Question

read the passage.
the bolshevik - menshevik divide
in the early 1900s, the russian social democratic labour party, unhappy with the poverty
and war that plagued russia, sought to rid the country of the czar, its absolute ruler.
unable to agree on tactics, the party split into two groups. the bolsheviks, led by
vladimir lenin, believed that russia should be governed by a small group that would have
complete power and would not tolerate dissent from its members. they favored
immediate reform, and they viewed violence as an acceptable means of achieving this. in
contrast, the mensheviks, led by julius martov, felt that russia should have a larger, more
democratic government that would tolerate varying opinions. unlike the bolsheviks, they
favored a gradual transition of power, and they preferred to avoid violent means of
gaining control. eventually, the bolsheviks were victorious, seizing control in the october
revolution of 1917.
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
the bolsheviks advocated immediate change and considered violent
revolution an acceptable method of achieving it.
the bolsheviks wanted a small governing group with complete and immediate
control, while the mensheviks wanted a larger, more democratic government.
the bolsheviks did not tolerate dissent among the groups members, while
the mensheviks allowed for varying opinions.

Explanation:

The passage focuses on the split of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, highlighting their different views on governance (small group with complete power vs larger democratic government) and methods (immediate reform with violence vs gradual transition avoiding violence). The second option encompasses both groups' key positions, which is the main idea. The first option only focuses on Bolsheviks, and the third option is a partial detail.

Answer:

The Bolsheviks wanted a small governing group with complete and immediate control, while the Mensheviks wanted a larger, more democratic government.