12) The Establishment of Bolshevik Government Flashcards
July offensive 1917
PG decided to launch major offensive against🇩🇪.
Kerensky, new Minister of War, in charge of propaganda campaign.
Middle class civilians volunteered to help, but soldiers unwilling to fight💂🏻♀️.
Offensive lasted 3 days: thousands of soldiers💂🏻♀️☠️+ more territory lost.
Pushed soldiers💂🏻♀️towards Bolsheviks➡️armed uprising in Petrograd (July Days).
Moderate socialist leaders in Soviet lost credibility w/ soldiers💂🏻♀️+ workers👷🏼.
What were the 3 factors that led to the success of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution 1917?
1) Weaknesses of the PG.
2) Economic problems💵+ continuation of war⚔️.
3) Bolsheviks💪🏼.
What did Lenin’s ‘April Thesis’ demand?
- Power transferred to the Petrograd Soviet.
- An immediate end to the war.
- All land to be taken over by the state and reallocated to the peasants by local Soviets.
- Worldwide socialist revolution.
The Kornilov Affair
Aug: Kerensky (MP after Lvov resigned) appointed General Kornilov as Supreme Commander of R forces.
Kornilov v right-wing, moves troops to city to crush radical socialists➡️Kerensky turned to Soviet to defend Petrograd against counter-rev + military dictatorship. Armed Bolsheviks come to streets to help. Kornilov arrested, troops didn’t arrive.
This damages Kerensky’s reputation + discredited Menshevik + SR leaders by association. Officers felt Kerensky betrayed Kornilov, so not prepared to fight for him in future confrontation w/ Bs.
Bs gain supporters, seen as true defenders of the Revolution. Bs not pushing for rev yet.
Lenin’s return and the growth of Bolshevik support
▪️L returned April➡️’April Thesis’ demanded for ‘peace, bread and land’ - appealing to soldiers, workers and peasants unsatisfied w/ PG, became new B policy.
▪️July - 20,000 armed Konstradt sailors marched to Tauride Palace, demanding that the Soviet take power + been kidnapped Chernov.
▫️PG losing control over situation, blamed July Days on Bs working w/🇩🇪➡️L forced into hiding, Bs + Trotsky arrested, setting Bs back.
▪️Aug - Kornilov Affair lost PG even more support + ⬆️ Bolshevik popularity.
▪️Only Bs seemed to offer serious social reform + improvement to workers’ economic conditions.
▪️Sept - Bs control over PS + Trotsky (joined Bs) elected its chairman.
▪️Trotsky head of Military Revolutionary Committee to defend Petrograd.
▪️Oct - Bolshevik membership @ 200,000 (23,000 Feb) w/ 10,000 Red Guards (armed factory workers trained by Bs).
The Bolshevik seizure of power, October 1917
10th Oct: Lenin wins Central Committee vote for ‘armed uprising’ to replace PG w/ Soviet.
24th Oct: 8,000 Red Guards, sailors + garrison soldiers set out to gain control over key points of Petrograd.
25th Oct: Armed Bolsheviks (coordinated by Trotsky) stormed Winter Palace + seized power, arresting remaining members of PG.
🔴Mensheviks didn’t support rev - wanted to work w/ PG + thought uprising would prompt counter-rev from right-wing.
🔴Trotsky had wanted to wait later in Oct for Congress of Soviets before progressing
Could there have been a revolution without Lenin?
❌Lenin pushed for the rev to take place earlier.
❌Lenin brought back leadership to organise Bs.
❌His April Thesis attracted more supporters (peasantry) + became party policy + propaganda.
✅Trotsky also a driving factor + chairman of Soviet.
✅Most people unsatisfied w/ PG + wanted Soviet to take power.
✅Kornilov Affair made Bs look like heroes.
✅PG losing control - workers striking, soldiers killing officers + deserting, peasants hoarding grain + attacking landlords, lack of repression due to soldier mutinies, WW1 caused unrest.
Lenin’s government after the October Revolution
- L didn’t want to work w/ other socialists.
- L announced ‘sovnarkom’ (top of B governing body) as main govt - clearly 1 party in control.
❌In capital protest strikes + state bank refused to give money➡️10 days armed force⚔️.
❌Trotsky ridiculed when introduced as new Minister of Foreign Affairs.
❌Outside capital, Bs less power - most soviets controles by Mensheviks or SRs.
❌Railways threatened to cut off communications if Bs didn’t hold talks w/ other parties🚂 - L made sure talks collapsed.
How were the Bolsheviks able to stay in power?
•Weak opposition
🔹Demonstrations weak + uncoordinated.
🔹Mensheviks + SRs didn’t want to get involved in a civil war + had hoped for Constituent Assembly - didn’t expect Bs to survive.
🔹Constituent Assembly biggest threat - Nov L forced to allow free elections. Bs received under 1/4 votes➡️dissolved Assembly after first meeting Jan 1918 (declared it bourgeoise + redundant).
🔹Soldiers loyal to Sovnarkom fired on crowd in favour of Assembly.
🔹Collapse of army - can’t be used against Bs❌R vulnerable to🇩🇪.
How were the Bolsheviks able to stay in power?
•Countered threats and opposition
🔺Opposition press banned.
🔺Turned on opposition parties - Kadets (did well in Constituent Assembly) denounced + banned, leaders arrested + beaten to death. Same w/ Mensheviks + SRs.
🔺Political terror - Cheka = dedicated Bs, dependable security, brought Red Guard + military units under control.
🔺Civil service taken over by Bs w/ B officials - obedient bureaucracy.
🔺Justice system replaced by revolutionary justice.
🔺Class warfare appealed to 💂🏻♀️,👷🏼+👨🏼🌾- middle classes🤵🏻 ‘enemies of people’. Well-dressed at risk of being beaten, robbed + arrested.
🔺L agreed to Nov elections for Constituent Assembly.
🔺Creation of Red Army.
How were the Bolsheviks able to stay in power?
•Policies
🔸L gave👷🏼+👨🏼🌾 what they wanted:
🔸Local soviets could manage own affairs.
🔸Sovnarkom passed Decree on Peace - immediate peace to remove R from war.
🔸Decree on Land - 👨🏼🌾could take over estates of gentry w/o compensation + decide how to divide it.
🔸Decree in workers’ control - factory committees right to control production, finance + supervise management🦺.
🔸Decree on rights of people of R - self-determination to national minorities (Bs couldn’t control this anyway).
🔸Max 8hr working day.
🔸Abolition of titles + class distinctions.
🔸Women + men could own property.
🔸Army controlled by soldiers.
🔸Marriage + divorce not linked to church.
🔸Banks + church land nationalised.
