Developments between revolutions Flashcards
The return of Lenin:
When did he return?
What did he share his message with?
3 April 1917
Shared his message using his April thesis- Peace bread and land, all power to the soviet
Lenin’s initial impact:
Who did he persuade to do what?
Who did lenin present his Theses to?
What did other marxists think about him?
what did he call for and response?
What did he aim to do?
Persuaded the Bolshevik faction of the Social democrats to rule out cooperation with the provisional government
He presented his April Theses at a meeting with Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. They described it as the ravings of a madman.
Marxists like Tseretelli believed he was out of touch with the population. Also Marxists believed that there needed to be a period of education and industrialisation.
Members of the Bolshevik party- Zinoviev denounced Lenin’s call for a socialist revolution, called it ‘unacceptable’ and called Lenin a ‘propagandist’. Zinoviev argued that Lenin did not fully understand the traditional Marxist timeline
Called for strikes in April- but none were significant.
Distance the Bolsheviks from other socialists
Who was the minister for War?
What was the Milyukov affair?
Milyukov
1) Milyukov pursued a policy of continuing the war to make territorial gains.
2) This outraged the soviets and caused demonstrations and he was forced to resign
3) The government was reformed on the 5th of May
5) 6 Socialist leaders joined the coalition government including Kerensky and Tseretelli
6) This mistake meant that Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries would be associated with the failure of the war effort- something the Soviet made sure to avoid/ this was why the soviet never took power
Reasons for the June offensive:
The allies including Britain and France desperately requested that Russia attack on the Eastern Front to take the pressure of them
A successful offensive could give Russia a better bargaining position in Peace negotiations
The Course of the June Offensive: When was it launched? What was the procedure? what was the issue? what did the failure lead to? Who resigned and When?
Launched on June 16
To be 2 days of advances on 3 fronts
This could not be sustained and the Germans counter attacked.
The failure led to the collapse of the coalition and political crisis know as the July days. Mass desertions and complete breakdown in discipline in the army.
July Days:
1) What started the conflict?
2) Who encouraged who to protest/march?
3) Which 2 people resign and when? Who replaces who?
1)Order number 1 guaranteed that the garrison would not be ordered to the front, but would stay in Petrograd to prevent any attempts of counter revolution
20 June-They were ordered to send a detachment of machine gunners to the Front, they refused.
2) The Bolsheviks encouraged the workers, soldiers and Kronstadt sailors to march on city centre 3 July.
70 thousand armed protestors- attempts to disperse them led to 2 days of rioting.
3)The kadet minister resigns 3 July
Lvov resigned o 9 of July, replaced by Kerensky as PM
Kornilov affair: Course, outcome/significance
Kornilov under the impression that Kerensky was okay with putting Petrograd under military control and secure the Provisional Government (miscommunication)- and sends detachment of troops
Kerensky dismisses Kornilov and orders for his arrest
Kerensky releases Bolsheviks arrested in July- arms them- 40,000 weapons distributed
Kornilov’s troops met by a Soviet delegation on the way to Petrograd and are convinced not to go.
Outcome- Bolsheviks are armed
Kerensky lost the trust of his generals by calling on the Bolsheviks for help
Kerensky displayed weakness by calling on the Bolsheviks for help
Trotsky: when was he arrested and why?
why did he welcome his imprisonment?
what smart thing did he do while he was in prison?
When was the Democratic conference? What was this?
What was the Bolsheviks issue and how did Trotsky solve this?
What did Trotsky then manage to do after this?
Arrested in July for his ambiguous role in the July days
Trotsky wished to use his trial as a public platform
Trotsky convinced the Kronstadt sailors side with Kerensky during the Kornilov affair- meant more Bolsheviks were armed by Kerensky.
14th September- Kerensky wished to use it to bring Socialist support to his government.
Bolshevik opinion was split on whether to take part or not. Trotsky denounced the PG and called for all power to be transferred to the Soviets.
Trotsky managed to convince the CC to withdraw from the Conference by the 5th of October.
What was winning the Bolsheviks popularity?
Bolshevik popularity increased from when til when?
What showed they were increasing in popularity?
The bolsheviks replaced the…
Their uncompromising position regarding the war.
10,000- 300,000 February- October
Began winning majorities in urban soviets, in the capitals and industrial centres.
The Socialist revolutionaries and mensheviks as the majority socialist party in petrograd and moscow Dumas and Soviets.
What did Zinoviev and Kamanev believe v Lenin
How did Lenin convince the Bolshevik CC to do what when?
ZK believed that they could gain power through the Soviets instead of a coup, while Lenin believed that would be pointless as they are already associated with a failed government.
Sent letters while exile in Finland and in meetings on 10 and 16 of October won votes in favour of a small force taking power. Only KZ voted against it
Trotsky had played a key role in…
When were the mrc established and why?
what did KZ do? what was the course of this?
Driving Bolshevik opinion towards seizure of power and on 8 October appointed as chairman of Petrograd.
MRC established- 16 October- Trotsky prepared them for defensive action using fears from the PG attempting to shut down Bolshevik newspapers
KZ leaked plans for an uprising in a newspaper article. Trotsky denied rumours on 18 October, but in reality was undeterred.
Discontent with PG: cities
How many factories closed down in Petrograd Feb-Jul
How many workers lost their jobs
harvest
568 factories
100,000 jobs
poor harvest 1917
Discontent for PG: land reform:
What was the PG’s position on land distribution?
how many cases of land seizure 1917?
were not against land distribution but wanted it done by the law set down by the constituent assembly
a land free-for-all would lead to further disintegration of the army as soldiers ran back home to claim land
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