---
title: "April Theses Definition and Significance | Model Diplomat"
description: "The April Theses were Lenin's directives in 1917 urging Bolshevik opposition to the Provisional Government, crucial for understanding revolutionary strategy."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/april-theses"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The April Theses were ten directives Vladimir Lenin issued in April 1917 demanding Bolshevik opposition to the Provisional Government, peace, land redistribution, and "All Power to the Soviets.
- When and where did Lenin present the April Theses?
- What was the central slogan of the April Theses?
- How did the April Theses change Bolshevik strategy?
- How are the April Theses linked to the October Revolution?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 4 April 1917

   The April Theses (Russian: Aprel'skiye tezisy) constitute the programmatic statement Vladimir Lenin delivered on (Old Style; 17 April New Style) at meetings…

2. 7 April 1917

   The April Theses (Russian: Aprel'skiye tezisy) constitute the programmatic statement Vladimir Lenin delivered on 4 April 1917 (Old Style; 17 April New Style)…

3. 25 October 1917

   Initially the theses met scepticism — Kamenev publicly dissented in Pravda, and Georgi Plekhanov dismissed them as "raving." Yet by late April the Bolshevik…

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Example

In April 1917, Vladimir Lenin presented the April Theses to Bolshevik delegates in Petrograd, demanding "All Power to the Soviets" and rejecting Kerensky's Provisional Government, a stance that guided the October Revolution.

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