Why was the Constituent Assembly dissolved?

Elections were held for Russia’s new parliament, the Constituent Assembly in November 1917. They were the first free
elections in Russian history.

What were the results?

Mensheviks Narodniks (middle class people who

Constitutional Democrats 2% wanted to help other people)
2% 0%
Socialist Revolutionaries Left wing Socialist Revo-
lutionaries
Bolsheviks 6%
Others (representing national-
Others (representing
ities) nationalities)
Left wing Socialist Revo- 12%
lutionaries Socialist Revolutionaries
52%
Constitutional Democrats
Mensheviks
Narodniks (middle class peo- Bolsheviks
ple who wanted to help other 25%
people)

Political Party No. of What do the election results suggest about the political
seats situation in Russia at the beginning of 1918?
Socialist Revolutionaries 370
Bolsheviks 175
Others (representing nationalities) 87
Left-wing Socialist Revolutionaries 40
Constitutional Democrats (cadets) 17
Mensehviks 16
Narodniks (middle class people who wanted to 2
help other classes)

Lenin was concerned that the Bolsheviks had gained only a quarter of the votes and these were primarily from working
classes of the cities. He was also concerned that some of the nationalities, such as Finns and Estonians, were trying to
break away and he wanted to avoid the disintegration of Russia.

Lenin wrote an article for Pravda, in which he stated that, because there were soviets in Russia, there was no need for
the Constituent Assembly.

Nevertheless, the Constituent Assembly met on 18 th January 1918. It would have the job of drawing up a new
constitution for Russia. The Bolsheviks and the left-wing SRs proposed that the power of the Assembly be limited. When
this was defeated, Lenin made his decision to dissolve it.

Less than 24 hours after th Assembly had met Lenin gave the order to dissolve it. Bolshevik Red Guards killed and
wounded more than 100 people who demonstrated in support of the Assembly outside the Tauride Palace. Two leaders
of the Cadets were killed in a hospital. The Red Guards then prevented the elected Deputies from entering the Assembly
and closed it down permanently. Lenin had removed a threat to the Bolsheviks and Sovnarkom at a single stroke.