ABSTRACT
The Kronstadt rising was all the more poignant in that it was occurring at the same time as the Tenth Party Congress was meeting in Moscow. More than anything else, this conjuncture marked the end of the revolution. However, something had to be done about the reality that the revolts had lit up. In addition, 1921 was a moment in which the Bolsheviks were faced with a relatively unconstrained choice. The revolution as a whole, Bolshevik and popular, had routed its enemies. Rather than hiding behind the excuse that they had to militarize and centralize to win the war, the Bolsheviks were now free to decide which way they wanted to go. The Tenth Party Congress set out the route.
