July Days Flashcards
(11 cards)
When did the July Days occur?
3-7 July 1917, during the Provisional Government’s rule after the February Revolution.
What were the causes?
Growing discontent due to WWI failures specifically the failed June Offensive, economic hardship, and delayed reforms. Government tried to send radical Petrograd garrison units to the front, sparking unrest.
What were the key events?
3–4 July: Mass demonstrations by soldiers, Kronstadt sailors, and workers in Petrograd.
Protesters demanded “All Power to the Soviets” (though Soviets were dominated by Mensheviks/SRs).
Bolsheviks hesitated but joined under pressure (Lenin initially unsure if time was ripe for revolution).
5 July: Provisional Government, backed by loyal troops, crushed protests. Bolsheviks blamed; Lenin fled to Finland.
What were the consequences?
Bolsheviks temporarily weakened: Pravda shut down, leaders arrested (Trotsky imprisoned, Lenin in hiding).
Kerensky became PM, but government’s authority eroded.
Set stage for October Revolution by exposing Provisional Government’s reliance on force.
What did Lenin’s ‘The Crisis Has Matured” (Sept 1917) state?
It reflected on the July Days as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for October.
What did Alexander Kerensky’s memoirs discuss?
They blamed Bolsheviks for “premature uprising.”
What is Orlando Figes perspective on the cause?
The July Days were not a Bolshevik coup, but a spontaneous outburst of anger from the workers and soldiers. The Bolsheviks were as surprised as anyone by the scale of the protests.
What is Orlando Figes view on Lenin’s involvement?
Lenin was cautious, fearing a premature uprising. The Bolsheviks only joined the protests when it became clear that the masses were moving without them.
What does Sheila Fitzpatrick state about the aftermath?
The repression that followed forced the Bolsheviks underground, but it also exposed the Provisional Government’s dependence on force, undermining its legitimacy.
What is Richard Pipes view on the PGs response?
Kerensky’s suppression of the riots was a Pyrrhic victory—it temporarily crushed the Bolsheviks but revealed the government’s fragility.
