Lenin’s Return And The Growth Of B’vik Support Flashcards
(26 cards)
How did Lenin return to Russia
-returned from Switzerland 3 April 1917 as helped by Germans who wanted him to seize power + make peace
-travelled in railway carriage (which was locked + sealed as it passed through Germany) from exile in Switzerland through Gr to Sweden + to Finland + Petrograd
Who did Lenin travel with
-travelled with 31 comrades on German train from Gottmadingen on Swiss border via Frankfurt , Berlin + Stockholm to Petrograd
What was the time like on the train
-only one carriage + was sealed - insofar as no passport or luggage inspections
-had own compartment where he worked alone with other passengers drinking + singing
What did Lenin do at his stop in Finland station
-greeted crowds at Finland station in Petrograd + gave a rousing speech
-gist of his words later wrote down in his ‘April Thesis’ + some written in May after Trotsky returned from USA
Where were these published
-published in B’vik party official newspaper Pravda
What did the April thesis demand when published in Pravda
-power should be transferred to the Soviets
-the war be brought to an immediate end
-all land should be taken over by state + re-allocated to peasants by local Soviets
What have thee demands been summed up as
-a demand for ‘peace, bread and land’
What other policies did Lenin stress for
-Lenin also stressed for a policy of non-cooperation with provisional gov
-this gave rise to motto ‘all power to the Soviets’
What theory did Lenin adapt and what did this entail
-Lenin adopted a Marxist theory for Russia
-arguing the Russian middle class too weak to carry through a full ‘bourgeois rev’ + to allow middle classes continue in power was to hold the inevitable proletarian rev back
What was the initial reaction to Lenin’s reappearance
-some B’viks feared Lenin grown out of touch + his radical proposals do more harm than good
-allegations Lenin was in the pay of the Germans (was to some extent true)
-Mensheviks feared Lenin undermine their progress + would provoke a right-wing reaction by stirring discontent
-some thought Lenin’s call opposing prov gov unrealistic since B’viks only 26k members + still a minority
-B’viks divided over whether cooperate with prov gov or not — first B’viks in capital had supported the prov gov e.g. Stalin + kamenev
How did Lenin build support despite these reactions to his return
-built support with speeches claiming credit for much of what was already happening like peasants seizure of land
-end April Lenin won over most of central committee of B’vik party by force of personality
How did Lenin win wider support
-through persistence
-but first ‘all Russia congress of Soviets’ met Petrograd 3 June passing vote confidence in prov gov by 543 to 126
What happened despite this vote of no confidence
-Lenin won a key adherent when Trotsky finally decided throw full weight behind B’vik cause at beginning of July
-and kerensky’s determination continue war played into B’vik hands
What threatened to undermine the B’viks ‘good work’
-frustrations + disappointments of workers, soldiers + sailors that boiled over in uncontrolled rioting in Petrograd in ‘July days’ (3-5) threatened to undermine this good work
What were the July days
-grain prices doubled in Petrograd Feb to June following poor harvest and fuel + raw materials shortages that caused 586 factories to close with loss of 100k jobs
-workers wanted price controlled by gov frightened act against industrialists when consequently 200k sailors from Kronstadt joined workers + soldiers chanting B’vik slogans like ‘all power to the Soviets’, attacked property, looted shops + seized railway stations
-some invaded Tauride palace demanding the Soviets take power
What was the response to these riots
-warrants for arrests of B’vik issued as were blamed for stirring up troubles
-several including Trotsky were gaoled
Who actually started the riots
-unclear if B’viks + Lenin stirred up the rebellion
-Lenin in holiday when riot broke out + always claimed that demonstrations were spontaneous
-he immediately returned but quickly fled in disguise to Finland
How did the Soviet respond to the riots
-troops loyal to society dispersed the crowds + Soviet newspaper Izvestia denounced role of B’viks suggesting Lenin was working in pay of Germans against Russias best interests
-B’vik propaganda burned + offices of B’vik newspaper Pravda closed
Lenin’s reputation falling for fleeing rather than leading while other leaders languished in gaol
How was the B’vik cause saved
-following Kerensky replacing prince Lvov as PM 8 July appeared B’vik moment passed
-but caused saved by ‘Kornilov coup’
What was the Kornilov coup
-when B’viks released from gaols + soldiers, sailors + workers took to streets in defence of prov gov
-Kerensky supplied them with arms + B’viks seized opportunity to organise bands of workers commanded by their ‘Red guards’ - militia they trained in secrets
His did Lenin encourage opposition
-he sent orders from Finland urging his followers to keep up the pressure + ‘committees to save the rev’ were set up throughout Russia
How were Lenin’s tactics paying off
-B’viks elected in increased numbers to Soviets throughout urban Russia + in Duma elections Moscow
-B’vik support increased 164% June to December + membership from 23k Feb to 200k start of Oct when party producing 41 newspapers + maintaining force of 10k red guards in capitals factories
How did their position change by September
-by Sept when new elections help to Petrograd Soviet the B’viks win majority which with their control of Moscow Soviet placed them in powerful position
-21st Sept Trotsky became chairman of Petrograd Soviet
Despite this what was wrong with the B’vik party
-despite Lenin’s tactics paying off the B’vik party was no a tightly organised or discipline group at this point
-tended go along with events rather then initiate change
-e.g. mid Sept Lenin bombarded 12 man central committee of B’vik party from Finland with demands to stage a rev + seize power but CC + two most prominent members Zinoviev + Kamenev feared Russia not econ ready for rev + urged restraint, even burning some of Lenin’s letters
