Foreign Organization Committee of the RSDLP KZO

a leading body created at the founding congress of groups of Bolsheviks abroad, held in Geneva, Mar. 15–19, 1905, and uniting them into one organization. Members of the KZO included R. P. Avramov (Abramov), G. E. Zinoviev, P. A. Krasikov, M. Kamenskii, and Emtsev. The activity of the KZO was regulated by the statute of the foreign organization of the RSDLP (organization of the RSDLP abroad), which was worked out by the congress and confirmed by the Central Committee of the RSDLP on June 18, 1905.

The first KZO was disbanded by the United Central Committee of the RSDLP in March 1906, in connection with the movement for the unification of factions of the party. The KZO was revived at a conference of Bolshevik groups held in Paris, Dec. 27–30, 1911. N. A. Semashko, M. F. Vladimirskii, I. F. Armand, V. N. Mantseva, N. I. Sapozhkova, and six candidate members were elected to this KZO. The KZO had the rights of an independent committee of the RSDLP, including representation at party congresses and conferences. The KZO operated under the direct guidance of V. I. Lenin. The KZO trained party cadres for work in Russia, organized and conducted publishing affairs, distributed party literature, and was in charge of the central funds of the organization of the RSDLP abroad. The KZO devoted a great deal of attention to obtaining financial resources, a significant portion of which were disposed of by the Central Committee of the party; it organized the writing of essays requiring payment, as well as concerts, performances, and lotteries for this purpose. The KZO fulfilled the instructions of the Central Committee and furnished party members leaving for Russia with secret addresses. The Bulletin of the KZO, which was published in 1913, dealt with the activity of Bolshevik groups abroad and the KZO. During World War I the KZO struggled against social chauvinism and conducted revolutionary agitation among Russian prisoners of war abroad. The KZO ceased to exist after the February Revolution of 1917.