Editing Joseph Stalin (section)

=== 1899–1905: Russian Social Democratic Labour Party ===
[[File:Stalin 1902.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|left|Police photo of Stalin, 1902]]
During October 1899, he worked as a meteorologist at the Tiflis observatory.{{sfnm|1a1=Deutscher|1y=1966|1p=54|2a1=Conquest|2y=1991|2p=27|3a1=Service|3y=2004|3pp=43–44|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=76|5a1=Kotkin|5y=2014|5pp=47–48}} He attracted a group of socialist supporters,{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=79}} and co-organised a secret workers' meeting{{sfnm|1a1=Deutscher|1y=1966|1p=54|2a1=Conquest|2y=1991|2p=27|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3p=78}} where he convinced many to strike on [[May Day]] 1900.{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=78}} The empire's secret police, the [[Okhrana]], became aware of Stalin's activities and attempted to arrest him in March 1901, but he went into hiding{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=27|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=45|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3pp=81–82|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=49}} during which he lived off donations from friends.{{sfn|Montefiore|2007|p=82}} He helped plan a demonstration in [[Tiflis]] on May Day 1901 at which 3,000 marchers clashed with the authorities.{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=28|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2p=82|3a1=Kotkin|3y=2014|3p=50}} Stalin was elected to the Tiflis Committee of the [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party]] (RSDLP) –a Marxist party founded in 1898– in November 1901.{{sfnm|1a1=Deutscher|1y=1966|1p=63|2a1=Rieber|2y=2005|2pp=37–38|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3pp=87–88}}

That month, he travelled to [[Batumi]].{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=29|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=52|3a1=Rieber|3y=2005|3p=39|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=101|5a1=Kotkin|5y=2014|5p=51}} His militant rhetoric proved divisive among the city's Marxists, some of whom suspected that he was an ''[[agent provocateur]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Montefiore|1y=2007|1pp=91, 95|2a1=Kotkin|2y=2014|2p=53}} Stalin began working at the [[Rothschild family|Rothschild]] refinery storehouse, where he co-organised two workers' strikes.{{sfnm|1a1=Montefiore|1y=2007|1pp=90–93|2a1=Kotkin|2y=2014|2p=51|3a1=Khlevniuk|3y=2015|3pp=22–23}} After the strike leaders were arrested, he co-organised a mass demonstration which led to the storming of the prison.{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=29|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=49|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3pp=94–95|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=52|5a1=Khlevniuk|5y=2015|5p=23}} Stalin was arrested in April 1902{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1p=29|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=49|3a1=Rieber|3y=2005|3p=42|4a1=Montefiore|4y=2007|4p=98|5a1=Kotkin|5y=2014|5p=52}} and sentenced to three years exile in [[Siberia]], arriving in [[Novaya Uda, Irkutsk Oblast|Novaya Uda]] in November 1903.{{sfnm|1a1=Deutscher|1y=1966|1p=68|2a1=Conquest|2y=1991|2p=29|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3p=107|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4p=53|5a1=Khlevniuk|5y=2015|5p=23}} After one failed attempt, Stalin escaped from his exile in January 1904 and travelled to Tiflis,{{sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=52|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2pp=115–116|3a1=Kotkin|3y=2014|3p=53}} where he co-edited the Marxist newspaper ''[[Proletariatis Brdzola]]'' ("Proletarian Struggle") with [[Filipp Makharadze]].{{sfnm|1a1=Service|1y=2004|1p=57|2a1=Montefiore|2y=2007|2p=123}} During his exile, the RSDLP had become divided between [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s "[[Bolsheviks|Bolshevik]]" faction and [[Julius Martov]]'s "[[Mensheviks]]".{{sfnm|1a1=Conquest|1y=1991|1pp=33–34|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=53|3a1=Montefiore|3y=2007|3p=113|4a1=Kotkin|4y=2014|4pp=78–79|5a1=Khlevniuk|5y=2015|5p=24}} Stalin, who detested many Mensheviks in Georgia, aligned himself with the Bolsheviks.{{sfnm|1a1=Deutscher|1y=1966|1p=76|2a1=Service|2y=2004|2p=59|3a1=Kotkin|3y=2014|3p=80|4a1=Khlevniuk|4y=2015|4p=24}}