Extra detail: The October/November 1917 revolution Flashcards
(38 cards)
Which two Bolshevik newspapers did Kerensky close down?
Pravda and Izvestia
How did Kerensky cut a Bolshevik area of the city from the centre?
Troops raised the bridges linking the Vyborg district (a Bolshevik stronghold) to the centre
Was Kerensky successful in cutting off the Bolshevik area from the centre?
No
Troops loyal to the Bolsheviks who claimed his actions were a betrayal of the Soviet and an abandonment of the principles of the Feb/March revolution prevented his troops
How many soldiers and Kronstadt sailors moved into the city on the 24th?
5000
What key government positions and buildings did they take over?
The telephone exchange, post office, railways stations, news agency, state bank, bridges and power stations
Did the soldiers encounter resistance on the 24th?
Barely
Some resistance at the main telegraph office but the troops on duty generally just gave in
When did Lenin come out of hiding?
The evening of the 24th
He travelled to Smolny by tram to take charge
When was the blank shot from the Aurora fired?
9:40pm
When did the Second Congress of Soviets meet on the 25th?
10:40pm
How many members did the ‘All-Russian Central Executive Committee’ have and what was their political make up?
101
62 Bolsheviks, 29 left-wing SRs
Why did Sovnarkom only include Bolsheviks?
The left-wing SRs refused to join
Who was elected chairman of Sovnarkom?
Lenin
What other resolutions were adopted on the 27th?
- the transfer of power in the provinces to the local soviets
- the freeing of those arrested for political action by the PG
- the abolition of the death penalty at the front
- the immediate arrest of Kerensky
- etc
Who were the Cossacks loyal to?
The PG
Who did the Congress appeal to?
- The Cossacks, to switch sides
- The railway workers, to maintain order on the railways
What was a major reason for the low death count of the revolution?
The PG had hardly any military resources left with which to fight back
Give examples of how life in Petrograd remained unchanged
- Trams and taxis ran as normal
- Restaurants, cinemas & theatres stayed open
Which Bolsheviks spoke out against the revolution?
Zinoviev and Kamenev called it a ‘coup’
Why was the title ‘People’s Commissar’ chosen for members of Sovnarkom?
To distinguish the new officials from the old bourgeois ‘ministers’
What role did Lenin have in the original Sovnarkom?
Chairman
What role did Trotsky have in the original Sovnarkom?
Commissar for Foreign Affairs
What role did Rykov have in the original Sovnarkom?
Commissar for Interior Affairs
What role did Stalin have in the original Sovnarkom?
Commissar for Nationalities
Where had Kerensky set up a new headquarters?
At Gatchina
