The Dominance of the Left SRs
In 1901 Victor Chernov, hoping to reshape Populism into a group with a concrete base of support, founded the Social Revolutionary Party, or the SRs. However, from the start the party was essentially split into two groups: the Left Social Revolutionaries, who wanted to force political and social change through direct action like terrorism, and the Right Social Revolutionaries, who were moderate and believed in a more peaceful campaign, including collaborating with other groups. From 1901 – 05 the Left was in the ascendance, killing over two thousand people: a major campaign, but one which had no political effect.The Dominance of the Right SRs
When the revolution of 1905 led to the legalization of political parties, the Right SRs grew in power, and their moderate views led to growing support from peasants, trade unions and the middle class. In 1906 the SRs committed to a Revolutionary Socialism with the major aim of returning land from big holders to the peasants. This led to great popularity in rural areas, and the breakthrough in peasant support that their forerunner’s the Populists could only have dreamt of. The SRs consequently looked more towards the peasants than other Marxist Socialist groups in Russia, who focused on urban workers.However, factions emerged, and the party became a blanket name for a number of different groups rather than a unified force. While the SRs were the most popular political party in Russia until they were banned by the Bolsheviks, thanks to their huge support from the peasants, they were outmanoeuvred in the revolutions of 1917. Despite polling 40% compared to the Bolshevik’s 25% in the election which followed the October Revolution, they were crushed by the Bolsheviks.
