Investor Presentaiton
These roles were all important in Kaganovich's rise through the Bolshevik Party. They
are also representative of the fact that at this point, Kaganovich was fully entrenched in the Party
life as he continued to serve in various chairman roles and often attended important conferences
and congresses. The years between 1914 and 1917 were a springboard for Kaganovich's rise in
power. Kaganovich gained acclaim, connections, and experience during these years. His work
would also gain him the attention of Lenin, and then Stalin, securing his position as a key figure
in Soviet politics in the years to come.
After 1917 is when Kaganovich broke from the Jewish revolution because of his
dedication to Bolshevism. Kaganovich's involvement in the Soviet apparatus and membership in
the Bolshevik Party did not separate Kaganovich from other Jewish revolutionaries because of
his involvement alone, but rather the ideological dedication his involvement signified. Sloin
notes that many Jews joined the Bolshevik Party for increased access to privileges, jobs, and
material goods." He argues that "the significant presence of Jewish actors within the apparatus
122
"123
of Soviet power by no means meant uniform support for the regime." However, unlike the
Jews who joined the Party apparatus for benefits or other reasons, Kaganovich was ideologically
devoted to the cause, as is shown by his frequent and passionate declarations of class
consciousness. This is the primary factor which separates Kaganovich from the rest of the Jewish
revolution and pushes him further in Party life during the Civil War. Because of this break,
"Kaganovich emerged from the Civil War as one of the new elites of proletarian, revolutionary
122
Sloin, The Jewish revolution in Belorussia, 27.
123 Ibid.
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