RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917 Flashcards
Why could the revolution not be described as a ‘war’?
The final overthrow of the PG was short-lived and was achieved with very little blood shed.
Why was the Bolshevik seizure of power seen as truly revolutionary?
Put an end to government by a regime associated with Russia’s autocratic past.
What was the dictatorship of the proletariat turned into?
A situation whereby Lenin dictated to the proletariat, and the rest of Russian society.
What did dictatorship under Stalin become?
A form of totalitarianism.
Where had Lenin been exiled before the Bolshevik insurrection?
Finland.
What were the three reasons for Lenin believing that it was the right time to seize power?
- Had gained control over the Soviet.
- Popularity.
- Liberals and other conservatives demoralised.
What had been created in the Kornilov affair?
A power vacuum.
What did Lenin write on 12th September 1917 to the Bolshevik central committee?
“History will not forgive us if we do not assume power now”.
Which two Bolsheviks did not feel like it was the right time to assume power?
Zinoviev and Kamenev.
What did Lenin promise a dictatorship of the proletariat would lead to?
A communist utopia.
When was Trotsky elected chairman of the Petrograd Soviet?
25th September 1917
What formed from the 9th-16th October?
Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC).
When did Kerensky move against the Bolsheviks?
24th October
What did Trotsky organise from the 24th to 25th of October?
Occupation of central telephone exchange, railway stations, post office etc.
What did Trotsky state on 26th October 1917 after the resistance had stopped and the winter palace had been captured?
“A rising of the masses of the people needs no justification”.
