Class Conflict and Polarization

A deep and violent divide is shown between the bourgeoisie, landowners, and 'moderate' Socialists on one side, and the workers, soldiers, and poor peasants on the other, with each group fighting for control of the state and economy.

The chapter details how parties aligned with different classes: Cadets and Group of Public Men with propertied classes, Mensheviki with intellectuals, Bolsheviki with factory workers and poor peasants, and Socialist Revolutionaries with peasants.

The rise of economic-based organisations like Soviets and Factory-Shop Committees, contrasted with the decline of political bodies like the City Duma, reflects the deepening class polarization.

The White Guards emerged as bourgeois volunteers defending private property against Bolshevik abolition, while the Red Guards represented armed factory workers, illustrating the deepening class divide.

The chapter highlights the deepening divide between the propertied classes and the masses, with the former seeking to halt the revolution and the latter demanding radical change.