The Second Revolution of
1917
Oct/Nov 1917
Actions of the Provisional
Government – mini test
What were the main decisions of the provisional
government in terms of each of the following?
1. Censorship
2. The release of political prisoners
3. The First World War
4. An election
5. The redistribution of land
6. The feeding of the people
7. The Okhrana
Stability
• Stand up in a position which reflects how
stable or unstable Russia was by October
1917.
In pairs discuss the following
What are they/ happened?
Put them in chronological order
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
July days,
Petrograd Soviet,
Kornilov Affair,
Formation of Trotsky’s Red Guard,
April Theses-“Peace Bread Land”
Return of Lenin
Outcomes
• All will understand the basic events of the
October Revolution and answer simple
questions on it
• Most will be able to answer more complex
questions on it
• Some will be able to see how it has been
interpreted in different ways.
Look at these three exam questions are they the
same or different? How would you go about
answering them?
1. Explain why the Bolsheviks were able to seize
power in Russia in October 1917.
2. Describe key features of the October
Revolution in 1917.
3. Was the failure of the Provisional government
the main reason why the Bolsheviks were able
to seize power in 1917? Explain your answer.
You may use the following information to help you answer it
•
The Provisional Government’s decision to stay in the War
•
The Return of Lenin and the April Theses
•
The Bolshevik Red Guard
•
The Kornilov affair
‘coup d’etat’
• By October 1917 the Bolsheviks felt they
were in a position to stage a ‘coup d’etat’
• Seize something
Discussion
• If you wanted to plan to attack a City what
would you do and why
• Extension – Think - How is this different
from the First Revolution?
• If you were Trotsky and planning to
attack Petrograd, what would you do, in
what order and why?
The Bolsheviks seized control in one night in October 1917.
1. Trotsky got the support of the
troops at the Peter & Paul Fortress.
3. At 10 p.m. a
group of less than
a dozen Red
Guards seized the
government
headquarters. The
government had
fled and there was
no resistance.
2. Bolshevik Red Guards
captured important
places such as bridges,
the telephone exchange
and radio station.
4. At about 1 a.m. Lenin stood up
at a meeting of the All Russian
Congress of Soviets, took off his
disguise and announced that the
Bolsheviks had now taken control
in the name of the Soviets.
No one had voted the Bolsheviks into power, not even the
Petrograd Soviet. But now they were in control of Petrograd.
Watch this clip
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkWeyVq9jo0
Whilst you are watching it consider the following
questions
• Approximately how many people do you think
were involved?
• Is the film original footage or made after the
event?
• Write down as many adjectives to describe it as
possible?
Look at the written source and picture – compare
them - who might have written them?
“The October Revolution was a
shambles. Some of the sailors who
were expected to help the Bolsheviks
arrived too late. The huge field guns
were too rusty to fire. No one could
find the red lantern to signal the start
of the attack. The Bolsheviks only
succeeded in 1917 because hardly
anyone supported the Provisional
Government. Even some of the
soldiers in the Winter Palace decided
to slip away. Instead of fighting they
went to eat their food in the
restaurants of St Petersburg. In fact
only five people died in the
Bolshevik seizure of power.”
Interpretations of the Oct revolution
• Due to what happened after the seizure of
power, the scale and drama of the
revolution has been exaggerated to match
its importance. At the time it was only
another drama in a year full of action,
violence and political events.
Read sheet
• Add notes to sheet in boxes
Look at these three exam questions- How
many marks? How much time?
1.
2.
3.
Explain why the Bolsheviks were able to seize power
in Russia in October 1917?
Describe key features of the October Revolution in
1917.
Was the failure of the Provisional government the main
reason why the Bolsheviks were able to seize power in
1917? Explain your answer
You may use the following information to help you answer it
•
The Provisional Government’s decision to stay in the
War
•
The Return of Lenin and the April Theses
•
The Bolshevik Red Guard
•
The Kornilov affair
On the sugar paper in groups
• Pick a question answer together using
note books
• You may choose to challenge yourself and
not use books!
• Swop answers
• Use mark scheme to mark (on website
board)
Pick a question to do for homework
• Write question in book
6 minutes to do a 6 minute
question!!!
1. Describe key features of the
October Revolution in 1917.