Why did Lenin and the Bolsheviks rename their party the All-Russian Communist Party in 1918?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

communism Revolutionary, sociologist, historian, and economist Karl Marx.

In March 1918, the Bolsheviks renamed their party the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik) to clearly distinguish themselves from the socialists of the Second International.12

This change was motivated by the actions of those socialists during World War I, as many had chosen to support their respective national governments rather than maintaining international socialist solidarity. By adopting the label "Communist," Lenin and his followers sought to distance their revolutionary movement from these groups, whom they viewed as having compromised their principles.32