developments between the revolutions Flashcards
how many members did the bolshevik party have in Feb 1917?
23,000
how many bolsheviks were there in the soviet?
40
were the bolsheviks surprised by Feb revolution?
yes
who were the first leaders to return?
Kamenev + Stalin
why was Lenin allowed back to Russia via Germany?
Germans thought he might destabilise Russia further + pull them out of the war. The sealed train meant he could not cause any trouble amongst German Marxists on the way
how did the Marxist + PS ideology differ from Lenin’s
Lenin: middle classes too weak to carry out revolution, workers backed by peasants needed to
vs socialist revolution could only happen after a bourgeois revolution
Lenin: russia primed for socialist rev
vs proletariat is still developing, still a long wait before socialist rev
Lenin: rest of Europe close to socialist rev, they would be supported by neighbours
vs no quick way, Marx had natural laws that had to be followed
what were the April Theses?
published Apr 7th 1917
- peace: war brought to an immediate ned
- Bread: food shortages should end
- Land: all land should be taken over by the state + allocated to peasants
how did Lenin gain support?
- mixture of persuasion, compromise, threats of resignation + appeals to rank + file
- abandoned call for immediate overthrow of PG, helping to convince those who were worried about civil war
- sought out supporters at party + factory meetings
- claimed credit for social changes happening in Russia eg peasant land seizures -> helped him to appear in control of events
what evidence is there that Lenin was still struggling to gain support?
3rd June, PS held confidence vote in the PG by 543 votes to 126
what was the July days?
July 1917, Kronstadt sailors organised an armed demonstration that spread to Petrograd with workers + soldiers them (rising prices + unemployment contributed)
not done by Lenin, he felt he was losing control so follows the movement
when were the bolsheviks blamed in the July Days?
when it got violent
who supported PG in the July days?
Mensheviks + SRs of PS
what was the effect of the July Days for the bolsheviks?
newspapers shut down, Lenin + Stalin fled
Trotsky arrested
what was the Kornilov coup?
June 1917 increase in desertions from the army -> Kerensky appoints General Lavr Kornilov as Commandar in chief to bring back discipline -> PS criticises, however landowners + businessmen see Kornilov as saving them from socialism -> Aug 1917, Kornilov orders troops to march on Petrograd -> Kerensky panics + allows Bolsheviks to arm workers to halt the advance -> march is stopped
how did the Kornilov coup affect bolsheviks?
grew more powerful and by September had majorities in both Petrograd + Moscow soviets.
what had the bolshevik membership increased to?
200,000 Oct
why had bolshevik membership increased?
- PG failed to improve food supplies to cities + prices were far higher than wage. bolsheviks promised end to food shortages
- war, Russias offensive in June 1917 had failed. bolsheviks promised end to war
- PG had pushed back land redistribution. B promised land for peasants
- bolsheviks could portray themselves as saviours of the rev
- as a result of Kornilov coup they had an armed wing of 10,000 red guards
- Kerensky weakened by Kornilov coup, he employed him + then relied on Bolsheviks
when did Lenin demand the bolsheviks get ready?
mid-sep onwards
who disagreed with Lenin?
Kamenev + Zinoviev -> feared Russia was not economically ready yet
what was Trotsky’s thoughts
they could avoid the uprising + become the leading socialist party at the congress of soviets which was planned for 26th of Oct
who did Lenin convince that ‘an armed uprising is the order of the day’
the central committee
-> 10th Oct, took all night to convince them
what did Lenin put Trotsky in charge of?
organising the seizure of power -> due to strong organisational skills
what happened on Oct 16th?
Trotsky established military revolutionary committee, this came to control 200,000 red guards, 60,000 Baltic sailors + 150,000 soldiers of the remaining Petrograd garrison units
who decided to sack all the police?
PG
