1917 October Revolution - Bolshevik Strengths

Question 1

What were the main 3 strengths of the Bolsheviks

Answer 1

Lenin
The Bolshevik party
Trotsky

Question 2

what was beneficial about the Bolshevik Party

Answer 2

Exiled Bolsheviks returned post revolution in March
were able to curb the power of the provisional governments - organised the Soviets

Question 3

who were the leading Bolsheviks voices after March 1917

Answer 3

Stalin and Kamenev

Question 4

what policy did Kamenev and Stalin pursue

Answer 4

accomodationism

Question 5

what was accomodationism

Answer 5

co-operation with the PG

Question 6

what did accomodationism place emphasis /pressure on

Answer 6

negotiations and peace talks to end the war

Question 7

what was the cause for these policies (ACCOM) to be dropped

Answer 7

Lenin’s April Theses

Question 8

how were the July Days prevented from being a major failure

Answer 8

it led to a spread of Soviets and worker controlled factories
internal government disputes - disrupted PG - unable to take all the power

Question 9

Why did the Juley Days fail

Answer 9

All - Russian - Congress of Soviets couldn’t agree

Question 10

what did the July Days prove

Answer 10

Bolsheviks were dedicated
PG couldn’t handle disorder
yet they could prevent an insurrection

Question 11

what event detracted from the July Days

Answer 11

Kornilov affair

Question 12

when was the Kornilov affair

Answer 12

August 1917

Question 13

what was the Kornilov affair

Answer 13

commander in chief of army was scared that socialists would take over - marched to ST. Petersburg - wanted free elections - military dictatorship - Kerensky dropped out

Question 14

how was Kornilov forced to surrender

Answer 14

Kerensky raised an armed force to defend Petrograd
- released Bolsheviks - Trotsky - organised well enough to scare off Kornilov
- rail workers impeded on the trains

Question 15

how was Lenin beneficial to the October revolution

Answer 15

Letters from afar
April Theses
Slogans
Radicalisation of the revolution

Question 16

what were the letters from afar

Answer 16

post 1905 and March 1917
- claimed that revolution was incomplete - need proletarian revolution
- condemned PG as parliamentary bourgeois republic
called for an end to accomodationism

Question 17

what was the April Theses

Answer 17

Lenin condemns revolution as incomplete
- arrives from Switzerland on a German train in April - day later issues the Theses

Question 18

what did the April Theses call for

Answer 18

• Bolsheviks only revolutionary party
• abandon co-operation with other parties
• work for true revolution
• overthrow PG
• all power to working classes
• all authority passed to Soviets

Question 19

what were the two new slogans coined by Lenin

Answer 19

‘peace, bread and land’
- addresses issues the PG wouldn’t
‘all power to the Soviets’
- undermines PG

Question 20

what was Lenin’s personality

Answer 20

he didn’t wait for a majority to revolt - was so staunchly sure of his own beliefs that he never delegated power to others

Question 21

how was Trotsky beneficial

Answer 21

Petrograd Soviet
MRC
Organisation

Question 22

who was Chairman for the Petrograd Soviet from September

Answer 22

Trotsky

Question 23

why was Trotsky trusted to become Chairman

Answer 23

strategy and success in Kornilov affair
respected figure
entrusted with MRC (created 9th OCT)
was one of 3 main commanders of the MRC - more than enough to challenge PG

Question 24

what was the MRC

Answer 24

Military Revolutionary Committee

Question 25

how strong was the MRC

Answer 25

stronger than PG - main legitimate fighting force in Petrograd -
10,000 red guard
- able to organise against amazons / Cossacks