Causes of the October/November Revolution Flashcards
When did Lenin and Trotsky overthrow the PG?
24th-26th October 1917
What did the PG launch in June/Summer and what was the outcome?
A renewed attack on the Austro-Hungary army and Germany- The June Offensive led by Brusilov was a disaster and led to mass desertions and a serious breakdown of discipline in the Russian army as they fraternised with the German troops
What happened following the failure of the June Offensive?
The Kadet ministers resigned from government on July 3rd- this provoked a military uprising as Bolsheviks encouraged workers and soldiers to protest
How many people joined the July days?
Around 70,000 soldiers and armed workers surrounded the Tauride Palace in Petrograd (which housed the PG and the Petrograd Soviet) - government forces tried to disperse the armed protesters leading to two days of riots
What were the main consequences of the July Days?
Who was blamed?
(4)
The Government started a propaganda campaign accusing Lenin of being a German spy so Lenin and Stalin fled to Finland to escape arrest but Trotsky and Kamenev were arrested.
Prince Lvov resigned leaving Kerensky to form a ‘ government of salvation of the revolution’
Office for Pravda were closed.
Bolsheviks blamed for the bloodshed.
In August 1917 who did Keresky and the government appoint to take control of the army and why?
Kornilov - in an attempt to restore domestic order (death penalty was reinstated as the only way of controlling the troops)
What did Kornilov want?
With no sympathy for revolutionaries he demanded Petrograd be placed under military control and the death penalty was reinstated as way of controlling troops.
What was Kerensky’s reaction to Kornilov’s demands?
He refused (knowing the workers of Petrograd would resist) He them dismissed Kornilov as Commander-in-Chief
What was Kornilov’s response to his dismissal?
He ordered a detachment of troops to march on Petrograd - Kerensky presumed military takeover so was forced to ask the Petrograd Soviet to defend the capital (he didn’t have an army) - through this he agreed to arm red guards to defend the capital (many Bolsheviks were now released from prison and armed)
Kornilov’s supply lines were cut and coup leaders arrested
What was the role of Trotsky?
He was head of the Petrograd soviet and had only joined Bolsheviks in June
He also headed the MCR (formed after Kornilov coup) = armed group along military lines that was formed to protect Petrograd from attempted military takeover
In mid-October what did the PG attempt to do and what did Trotsky use?
Shut down the two Bolshevik newspapers based in Petrograd.
Trotsky used fear about Kerensky’s orders as a pretext to get the MCR ready for ‘defensive action’ - in reality was preparing them to seize power
What does MRC stand for?
Military Revolutionary Committee
Since Lenin’s return how did he play an important role in undermining the PG (2)?
April Theses=direct attack on its policies and authority -persuaded majority of Bolsheviks to abandon support for PG.
Encouraged establishment of 41 Bolshevik newspapers across Russia (spread his radical message and books Bolshevik popularity.
By end of September Bolsheviks dominated Petrograd Soviet and he continued to demand ‘all power to the soviets’
In August what did the PG announce and what was Lenin’s reaction?
There would be elections for a new constituent assembly in November - Lenin knew Bolsheviks wouldn’t do as well as social revolutionaries - determined to seize power before then
When and why did Lenin secretly return to Petrograd
10th of October in order to persuade the Bolshevik Central Committee to support an armed seizure of power in Petrograd
Who was given the role of planning the uprising in detail?
Trotsky
Why was the PG’s minister of war (Milyukov) sacked in April 1917 and what was the outcome
He wanted to make territorial gains not just defend Russia and this outraged the socialists in the Soviet so he was forced to resign.
What were the reasons for the June offensive?
Britain and France requested strongly that Russia take the pressure off them - treaty obligations
Patriotic Russian society didn’t want to surrender to Germans.
When was the June offensive?
Why did it fall apart on the front line?
16th of June for three days but began to fall apart as soldiers killed officers rather than fight
What were the national minority demands?
Why was Ukraine’s independence controversial?
Who granted Ukraine to it’s population?
Many places called for independence including Poles and Finns
Biggest problem = Ukraine - most valuable farmland however moderate socialists in the government granted them this
What were the three deteriorating economic problems and how did each one affect the PG?
Railway system showed signs of collapse
Fuel shortages led to factories laying off workers (100,000 between Feb and Sep)
Food crisis = critical despite PG increasing price they would pay by 100% peasants wouldn’t bring it to centre
How did PG attempt to deal with food crisis?
Sent out punishment brigades into countryside to requisition grain but only made peasants more hostile
Why did the PG begin to lose the support of the workers?
They had expected social reform after Feb with higher wages, better conditions and shorter hours but instead wages were becoming worthless
Why was Lenin torn in the July days?
The Kronstadt sailors organised their own demonstration - he could neither condemn the action nor fully support it as a premature revolution would risk defeat
Bolsheviks tried to make it a peaceful protest but shots were fired threatening to undermine Lenin
