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Matvey SkobelevMember of the RSDLP, Menshevik since 1903, deputy of the IV State Duma.
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Political Activities before 1917
- February Revolution and the Petrograd Soviet
- Minister of Labor in the Provisional Government
- Views on the War and Workers' Control
- Bolshevik Revolution and Post-Revolutionary Activities
- Return to Russia and Death
Early Life and Education
Ivan Grigorevich Tsereteli was born into a family of a sectarian in the Molokan movement. He joined the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) in 1903, aligning himself with the Menshevik faction. Tsereteli participated in the 1905-07 Revolution in Baku, and in 1906, he led a strike before emigrating to avoid arrest.
He was a delegate to the RSDLP congress at the Second International in Copenhagen (1910) and graduated from the Vienna Polytechnic Institute in 1912.
Political Activities before 1917
Upon returning to Russia, Tsereteli edited the "Pravda" newspaper under Leon Trotsky's leadership. He was elected to the Fourth State Duma in 1912, representing the Russian population of Transcaucasia. During World War I, he was an "оборонец" (defender of the war effort).
February Revolution and the Petrograd Soviet
In the February Revolution of 1917, Tsereteli was instrumental in organizing the Petrograd Soviet. He was elected deputy chairman of its executive committee and later became one of the leaders of the sailors' uprisings in Sveaborg and Kronstadt.
Minister of Labor in the Provisional Government
On May 5, 1917, Tsereteli was appointed Minister of Labor in the Provisional Government. He promised to return war profits to the state and to increase the tax rate on profits to 100%. His efforts to negotiate with the Kronstadt Soviet helped quell a potential threat to the government.
Views on the War and Workers' Control
Despite his initial support for continuing the war, Tsereteli later argued against it. He also opposed worker control over production, advocating instead for state regulation and cooperation with factory and plant committees.
Bolshevik Revolution and Post-Revolutionary Activities
Tsereteli resigned from the Provisional Government after the July Crisis and opposed the Bolshevik Revolution in October. He became a member of the Committee to Save the Fatherland and Revolution and participated in negotiations with the Bolsheviks. In 1918, he left for Transcaucasia and later for Paris in 1920.
Return to Russia and Death
In 1922, Tsereteli rejoined the RSDLP(b) and returned to Moscow in 1925 to work for the Soviet government. However, he was arrested in 1938 and executed on charges of participation in a terrorist organization. Tsereteli was posthumously rehabilitated in 1957.
