2) 1917 October Revolution Flashcards
Who was War Minister under the Provisional Government?
Kerensky
Why didn’t Russia leave WW1?
1) Worried about accepting defeat
2) Worried about the loss of support from their allies
3) Worried about accepting a peace treaty where Germany and Austria-Hungary would dictate the terms.
How many casualties and deaths did the Russian army experience during the June Offensive?
200,000 casualties and 60,000 deaths
How did the PG deal with the amount of deserters from the Russian army?
They set up death squads to hunt down and execute deserters
How did the PG improve conditions for workers?
1) They set up 8 hour working days for industrial workers
2) They allowed trade unions to operate.
Why did the PG not give the peasants more land?
They were worried that soldiers would desert the army in order to return home to their new land.
How did peasants react to not receiving more land?
They began to take it illegally
How did the PG deal with illegal land grabs by the peasants?
They sent the army in to take the land back by force.
Why did the PG lack legitimacy?
They were former Duma members, put in place by the Tsar. They had therefore not been elected.
Who shared ‘dual control’ in Russia with the PG?
The Petrgorad Soviet
How did Order Number One increase the power of soviets?
It meant that the military in Petrograd would not act without orders from the Petrograd Soviet
Why was the Petrograd Soviet powerful?
It controlled workers therefore it controlled…
1) Railway system
2) Postal service
3) Telegraph service
4) The military in Petrograd (via Order Number One)
Who led a failed military coup in August 1917?
General Kornilov
Who helped the PG defend the Petrograd Soviet?
The Bolshevik Red Guard
Why was the Kornilov Revolt significant for the Bolsheviks?
1) The PG armed the Bolshevik Red Guard with guns
2) The Bolsheviks were seen as the saviors of Petrograd
3) Kerensky lost popularity - many thought he was working with Kornilov
4) Many army generals lost their job/were killed/were imprisoned.
