ABSTRACT
In 1898 Russian Marxists seemed to be clearly on the way to achieving their goal. The temporary success of the strikes in improving working conditions had given rise to a Marxist current which stoutly defended the value of the 'economic' struggle, if necessary postponing or even abandoning the fight for political liberty. The experience and teaching of the senior Western Marxists, the German Social Democratic party, were constantly cited, not only by the orthodox but also by their opponents. When Iskra began to appear at the end of 1900, the Munich Marxists were not entirely optimistic as to the future of their new enterprise. Plekhanov was given the job of surveying the long-term prospects of the Marxist cause in the second number of the orthodox newspaper. Potresov and Martov of course were talking about intellectuals who were potential Social Democrats, but the Mensheviks' high evaluation of the intelligentsia, pre-Marxist and non-Marxist as well as Marxist, is clear.
