PLEKHANOFF, George, Rus sian political economist; founder of the Rus sian Social-Democracy: b. 1837; d. Petrograd, June 1918. He was of noble origin, attended the Petrograd School of Mines, and at an early agejoined the Populists (narodniki), later the Zemlya i Volya (Land and Liberty) Group. When theparty split in the 70's, he stood at the head of the Chorny Peredyel (Black Divi sion). In 1880 he was forced to seek refuge in western Europe and became contributor to Narodnaya Volga (People's Liberty), but his aversion to Blanquism brought him back to the field of Marxist thought. In 1883, while in France, and later while living in Switzerland, to gether with Axelrod and others, he was actively agitating for the foundation of a Russian Social-Democratic Party, which from the start was dominated by the teachings of Karl Marx. His early pamphlets were 'Socialism and Political Action' (1883), 'Our Differences' (1884), and a translation and introduction to the 'Communist Manifesto.' (See 'CAE- MARX). Plekhanoff's chief accomplishment in this period was an elucidation of the differences between Socialism and Anarchism, and a strong opposition to the latter. He was also opposed to the theory that the Russian people were better prepared for the Social Revolution than others because of their traditional agricultural communism and proved from the writings of Marx and Engels that this would not obviate the necessity of passing through the stage of Capitalism to Socialism. "Seizures of power", such as all Russian revolutionists since the days of the Decembrists considered possible, he re garded as foredoomed to failure owing to the lack of preparation on the part of the masses. Such seizure of power, he taught, could be undertaken only by a thoroughly trained work ing class. In the 90's Plekhanoff began to acquire a more international reputation, through his scientific economic studies, in defense and elaboration of the doctrine of economic deter minism. His 'Contributions to the History of
Materialism' places him at the head of those Marxists who would relate historic materialism closely with the physical sciences, and his book on Chernishevsky made western Europe aware of the existene of this great Russian thinker. The famous schism in the Russian Social Democracy between bolsheviki and mensheviki took place in 1903, and Plekhanoff at once joined forces with the latter; but after the Revolution of 1905 he was embroiled with his former associates. He was now outside of both factions, and this situation was empha sized further by the outbreak of the War in 1914. Plekhanoff became a patriot and in sisted on the necessity of a victory of the Entente Powers over the Central Empires, and therefore of supporting the government of the Tsar in the war. He therefore found himself, on his return to Petrograd from Switzerland (where he had spent all the years of his ma turity), after the Revolution of March 1917 at variance with both mensheviki and bolsheviki, and was able to retain leadership only of the small Yedinstvo (Unity) Group, which had practically no influence on the course of the proletarian revolution which came into power in November 1917. The last few months of his life were no doubt embittered by the oppo sition of the entire working class population of Petrograd, which, weary of long months of hardships, was eager for a termination of the war, which consummation Plekhanoff was actively resisting, going so far as to ally him self with the •Cadet Party and the military and bourgeois organizations in the pursuit of this end.