Martov, Yuly Osipovich (1873–1923)

Russian revolutionary. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party from 1892 and leader of the Mensheviks. He cooperated with Lenin at first, but broke with him in 1903. After the October Revolution he became official leader of the Menshevik party.

After the February Revolution in 1917 he was in opposition to the majority of Mensheviks, maintaining an internationalist position against their ‘revolutionary defencism’. Martov left Russia in 1920 as head of a Menshevik delegation and remained in Berlin, where he edited the monthly Socialist Courier.