1.3 Flashcards
(16 cards)
Impact of Lenins return (April)
Germans helped him to return 3 April 1917
April Thesis
- ‘Peace, bread and land’, ‘All power to the soviets’
- designed to gain Bolshevik support (many against war and thought provisional government middle class)
Lenins Impact
- 21 April, Bolsheviks to factories to gain support, had little impact
- didn’t cooperate with PG until after June Offensive
Immediate problems facing the provisional government
Didn’t include the Bolsheviks or Mensheviks
Criticised for allowing more political freedom
WWI
- couldn’t pull out, money from Br/Fr
- morale improved after abdication but supply problems reversed
this
Kerensky
- June offensive failed, mass desertion, morale fell
- PM in 1917, failed to resolve problems
July Days
3-6 July
Demonstrations caused by failure of June Offensive, food shortages and economic chaos
Soldiers of Kronsdadt Naval base organised demonstration
Aim = collapse of PG
4July, 50,000 protestors
Lenin accused of being a German spy, fled to Finland
Kornilov Affair
Kerensky replaced prince Lvov as PM, brought back death Penalty.
Made Kornilov new commander in chief
Kornilov marched on Petrograd, 24 August, with troops to restore order on behalf of PG
Kerensky feared being removed from power, provided red army with weapons and released Bolsheviks
Kornilov arrested 1 Sep 1918
Consequences of July Daays and Kornilov affaIr
Weakened PG, kerensky lost support
Discipline in armed forces deteriorated
Bolsheviks provided with opportunity
July Days won Bolsheviks support (offering peace bread land)
Steps before the October revolution
- July Days.. More emphasis on peace, bread and land (peasant support)
- Kornilov Affair - opportunity!
- Lenin encouraged establishment of 41 Bolshevik newspapers
- August - PG announced elections in Nov, Lenin knew SRs would get more support, had to take power before November
- By September, Bolsheviks dominated Petrograd Soviet, Lenin continued to demand ‘all power to soviets’
Role of Trotsky in Oct Rev
Lenin gave him the responsibility to plan the coup
Joined Bolshevik party in may
25 sep - elected chair of Petrograd soviet
Placed in chagerge of military revolutionary committee
Power taken in Petrograd 25/26 October
Key revolutionary events (Oct rev.)
Military revolutionary committee
- 24 October, PG to close 2 Bolshevik newspapers in Petrograd
Lenin authorise Trotsky to begin takeover
Trotsky intended to use the MRC, 26 October he claimed he had acted on behalf of the Petrograd soviet
Storming of the Winter Palace
- 24 Oct, red guards occupied most important areas of Petrograd
- soldiers guarding PG showed little resistance
- Red Guard and Trotsky arrested majority of PG
- Kerensky fled Petrograd
All-Russia Soviet
- Supported Bolshevik of PG
Bolshevik support in October 1917
Provisional government unpopular in Petrograd. Kerensky managed to get support from some Cossack soldiers who marched on 28 October, defeated by Red Army
Bolshevik support October 1917 in major cities
- PG didn’t improve conditions, economy, rising prices, food shortages
- workers becoming more radical, Bolsheviks more appealing
- Feb, 10,000 Bolsheviks, Sep, 300,000. Still not majority
Bolshevik support October 1917 in countryside
-Violence against landowners
- PG losing support, no land reform
- peasant supported SR’s
BUT
- by october SRs closely related to PG, Bolsheviks not.
Bolshevik support October 1917 in The Army
- Kornilov affair - soldiers refuse to take orders
- gained support after taking power, effective alternative
Why did the Bolsheviks succeed?
Lenin, weaknesses of other parties, failure of PG
Why did the Bolsheviks succeed? (Lenin)
- returned to Russia 10 October 1917
- 18 October, convinced Bolshevik central committee to take power by force
- allowed Trotsky to organise takeover
- only just joined from SDs and had influence in Petrograd soviet
Why did the Bolsheviks succeed? (Weaknesses of opposition)
- Kadets dominated PG, limited support
- Peasant and workers saw kadets as serving interests on properties classes
- Mensheviks had widespread support (workers)
- SRs had considerable support amongst peasants
- Mensheviks and SRs had no clear strategy to take power
- After July Days, SRs and Mensheviks linked to PG, bolsheviks not
- Mensheviks didn’t support create of soviet government - lost a lot of support
Why did the Bolsheviks succeed? (Fall of PG)
- Kornilov affair - Kerensky let Bolsheviks out and gave red guard weapons giving Bolsheviks opportunity
- Failed to resolve various problems since coming to power
- June offensive (Austro-Hungary) - people not trust PG, should be replaced
