Chapter 4 - The October/November 1917 revolution Flashcards
What was the role of Lenin in the October/November 1917 revolution and the establishment of power?
- recognised urgency and critical moment to seize power
- lead Central Committee to agree to executing the revolution
- proposed plan for swift, strategic takeover
- elected chairman of People’s commissar –> radical reforms
What was the role of Trotsky in the October/November 1917 revolution and the establishment of power?
- organised revolution with Lenin
- Led Military Revolutionary Committee –> planned overthrow of PG, encouraged action
-always at Smolny institute (revolution HQ) - credited with practical execution e.g. occupying railway stations
- 2nd only to Lenin
- mobilised troops, inspired crowds etc.
What was the role of Stalin in the October/November 1917 revolution and the establishment of power?
- Helped found MRC
- Elected as people’s commissar for nationalities –> power of 65 million non-Russians (Ukranians, Russians etc) –> had to keep them happy –> initially promised freedom, advocated for voluntary alliance
What was the role of Lev Kamenev in the October/November 1917 revolution and the establishment of power?
- Plotted against PG with Lenin and Zinoviev
- led opposition of Lenin’s call for revolution (said wrong time, wrong method)
- part of central committee
- forced to come around in the end but was a hinderance for quite a while
What was the role of Gregory Zinoviev in the October/November 1917 revolution and the establishment of power?
- plotted against the PG
- published ideal plan for marxist revolution
- Editor of Pravda
- Fled after July Days
- part of central committee –> oppossed Lenin’s proposal with Kamenev
- helped establish initial Bolshevik principles for revolution
What was the role of Felix Dzerzhinsky in the October/November 1917 revolution and the establishment of power?
- appointed by Lenin as Commissar for internal affairs
- member of MRC
- Chairman of extraordinary commission for combating counter-revolution and sabotage (The Cheka) –> organised and maintained it –> ensured no one tried to destabilise the Bolsheviks whilst consolidating their power
Which key Decrees did the Lenin and the Bolsheviks pass through Sovnarkom in October 1917?
- Decree on Land –> legitimised peasant land seizures
- Decree -on Press –> Banned opposition press
- Decree on Unemployment Insurance –> old age, health, unemployment benefits
- Decree on work –> maximum 8 hour work days
Which key Decrees did the Lenin and the Bolsheviks pass through Sovnarkom in November 1917?
- Decree on workers Control –> gave workers right to ‘supervise management’
- Decree on titles –> Rights of the people of Russia decree abolished titles and class ranks
Which key Decrees did the Lenin and the Bolsheviks pass through Sovnarkom in December 1917?
- Decree on marriage –> gave women right to initiate divorce, removed marriage and divorce from the church
- Decree on political parties –> banned other parties
- Decree on Banking –> nationalised banks, ended private flow if capital
How many people did Trotsky claim had taken part in the October/November revolution revolution in Petrograd?
25,000 to 30,000 at most.
What did Sovnarkom think during and immediately after the revolution?
- Mensheviks didn’t think it would last in the long term
- left-wing SRs congratulated Lenin
- right accussed him of stealing power illegally through violence
-500/670 delegates voted in favour of a socialist government - a majority of the seats fro the Soviet of People’s Commissars went to the Bolsheviks and left-wing SR’s –> Mensheviks and right-wing SRs walked out of Congress
What were some of the causes of the October/November 1917 Revolution? (In order of priority)
The role of Lenin
The role of Trosty
The Kornilov Affair
The failure of the PG
Defeat in WW1