History The Russian Revolution Questions Long
The dissolution of the Russian Constituent Assembly can be attributed to several key reasons.
Firstly, it is important to understand the context in which the Constituent Assembly was formed. The assembly was established in 1917 following the February Revolution, which overthrew the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II and led to the establishment of a provisional government. The purpose of the Constituent Assembly was to draft a new constitution for Russia and determine the future political structure of the country.
One of the main reasons behind the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly was the growing divide between the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, and the other political parties. The Bolsheviks, who advocated for a socialist revolution and the establishment of a communist state, did not have a majority in the assembly. Instead, the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR), which had a more moderate socialist agenda, emerged as the largest party in the assembly.
The Bolsheviks, however, were not willing to accept the results of the assembly elections, which took place in November 1917. The SR party won a majority of the seats, while the Bolsheviks only secured a minority. Lenin and the Bolsheviks argued that the assembly did not represent the true will of the people and that the Soviet system, which was based on workers' and soldiers' councils, should be the primary source of political power.
Another reason for the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly was the deteriorating political and military situation in Russia. The country was embroiled in a civil war between the Bolshevik Red Army and various anti-Bolshevik forces, collectively known as the Whites. The Bolsheviks saw the Constituent Assembly as a potential obstacle to their revolutionary agenda and believed that it would hinder their ability to consolidate power and effectively prosecute the war.
Furthermore, the Bolsheviks had already established their own political structure, the Soviet government, which they considered to be more representative of the working class and the revolutionary spirit of the time. They argued that the Soviet government, which was based on the principles of direct democracy and workers' control, was a more legitimate form of governance than the Constituent Assembly.
On January 5, 1918, the day the Constituent Assembly was scheduled to convene, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, ordered the Red Guards to occupy the assembly hall and prevent the elected representatives from entering. The Bolsheviks declared that the assembly was dissolved and that the Soviet government would be the sole governing body in Russia.
In conclusion, the dissolution of the Russian Constituent Assembly can be attributed to the Bolsheviks' refusal to accept the assembly's election results, their belief in the superiority of the Soviet system, and the political and military circumstances of the time. The dissolution marked a significant turning point in the Russian Revolution, as it solidified the Bolsheviks' grip on power and paved the way for the establishment of a communist state in Russia.