5th Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party

The Bolsheviks argued in favour of preparations for an armed uprising against Czarist rule, which Menshevik leader Julius Martov denounced as 'putschist'.

[2] On both of these issues, the Bolsheviks were supported by Polish and Latvian Social Democrats, guaranteeing a revolutionary majority at the Congress.

The 5th Congress passed a resolution which condemned participation in or assistance to all violent activity, including "expropriations", as "disorganising and demoralizing", and called for all party militias to be disbanded.

[10] Ironically, one of the most famous "expropriations" (the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery, organized by a small group of Bolsheviks) took place only weeks after this vote.

Bundist delegate L. G. Shapiro proposed the name "London Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party", which was adopted.

[1] Although the Congress saw several victories for the Bolsheviks, in the elections to the 5th Central Committee and the editorial board of the party newspaper Sotsial-Demokrat neither of the Russian factions won a majority.

Brotherhood Church at Southgate Road in London, where congress sessions took place.
Bolshevik delegates at the 5th Congress of the RSDLP (Note that Fyodor Sergeyev did not actually participate at this Congress) [ 5 ]
Menshevik, Bundist, and Polish Social Democrat delegates at the 5th Congress
Police photograph of V. I. Lenin from December 1895