Bolshevik Support, 1917 Feb-Oct Flashcards
(9 cards)
How did party membership grow?
February 1917: ~23,000 members.
October 1917: Around 200,000 members.
Huge influx of workers, soldiers, and radicalised peasants.
Organised branches sprang up in major cities, especially Petrograd and Moscow.
How many Red Guards were there in October?
10,000 in Petrograd
How did Bolsheviks control the soviets?
Petrograd Soviet:
Initially dominated by Mensheviks and SRs.
By late September, the Bolsheviks held a majority in the Petrograd Soviet.
Trotsky elected chairman on 25 September 1917.
Moscow Soviet: Bolsheviks also gained a majority by early October.
Soviets were crucial: they were the voice of workers and soldiers, and a source of legitimacy.
Why was Bolsheviks appealing on the soviet behalf important?
This meant Bolsheviks could act in the name of the soviets when seizing power in October — giving their actions a revolutionary “mandate”.
How did their defensive support grow?
Red Guards = armed factory workers loyal to the Bolsheviks.
Kronstadt sailors (key naval base near Petrograd) were among the most radical and declared loyalty to the Bolsheviks.
Many Petrograd garrison troops also backed the Bolsheviks by October.
These forces played a decisive role in the seizure of the Winter Palace.
How did Bolsheviks control propaganda?
Bolshevik newspaper Pravda had a daily circulation of 40,000–80,000 by mid-1917.
Articles and editorials promoted anti-war, anti-Provisional Government views and were written in plain, emotional language that resonated with workers and soldiers.
Posters, leaflets, and speeches in factories and barracks spread the Bolshevik message widely.
How did the Kornilov affair further Bolshevik support?
When General Kornilov tried to bring troops into Petrograd (allegedly to restore order), Kerensky panicked and armed the Red Guards — including Bolshevik supporters
.
The Bolsheviks helped defend Petrograd and organised workers to stop Kornilov’s trains.
After Kornilov’s failure, Bolsheviks were seen as saviours of the revolution.
How did elections show increased Bolshevik support?
Moscow Duma elections (Sep): Bolsheviks got 51% of the vote.
Petrograd Soviet: controlled by Bolsheviks by late September.
How did public demonstrations show Bolshevik support?
From summer onward, protests increasingly included Bolshevik slogans.
July Days (failed uprising): Although discredited temporarily, the mass protests showed the growing anger Bolsheviks were tapping into.
Strikes in Petrograd, Moscow, and other cities in September–October were often coordinated with Bolshevik support.
