Historian A: Richard Pipes – Political/Military Perspective

"Pipes argues that Lenin’s April Theses were primarily a strategic move to seize power swiftly. He emphasizes Lenin’s clear call for immediate revolution, viewing it as a calculated effort to exploit the chaos and weaken the Provisional Government. Pipes believes that Lenin’s focus on ‘all power to the Soviets’ was a political tactic designed to rally the Bolsheviks and other revolutionary factions to accelerate the overthrow of the bourgeoisie. This interpretation sees Lenin’s actions as driven by political opportunism rather than ideological conviction."

Historian B: Sheila Fitzpatrick – Social/Ideological Perspective

"Fitzpatrick interprets the April Theses as a reflection of Lenin’s deep commitment to socialist principles and the desire for a genuine worker-led revolution. She contends that Lenin’s emphasis on ‘peace, bread, and land’ and his rejection of cooperation with the Provisional Government were rooted in socialist ideology aimed at transforming Russian society. Fitzpatrick views Lenin’s call for immediate action as motivated by a sincere revolutionary conviction to empower the working class and peasants, rather than mere political strategy."