# Lev Kamenev — Ten Days That Shook the World character guide

> Lev Kamenev in Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Kameniev

**First appearance:** 0011-i-background

## Snapshot

Lev Kamenev, the Bolshevik's cautious parliamentarian, argues for coalition and legality even as the party's left wing demands insurrection.

## Who they are

Kamenev sits among the Bolshevik leaders whose debates over seizing power split the party in the weeks before October. He favors a broader socialist coalition and public preparation, putting him at odds with Lenin's insistence on immediate action. In the early-middle arc, his caution dramatizes the internal argument that nearly cost the Bolsheviks their moment.

## In the story

### [Background](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/i-background)

Bolshevik leader imprisoned after July Days; later released.

### [II: The Coming Storm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/ii-the-coming-storm)

Spoke with Reed about the Congress of Soviets and the possibility of a Bolshevik majority.

### [V: Plunging Ahead](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/v-plunging-ahead)

Reads appeal against pogroms at the Congress of Soviets.

### [Counterrevolution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/viii-counterrevolution)

Speaks at the Petrograd Soviet about the reconciliation conference and the rejected armistice conditions.

### [XI: The Conquest of Power](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/xi-the-conquest-of-power)

Kameniev reads the Bolshevik resolution on coalition conditions to the Tsay-ee-kah, explaining the party's stance on the People's Council and the exclusion of Lenin and Trotsky.

### [Appendix to Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/appendix-to-chapter-ii)

Criticized in Lenin's letter for arguing that the Bolsheviks lack a majority for insurrection.

### [Lenin's "Letter to the Comrades"](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/chapters/11-lenin-s-letter-to-the-comrades)

Opposes insurrection, arguing the Bolsheviks lack a majority.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/characters/kameniev
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/ten_days_that_shook_the_world_se/characters