• After July days – it dropped dramatically
• By Oct 1917 – situation had transformed
• After Kornilov affair – Bolsheviks were not
seen as the biggest threat (bigger fear of a
military takeover) = as a result, Bolsheviks
were seen not as a threat but as….
THE DEFENDERS OF THE REVOLUTION!!
Lenin’s slogan
– referred to Bol opposition to war
– need to end shortages in towns
and cities
- referred to support for land
seizures by the peasantry
These slogans drew support from both
industrial workers and peasantry
• By the time of the Kornilov Affair – Bolshevik
membership had risen to..
With the party producing
across Petrograd factories.
different newspapers
The party had an elite force of;
in Petrograd factories… This group had been able to
acquire arms during the Kornilov affair.
• 9 August – important announcement by
PG. It proposed a timetable for national
election to the Constituent Assembly.
• The assembly would have the task of
producing a new constitution.
• Elections would be 12 Nov, with it opening
28 Nov.
• Lenin knew the SRs were likely to win the
most votes. If the Bolsheviks seized
power, they had to do so before the
elections!
• Lenin developed his tactics… he
suggested that all political power should
be handed over to the All Russia Soviet –
where the Bolsheviks had the majority.
• As the PG became more unpopular, the
Soviets became the one national
institution which maintained respect from
the population.
• Lenin persuaded the Bolshevik Committee
that an armed takeover of power should
take place! (although two leading
Bolsheviks, Kamenev and Zinoviev
opposed this move)
• The planning of the takeover was put in
the hands of Leon Trotsky, a leading SD
who had joined the Bolsheviks in May
• Lenin hoped to hide Bolshevik involvement
by handing over the planning to the
Military Revolutionary Committee of the
Petrograd Soviet.
• The events which led to the seizure of
power were started by the Provisional
Government
• 24 Oct – it attempted to close down two
Bol newspapers in Petrograd.
• That evening, Lenin went to Bol HQ to
plan his seizure of power immediately!
Because he feared the Bols were trying to
clamp down on Bolshevik activity.
• Using the Military Revolutionary
Committee (which was under the control of
Trotsky) – the Bolsheviks planned to
takeover the capital on the eve of the
Second Congresss of the All Russia
Sovet, Oct 26.
• As MRC was under Trotsky, when they
seized power, they would announce they
had done it on behalf of the soviet.
• 24 – Oct - Red guards occupied key areas of
Petrograd and arrested most of the PG who
were in the Winter Palace.
• The only opposition they faced was a company
of women soldiers and some officer cadets who
had put up minimal resistance
• The PG who were arrested offered minimal
resistance…. And all these activities went
unnoticed by the vast majority of the population.
10am…. 25 Oct… MRC announced..
‘The provisional government has been
deposed. State power has passed into the
hands of the organ of the Petrograd Soviet
of Workers and Soldier’s deputies…. Long
live the revolution of workers, soldiers and
peasants!’
• During the morning Kerensky escaped from
Petrograd by car (given to him by US Embassy)
in a bid to raise loyal troops to crush the
bolshevik takeover.
• 25 Oct – delegate to the All Russia Soviet met.
The next day Lenin was able to announce to the
All Russia Soviet that the PG had been
overthrown.
• The 390 Bols in the All Russia Soviet were only
too keen to accept Lenin’s actions. Mensheviks
had only 80 seats and the SR had 180.
• The All Russia Soviet therefore endorsed the
Bolshevik takeover.
Spring 1917, Bols unlikely to overthrow PG…before Lenins
return, leading Bols (such as Kamenev and Zinoviev) actually
supported the PG.
• Lenin’s return dramatically changed the situation and from
April, the Bols planned to overthrow the gov.
• However until August, all attempts had been a complete
failure.
• The Kornilov affair gave the Bols opportunity to appear as
defenders of the PG against the army.
• As a result, they received weapons from the gov which were
necessary to launch a successful, armed uprising.
• This made the PG look weak and dependent on the strong
Bolsheviks.
• Bolsheviks timed it cleverly.
• Claimed they were acting on behalf of the
Soviets – which shared power with the PG
• Kerensky (leader of PG) knew that they were
planning some takeover but did not act
decisively
• Bolsheviks had organised/executed takeover
with great efficiency – was a virtually bloodless
affair (largely down to Trotsky)
•
•
In Oct, little support for PG in Petrograd
Feb Rev had raised enormous hopes but the PG
had failed to tackle the most pressing issues…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Food shortages
Inflation
The land question
Continuation of the war.
By OCT – these failures had dramatically
reduced it’s authority and popularity
• Kerensky did win support from Cossack army
units outside the capital who on 28 Oct
advanced on the city… but they were put
down by the Red Guards.
• Finally on 30 Oct, a large Red Guard defeated
the Cossack army.
From now on Lenin was in
power.
1. ‘The Provisional government fell because of
its own weaknesses’ Discuss.
2. How far do you agree that the main reason
for the failure of the Provisional government
was the decision to continue fighting in the
First World War?
3. ‘Without Lenin there would have been no
revolution’ – how valid is this interpretation
of the Russian revolution?
‘The Provisional government fell
because of its own weaknesses’
Discuss.
What is your argument?
Weaknesses of the PG
Strengths of Lenin and the
Bolsheviks
•Decision to stay in war
•Initially shared power with
Soviets
•Didn’t deal with pressing social
issues, peace, land, bread
• Lenin – major role
•Appealed with slogans
•Timing of the seizure
•Turned things around after July
days
Where would you put the Kornilov affair??