DISSENT AND REVOLUTION: The October/November Revolution

Question 1

Causes of the revolution

Answer 1

Weaknesses of Provisional Government
Defeat in WW1
Resentments of soldiers, peasants and workers

Question 2

When did the revolution begin?

Answer 2

25 October 1917

Question 3

What did Kerensky do to stop the Bolshevik assault?

Answer 3

Ordered the printers of Pravda and Izvestia to cease activities 
Sent troops to raise the bridges linking the working class area of Petrograd to the city centre
BUT, troops loyal to the Bolsheviks claimed his actions were a betrayal of the Soviet

Question 4

Course of the revolution

Answer 4

On 25th October Red Guard soldiers and sailors penetrated the Winter Palace. Only one shot from the Aurora hit the Palace
On 27th October a Soviet of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom) was created which included only Bolsheviks. Power was transferred to the soviets, the death penalty was abolished

Question 5

In what ways was the revolution a small scale affair?

Answer 5

Trotsky claimed that 25,000 to 30,000 at the most were actively involved
No more than five deaths
Trams, theatres, cinemas, taxis ran as normal

Question 6

Response to the coup

Answer 6

Zinoviev and Kamenev spoke out against it
SR faction was split
The majority of the seats for the Sovnarkom went to the Bolsheviks and left wing SRs. So, moderates walked out the Congress