causes of the october revolution

Question 1

What was Lenin’s plan to secure a wider following for the Bolsheviks?

Answer 1

• Recognised that as things stood in spring 1917, the Bolsheviks were too weak to mount a serious challenge for power
• His tactic for drumming up new support was to announce a series of policies designed to appeal to the left-wing opinion in Petrograd

Question 2

April theses - To end the war

Answer 2

• The desire for peace was one of the strongest currents flowing through Russia in 1917
• Anti war feeling was especially strong in Petrograd — (immediately after feb rev)
• It seemed possible that PS’s ‘appeal to all the peoples of the world’ might spur the governments of Europe into peace negotiations

Question 3

April theses - To carry out land seizures

Answer 3

• PG was fully aware of the need for land reform (refused to sanction peasant land seizures as it would cause dissertation from the army/matter for future government)
• Lenin encouraged peasant land seizures ‘All land to the peasantry’ gave the impression that the Bolsheviks were content to allow seized landowner’s estates to become the peasantry’s private property

Question 4

April theses - All power to the Soviets

Answer 4

• Lenin - key institution in Russia’s post revolution political arrangement should be soviets (elected by workers and soldiers) - not a democratically elected government as the PG wanted
• Adopted the slogan ‘All power to the soviets’
• Among the workers of the revolutionary Petrograd - there were those who hated m/c & u/c and were ready to deny them political rights
• Lenin offered a lifeline to the Soviets whose futures were uncertain

Question 5

Economic factors - inflation

Answer 5

• Between 1914 - 1917, government spending rose from 4million to 30million roubles
• The gold standard was abandoned, allowing the government to put more notes in circulation (quantitative easing)
• Made money worthless - severe inflation (particularly in 1916)

Question 6

Economic consequences of the war - figures (notes in circulation)

Answer 6

July 1914 - 100 notes in circulation

January 1917 - 336 notes in circulation

Question 7

Economic factors - food shortages (Petrograd)

Answer 7

• Transport dislocation meant that food supplies could not be distributed effectively
• Petrograd suffered particularly bad due to its remoteness from food producing regions
• By 1916, Petrograd and Moscow were receiving only a third of their food and fuel requirements
• Feb 1917; the capital only received 300 wagonloads of grain instead of the 1000 it needed

Question 8

Economic factors - living conditions & figures for expenses

Answer 8

• Disruption to food supplies made living conditions increasingly difficult

Expenses; Boots - 5-6 roubles (pre war) 20-30 roubles (present, 1916)

Question 9

Trotsky & Lenin - 1

Answer 9

• Trostky was the organiser and tactician behind the october revolution
• His aim was to ‘camoflage’ the events - behalf of the people
• Military revolutionary commitee - perfect vehicle for Trotsky as, outwardly, it was an instrument of the PS
• Behind the scenes, under Bolshevik control - gave them access to valuable military intelligence
• Stockpiles of weaponary
• Enabled them to secure key strongpoints in petrograd in advance of their insurrection

Question 10

Lenin & Trotsky - 2

Answer 10

• Eve of the revolution - Trotsky was in control of the Red Guard - 10,000 men
• MRC gave him control of a further 60,000 sailors and 150,000 soldiers who were members of the soviet in oct 1917