The principle that while party members are free to discuss and debate policy, once a decision is made by the majority, all members must follow it. 3. Key Evolution Points
The Charter defined the organizational structure and membership rules. It was the primary source of the historic split between (led by Lenin) and Mensheviks (led by Martov) during the Second Party Congress in 1903. Membership (Paragraph 1): programma i ustav rsdrp
The party (now the RCP(b)) adopted a new program reflecting their position as the ruling party after the October Revolution. 4. Summary Table of the 1903 Split Bolsheviks (Lenin) Mensheviks (Martov) Party Model "Vanguard" of professional revolutionaries Mass-based party like Western Social Democrats Membership Requirement Strict: Personal participation in a cell Flexible: General support and guidance Organization Highly centralized and disciplined Decentralized and democratic The principle that while party members are free
Focused on the long-term goal of a Socialist Revolution . This included the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat to build a socialist society. It was the primary source of the historic
Required only "regular personal assistance" under the guidance of an organization. This allowed for a broader, less centralized membership.
Lenin’s "April Theses" proposed updating the program to transition directly toward a socialist revolution.