April Theses

Shortly after his return from exile in Switzerland, Lenin held on 4 Apriljul. / April 17 1917greg. a presentation at a conference of the St. Petersburg Soviet in Petrograd on a political program for the further development after the February Revolution of 1917. Subsequently, he worked it in writing further and called it The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution, later briefly called April Theses. Was published, the text for the first time on 7 Apriljul. / April 20 1917greg. in Pravda.

In it, he criticized, among other things, the Provisional Government because of its capitalist orientation and called for the establishment of a republic based on the Soviets, a nationalization of land and the means of production, as well as the unconditional peace treaty with Germany (which he was later able to prevail in spite of strong resistance, see peace treaty of Brest- Litovsk ).

Following were the essential statements of his theses:

  • All Power to the Soviets
  • End the war
  • Expropriation of large estates and immediate distribution of land ( all land to the peasants )
  • Workers' control over industry
  • Nationalization of the banks
  • Establishment of a Soviet Republic
  • Overthrow of the Provisional Government
  • Establishment of a revolutionary International
  • Agitation and educate the masses and obtaining a Bolshevik majority in the councils

The slogan was henceforth peace - freedom, land and bread!

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