Okay, way for the Left SRs to radicalize?

As for Bolsheviks, specifically those coming from the Leninist tradition, instead of perhaps a different interpretation of Marxism, or what something completely different than Marxism.
 
Ah, very true. Okay, way for the Left SRs to radicalize?

As for Bolsheviks, specifically those coming from the Leninist tradition, instead of perhaps a different interpretation of Marxism, or what something completely different than Marxism.

A hell of a lot of "Leninism" happens after 1917. Particularly, for this case "left wing communism."

The easiest way to cripple Leninism in 1917, is for the Bolshevik party to split _right_ on the basis of the party's leadership's opposition to Lenin's adventurism; and, then for Trotsky's microparty not to fuse.

* * *

As far as getting the Left SRs to move, well, LEFT, look at what it took historically to result in the all-party revolutionary coalition at Kronstadt? Without the Bolsheviks by 1918 there are going to be lots of angry, workplace Soviet organised workers in the capitals, without a political party to support, with bourgeois and aristocratic Left SRs and Mensheviks and Bolshevik Split leaders in the geographic soviets. Anarchism, in the cities, wasn't a significant organised force.

So what happens next depends on your position on workers self-organisation and spontenaism. It also depends on whether the Left SRs will actually be forced left, and what will happen to the rump of "ultras" from the ex-Bolsheviks, and whether Lenin is still involved in the ultras. Given that the right would have split _away_ from Lenin, I suspect Lenin is busy being hypersectarian against ultras in his fractional ultra organisation. When does the Menshevik "left" who historically drifted away to the Bolsheviks in 1918-1919 split from the Mensheviks? Perhaps the best thing to call the combination of a new revolutionary reformation in 1918 and a new workplace soviet militance is "The Reds," as this is a non-party term that denotes, rather clearly, a willingness to destroy the bourgeois parliament.

And when does the bourgeois style parliament get overthrown, and by whom? Whites? Reds?

Will a longer period of working class consolidation mean an easier revolution? A harder revolution? Ugly actions will be necessary regardless of which party "nominally" leads the Reds.

yours,
Sam R.
 
Here goes...

July 1918 - Uprising in Moskva. Lenin and Trotskiy are killed in the aftermath. Armistice on the eastern front, with the Czechoslovak Legion preparing to reinforce the Western Screen. Continued fighting on the Southern Front, where the Don Cossack Host is allied with the Germans. Congress of Soviets reassembles with both Social-Revolutionary Parties and the Mensheviks, as well as the Left Communists [meaning the anti-Brest-Litovsk faction] and others who leave the Bolsheviks.

1918 - By September, the German Army launches renewed offensives in the east, taking Petrograd despite bloody street fighting, and taking Smolensk. Under pressure from Krasnov and Skorpoadskiy, the nominally anti-German Denikin resigns from the command of the Volunteer Army, in favor of Wrangel. In October, overstretched by the renewed fighting, the German Army collapses.

1919 - At Versailles, the Entente powers recognize the Komuch in preference to the sovyets. But they dismiss the Don and Volunteer Armies as German puppets. In Russia, the Congress of Soviets demands new Constituent Assembly elections [the Left Social Revolutionaries broke with the Right too late to get independent representation].

I'm not really sure what happens between 1919 and 1947, but the Russian Civil War ends much faster, and the recovery starts much sooner. I imagine the Left Social Revolutionaries and various minority groups will continue to support sovyets and decentralization in general. Crimea might end up independent, and the Donets might break with Ukraine to rejoin Russia. But there would still be civil wars in the Cossack hosts, because the Cossacks had disenfranchized the "foreigners" who had arrived since the 1860s.
 
Here goes...

July 1918 - Uprising in Moskva. Lenin and Trotskiy are killed in the aftermath. Armistice on the eastern front, with the Czechoslovak Legion preparing to reinforce the Western Screen. Continued fighting on the Southern Front, where the Don Cossack Host is allied with the Germans. Congress of Soviets reassembles with both Social-Revolutionary Parties and the Mensheviks, as well as the Left Communists [meaning the anti-Brest-Litovsk faction] and others who leave the Bolsheviks.

1918 - By September, the German Army launches renewed offensives in the east, taking Petrograd despite bloody street fighting, and taking Smolensk. Under pressure from Krasnov and Skorpoadskiy, the nominally anti-German Denikin resigns from the command of the Volunteer Army, in favor of Wrangel. In October, overstretched by the renewed fighting, the German Army collapses.

1919 - At Versailles, the Entente powers recognize the Komuch in preference to the sovyets. But they dismiss the Don and Volunteer Armies as German puppets. In Russia, the Congress of Soviets demands new Constituent Assembly elections [the Left Social Revolutionaries broke with the Right too late to get independent representation].

I'm not really sure what happens between 1919 and 1947, but the Russian Civil War ends much faster, and the recovery starts much sooner. I imagine the Left Social Revolutionaries and various minority groups will continue to support sovyets and decentralization in general. Crimea might end up independent, and the Donets might break with Ukraine to rejoin Russia. But there would still be civil wars in the Cossack hosts, because the Cossacks had disenfranchized the "foreigners" who had arrived since the 1860s.

Hey, great job. That worked out quite well.
 
30th March, 1917.
An explosion occurs off the coast of Sweden although the stormy seas ensured that no-one saw it. The source of the explosion, the ferry, "Queen Victoria", carrying Russian exiles onto their way to Trelleborg, Sweden on their returning to Russia from exile.

One casualty in the incident was one Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks.

For days, concerned associates of the exiles and German officials awaited news of their counterparts of the successful journey. No such confirmation arrived.

A week later, their worse fears are confirmed. A trawler, crossing the Baltic sea, stumbles across the wreckage of the ferry. There were no survivors. Although it was not confirmed, many suspected sabotage. Many across the world mourn. Many are intellectuals, mourning the loss of so many fine thinkers, yet many more are lesser men, those who saw the exiled as heroes and saviors of the people. They mourned for the loss, yet their hearts filled with anger, crying out for revenge against those they believe held responsible.

Suspicion falls upon the ones most likely to have instigated this atrocity..


Then the downfall of the provisional government.. and the rise of the Soviet Union without Lenin or Radek, Zinoviev and many other exiles.
 
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