| Early January (mid-January) | Lenin writes critical notes to the first draft programme of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party, composed by Plekhanov. |
| January 8 (21) | Lenin, in a speech at a conference of the Iskra Editorial Board in Munich criticises the first draft programme composed by Plekhanov and introduces his corrections and proposals. |
| January (between 8 and 25) (between January 21 and February 1) | Lenin composes a new draft programme of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. |
| January 15 (23) | Lenin's article “Concerning the State Budget” published in Iskra, No. 15. |
| End of January (first half of February) | Following Lenin's instructions, the All-Russian Iskra organisation is founded at a conference of Iskra adherents in Samara. |
| February 1 (14) | Lenin's article “Political Agitation and 'the Class Point of View'" published in Iskra, No. 16. |
| February | Lenin writes the Preface to his What Is To Be Done? |
| End of February to mid-March (March) | Lenin writes the critical notes to the second draft programme of the R.S.D.L.P. composed by Plekhanov. |
| March 5 (18) | Lenin writes for the Belostok Conference of the R.S.D.L.P. the “Report of the Iskra Editorial Board to the Meeting of R.S.D.L.P. Committees” and a draft resolution; he takes part in the conference of the Iskra Editorial Board and gives instructions to the Iskra delegate to the Belostok Conference. |
| Beginning of March (mid March) | The book What Is To Be Done? Burning Questions of Our Movement is published in Stuttgart; in this work Lenin elaborated the ideological foundations of the Marxist Party. |