Ten Days That Shook the World · Chapter
2: The Strike Fund explained
The strike fund for government employees and bank clerks opposing the Bolsheviks was financed by banks, businesses, and foreign corporations.
What happens
The strike fund for government employees and bank clerks opposing the Bolsheviks was financed by banks, businesses, and foreign corporations. Strikers received full wages, sometimes increased, but the strike collapsed when contributors realized the Bolsheviks were firmly in power and stopped paying benefits.
Themes in this chapter
Class Conflict and Polarization
The strike fund illustrates the economic struggle between the Bolshevik government and the propertied classes, including banks and foreign corporations.
Struggle for Legitimacy and Power
The collapse of the strike due to the realization of Bolshevik firm control highlights the struggle for political legitimacy.
Key passages
“The fund for the striking Government employees and bank clerks was subscribed by banks and business houses of Petrograd and other cities, and also by foreign corporations doing business in Russia.”
The strike fund for government and bank workers was financed by banks, businesses in Petrograd and elsewhere, and foreign companies operating in Russia.
Describes the sources of financial support for the anti-Bolshevik strike.
“All who consented to strike against the Bolsheviki were paid full wages, and in some cases their pay was increased.”
Strikers received their full salaries, and sometimes even more, for participating in the strike against the Bolsheviks.
Highlights the incentive structure for strikers.
“It was the realisation of the strike fund contributors that the Bolsheviki were firmly in power, followed by their refusal to pay strike benefits, which finally broke the strike.”
The strike ended when the funders realized the Bolsheviks were securely in control and stopped providing strike payments.
Explains the decisive factor that ended the strike.