WI: Kronstadt uprising "successful"?

[Cyclone]

In February 1921, a collection of Soviet sailors, soldiers and civilians put together a list of fifteen demands of the RSFSR, to reduce the Bolshevik's dominance of the machinations of government. They revolted and were then suppressed in March.

What if they had succeeded?

Historically, the Kronstadt uprising freaked the shit out of Lenin. It convinced him the world revolution was not on the horizon, and it was the primary impetus of the demise of War Communism and the beginning of NEP. Further, many of their demands were not entirely unreasonable to request of the Bolsheviks, and would not have required them to relinquish power (immediately). The Bolsheviks had come to dominate the Soviets prior to the revolution; it is not unreasonable that they would have managed to hold on to their position post-Civil War, or at least suspected they would have.

So let's suppose that the folks in Kronstadt wait until the ice melts to begin their uprising, and there's no appearance of external involvement. Negotiations begin, and they arrive upon a watered-down version of their demands, and non-Bolshevik socialist parties are allowed much more political freedom, though the Bolshevik party retains significant state-provided advantages.

Is this plausible, and what would the consequences be?

 

[rast]

A mortal threat to the Bolsheviks. No negotiations. If required, Trotsky will have his regiments swim to Kronstadt. And if they all drown, the next bunch of regiments will be equipped with floating tires.

 

[Jukra]

Is this plausible, and what would the consequences be?

The only way would be to topple the Lenin regime. Communism was not about sharing power, it was dictatorship of the proletariat (in other words, whoever wanker/wankers were in charge). The Kronstadt rebellion demands were (if made honestly) about bringing democracy to Russia and that was exactly what Communists were against.

 

[Neala]

it's worth mentioning that the sailors who rebelled at kronstadt were the elite shock troops of the bolsheviks - without them it's probable that the Reds would have lost the civil war. Hence they had to be put down, of all the revolutionary cadres they were the ones who could bring the entire red edifice down. And in 1921 the communist hold on power was still pretty weak

 

[TheDifferenceEngine]

The only way would be to topple the Lenin regime. Communism was not about sharing power, it was dictatorship of the proletariat (in other words, whoever wanker/wankers were in charge). The Kronstadt rebellion demands were (if made honestly) about bringing democracy to Russia and that was exactly what Communists were against.

Err, isn't the entire point of Communism sharing power?

The rebels at Kronstadt were the real Communists, put down by traitors who fancied themselves a new ruling class.

 

[Jukra]

Err, isn't the entire point of Communism sharing power?

The rebels at Kronstadt were the real Communists, put down by traitors who fancied themselves a new ruling class.

In theory I agree with you completely. However, in common usage term "communism" is synonymous with Lenin gangsters.

 

[Cyclone]

I don't think it's as absurd as you think.

• The Bolsheviks put together Russia's first genuine parliamentary elections, even if they dispersed them shortly thereafter. They did not have anything against democracy, so much as they had something against losing the power they fought so hard for.
• The Congress of Soviets supported the Bolsheviks before they had even obtained power; it would not be unreasonable of the Bolsheviks to expect the same from an open Congress in 1921.
• There was dissent in the ranks about the kind of party authoritarianism that started to develop. For example, Bolsheviks contested the decision to ban other newspapers, though Lenin countermanded them.
• When the uprising happens, the Bolsheviks have not yet killed off the other socialist parties.
• Last but not least, Lenin was very powerful in the party, and where one man has power, he can have caprice. Historically, the Kronstadt uprising freaked Lenin out; it could have similar effects ITTL, increasing the autonomy and freedom of other socialist parties in addition to ending War Communism.

 

[Atreus]

Err, isn't the entire point of Communism sharing power?

The rebels at Kronstadt were the real Communists, put down by traitors who fancied themselves a new ruling class.

Yeah, in theory. But Leninist communism had the whole "vanguard of the revolution" concept, in which a dedicated core of socialists would lead the revolution and guide the state into a communist utopia.

Not to mention that the bolsheviks (and most communist revolutionaries, or most revolutionaries in general) were not particularly keen on sharing power once they came into possession of it.