Developments Between The Revolutions Of 1917 Flashcards
When were the April thesis published?
1917
What did the April thesis do?
- explained Lenin’s political programme
- set out his ideology and made demands
What were the 2 slogans of the April thesis?
‘Peace, bread and land’
‘All power to the Soviets’
What did peace bread and land mean in the April thesis?
Peace - the war should be bought to an immediate end
Bread - food shortages should end
Land - all land should be taken over by the state and allocated to peasants
RUSSIA SHOULD BE HANDED OVER TO THE SOVIET TO RUN
Why did Lenin not immediately receive support for his proposals in the April thesis?
- some argued Bolsheviks were not yet powerful enough to oppose the PG
- people feared his proposals would do more harm than good
How did Lenin gain support for his April thesis?
- persuasion
- compromise
- threats of resignation
When were the July Days?
July 1917
What were the July Days?
- sailors, workers and soldiers demonstrated in Petrograd
- rising prices and unemployment contributed to the unrest
- against PG
Who was blamed for the July Days?
Bolsheviks
- resulted in temporary decline in Bolshevik influence
What were attempts to stop the risings of the July Days?
- PG bought in troops to crush the demonstrations
- Mensheviks and social revolutionaries supported PG in this
What was the aftermath of the July Days?
- Bolshevik newspapers shut down
- Lenin and Stalin fled
- other Bolshevik leaders (such as Trotsky) were arrested and imprisoned
What was the kornilov coup?
An attempted military coup by General Kornilov against provisional government
Who was kornilov?
Anti-Bolshevik leader
Who was Kerensky?
Leader of PG
Why did Kerensky appoint kornilov as leader of the Russian army?
To bring back discipline
What do the Petrograd soviet criticise about kornilov?
His right wing views and discipline
What happens when kornilov march/coup is stopped?
Coup leaders are arrested
Why did Bolshevik membership increase after September 1917?
- PG had failed to improve food supplies - Bol promised to end foot shortages
- war was still continuing - Bolsheviks promised immediate end to war
- PG had pushed back land re-distribution - Bolsheviks promised land for the peasants.
What did the kornilov coup show?
That the revolution was under threat from the right, just as the Bolsheviks warned
Why was Kerensky weakened by the kornilov’s coup?
As he had appointed kornilov in the first place and then had to rely on the Bolsheviks to deal with him
Why did zinoviev and kamenev disagree with Lenin about the Bolsheviks being ready to seize power?
They feared Russia was not yet economically ready for a revolution, and did not want to act until after constituent assembly had been called
Why did Lenin but Trotsky in charge of organising the seizure of power?
Due to his strong organisational skills
What was the military revolutionary committee?
Organise Petrograds defensive - taken over by Bolsheviks
