Dual Power Flashcards
February - October 1917
What was the provisional government’s goals?
> Ending protests and violence in Petrograd and in the army
> Preventing the revolution from destroying Russian society
> Continuing to seek victory over Germany in the war
What concessions did the Provisional Government give to the Soviets?
> Soviet Order No. 1
> Soldiers who took part in the February Revolution are to remain in Petrograd, and not be sent to fight at the front
What did Orlando Figes say on how the P.G. was held hostage by the Garrison?
“The Provisional Government…lived at the mercy of the garrison’s quarter of a million troops.”
How many members did the Petrograd Soviet have?
Peaked at 3,000 in March
What did Smith say on the nature of the Soviet?
“Their basic principle was that they were directly elected by those they represented and directly accountable.”
When was Soviet order No 1 issued?
March 1st 1917
What did Smith say on how the war affected dual power?
“The mass slaughter and seething hatreds to which the war gave rise fatally compromised the chances of democracy after the autocracy had been overthrown.”
When was the “Address to the People of the Whole World” released?
14th March 1917
What was the two conditions of the “Address to the People of the Whole World”?
> They would fight only to defend, and not to gain advantage over other powers by annexing territories captured from them
> The Russian people would fight only until they were in a strong enough position to negotiate a fair peace treaty “without annexations or indemnities” with Germany.
What did Pavel Milyukov privately say to Russia’s Allies on the ‘Address’?
“The Revolution [has not] entailed any weakening of Russia’s role in the common struggle of the Allies… It goes without saying that the Provisional Government…will observe fully the obligations assumed towards our allies.”
What was the April Crisis?
Milyukov’s letter was leaked in revolutionary newspapers.
> Russia was outraged by the revelation that the Provisional Government seemed to be more interested in gaining power than improving their lives
When was the April Crisis?
20th April 1917
What was Lenin’s key features of a revolutionary party?
> Exclusive membership
Democratic Centralism (Central Committee)
Vanguard Party
When did Lenin return to Russia?
3rd April 1917
What is an estimated amount for the money Germany provided to the Bolsheviks 12 months following Lenin’s return?
$6-10 million USD
When was the April Theses published?
7th April 1917
What was in the April Theses?
- WW1 is an imperialist war and must not be supported
- A socialist revolution must be carried out
- No support for the Provisional Government, who are bourgeois liars
- Russia must have a Soviet government
- Russia must not have a Constituent Assembly, because that is a bourgeois form of government
- Land is to be nationalised and distributed
- Banks are to be nationalised
- Soviets are to take over the distribution of supplies
What were the two slogans made by the Bolsheviks?
“All power to the Soviets!”
“Peace, Land Bread!”
What was the Bolshevik’s strength? (In the words of Sheila Fitzpatrick)
“Their strength was that they were uncompromised by association with the bourgeoisie and the February regime, and the party most firmly identified with the ideas of workers’ power & uprising.”
How many workers went on strike between April and July 1917?
500,000 in Petrograd alone
What did Michael Lynch argue, re: Provisional Government’s stance in WWI?
“The Provisional Government was, from the beginning, in an impossible and paradoxical situation: in order to survive it had to keep Russia in the war, but in keeping Russia in the war, it destroyed its chances of survival.”
When was the June Offensive?
18 June 1917
What was the June Offensive?
War Minister Alexander Kerensky hopes to revitalise Russian patriotism by launching a new offensive against Austro Hungary
What was the statistical impact of the June Offensive?
> 400,000 casualties
> 48 battalions mutiny
> 400,000 soldiers desert
What was the impact of the June Offensive?
> Reinforces unpopularity of WWI and appeal of Bolshevik promise of peace
> P.G. begins to lose control over army
What did Richard Pipes say on the June Offensive?
it was the “death gasp of the Russian army”
What did Smith say on the June Offensive?
- It “can be seen as the beginning of the end for the Provisional Government, since no government can long survive without control over the armed forces.” `
When was the July Days?
3-7 July 1917
What was the July days
Up to 50,000 anti-war protestors gather in Petrograd demanding the overthrow of the P.G
“Down with the 10 capitalist ministers”
“All power to the Soviets!”
What was the government’s response to the July Days protests?
Pro-government soldiers crush the protestors, approx. 700 demonstrators killed or wounded
> The government labels the protest as a German plot and accuses the Bolsheviks of being German Spies, publishing a leaflet on 4th July showing the funds given by Germans
> 800 Bolsheviks arrested, only 500 Bolsheviks were free by mid July
How did the the July Days force Lenin to change his strategy?
“Power can no longer be taken peacefully. It can be obtained only by winning a decisive struggle against those currently in power.”
What was the Kornilov Affiar?
General Lavr Kronilov launches a coup d’etat against Prime Minister Kerensky’s government
> 15000 anti-government troops move to attack the capital
> 40,000 rifles distributed amongst Bolsheviks to defend the city
When was the Kornilov Affiar?
26-28 August 1917
How did the July Days help the Bolsheviks?
> Reputation: Accused of being ‘German spies’ during the July Days, the Bolsheviks proved themselves to be patriots and defenders of the revolution during the Kornilov Affair.
> Weapons: At least 40,000 rifles were distributed by Kerensky’s government.
> Experience: Figes states that “the whole affair was a dress rehearsal for the seizure of power, with the workers, in particular, trained in the art of handling guns…”
What did Trotsky say about the arming of Red Guards in the Kornilov Affair?
“The army that rose against Kornilov was the army-to-be of the October revolution.”
What was the impact of the Kornilov affair for the government?
> It embarrassed both Kerensky and Kornilov.
> “Starkly underlined the feebleness of Kerensky’s regime” - Smith
> Bolsheviks are armed and their reputation is restored
What did Orlando Figes say on the impact of the Kornilov Affiar for Kernsky?
“For Kerensky…the Kornilov Affair…turned out to be a nail in his own coffin.”
When did the Bolshevik Majorities occur?
September 1917
What was the ‘Bolshevik Majorities’?
2 September: Bolshevik majority elected to the Moscow Soviet.
8 September: Bolshevik majority elected to the Petrograd Soviet.
25 September: Leon Trotsky is elected Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet.
What was the Military Revolutionary Committee (Milrevkom)?
The Bolsheviks assumed command of the Petrograd garrison and organised the city’s defences.
When did the Milrevkom meet?
16th October 1917
