12th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (b)
Encyclopedia
The 12th Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) was held during 17-25 April 1923 in Moscow
.
This was the last congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)
during Vladimir Lenin
's leadership, however Lenin was unable to attend.
Much of this Congress was taken up with Joseph Stalin
's struggle against the Georgian
National Communist
s. Stalin dominated the Congress with Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze
and Mamia Orakhelashvili, moving against the Old Bolsheviks Budu Mdivani and Filipp Makharadze
.
Stalin accused the latter of:
Ordzhonikidze went further:
as well as "leftism" and "adventurism"
At this Congress the problems of nationalism were redefined so that local chauvinism became identified as the main problem rather than Great Russian chauvinism.
attended this Congress, but was subject to attack immediately afterwards in the Tartar
newspaper Eshche and arrested during May 1923. He was roundly condemned by Stalin at the Fourth Conference of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (b) with the Workers of the National Republics of the Regions, held 9 - 12 June 1923.
The congress was the beginning of the so-called policy of Korenizatsiya
. The main idea was to grow national cadres for every nationality so that the party line could be pursued everywhere by representatives of the local nationality and the national proletariat could be raised against its own exploiters.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
This was the last congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks)
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
during Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
's leadership, however Lenin was unable to attend.
Much of this Congress was taken up with Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's struggle against the Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
National Communist
National communism
The term National Communism describes the ethnic minority communist currents that arose in the former Russian Empire after Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik Party seized power in October 1917....
s. Stalin dominated the Congress with Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze
Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze
Grigol Ordzhonikidze ორჯონიკიძე - Grigol Orjonikidze, , generally known as Sergo Ordzhonikidze ; – February 18, 1937) was a Georgian Bolshevik, later member of the CPSU Politburo and close friend to Joseph Stalin...
and Mamia Orakhelashvili, moving against the Old Bolsheviks Budu Mdivani and Filipp Makharadze
Filipp Makharadze
Filipp Makaradze was a Bolshevik revolutionary and government official.-Life:...
.
Stalin accused the latter of:
- "Violation of party discipline" - contact Lenin directly not through party channels
- "Disobeying decisions of the Central Committee of the RCP(b)"
- "Demanding special economic concessions for Georgia"
- "local chauvinism" and "imperialism": - they were accused of oppressing smaller nations such as the OssetianOssetianOssetian may refer to:* The Ossetian language* A member of the Ossetian people* A person from the region of Ossetia...
s and Abkhazians - "The desire to obtain privileged positions for Georgians"
Ordzhonikidze went further:
- Collaboration with MenshevikMenshevikThe Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
s during 1918-1920 - Retaining class enemies (landlords) in the Georgian Communist partyGeorgian Communist partyGeorgia was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic after 25 February 1921 when the Red Army entered its capital Tbilisi and installed a communist government led by Georgian Bolshevik Filipp Makharadze. After the 1924 August Uprising in Georgia the country was...
- Granting political amnesty to Mensheviks
as well as "leftism" and "adventurism"
At this Congress the problems of nationalism were redefined so that local chauvinism became identified as the main problem rather than Great Russian chauvinism.
Aftermath
Mirsäyet SoltanğälievMirsäyet Soltangäliev
Sultan Galiev , usually known in English as Mirza Sultan-Galiev, was a Tatar Bolshevik who rose to prominence in the Russian Communist Party in the early 1920s...
attended this Congress, but was subject to attack immediately afterwards in the Tartar
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
newspaper Eshche and arrested during May 1923. He was roundly condemned by Stalin at the Fourth Conference of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (b) with the Workers of the National Republics of the Regions, held 9 - 12 June 1923.
The congress was the beginning of the so-called policy of Korenizatsiya
Korenizatsiya
Korenizatsiya sometimes also called korenization, meaning "nativization" or "indigenization", literally "putting down roots", was the early Soviet nationalities policy promoted mostly in the 1920s but with a continuing legacy in later years...
. The main idea was to grow national cadres for every nationality so that the party line could be pursued everywhere by representatives of the local nationality and the national proletariat could be raised against its own exploiters.