Economic and political problems

Question 1

What had been an ongoing economic problem since the war, which became worse in 1917?

Answer 1

Inflation - Russian paper money lost half its value in the second half of 1917.

Question 2

Inflation, coupled with huge problems in the transport network, led to…

Answer 2

a significant fall in the amount of bread available in the cities.

Question 3

In October 1917, how much grain the government able to purchase, compared to the previous year?

Answer 3

Only 56% of the grain it had purchased a year earlier.

Question 4

Why, by mid-1917, was the countryside experiencing a new rovultion?

Answer 4

• Peasants refused to wait for a new government to authorise land reform - rather, landless peasants seized land from landlords.

Question 5

Why did life in the cities deteriorate dramatically during 1917?

Answer 5

• Between January and June the production of fuel fell by more than a third
• Factory production also dropped by 36%

Question 6

What did workers do in response to deteriorating conditions?

Answer 6

• From February to October, 2.5 million workers went on strike
• From July, workers went further, democratising their factories
• Workers elected factory committees that took control of production and wages

Question 7

What did managers of large factories and mines in the Urals and Donbass do in response to workers democratising their factories? What happened as a result?

Answer 7

They closed their operations, locking workers out - as result production fell further.

Question 8

Who did Kerensky appoint to take control of the Russian army?

Answer 8

Lavr Kornilov.

Question 9

What was Kornilov keen to do?

Answer 9

• Assert the government’s authority over the Soviets, trade unions and unruly peasants - as Kornilov had no sympathies for revolutionaries.

Question 10

What did Kerensky hope Kornilov’s hardline approach would do?

Answer 10

Help restore order.

Question 11

What harsh, repressive policies did Kornilov demand the government implement, despite only taking the position of commander-in-chief?

Answer 11

• Strikes were banned for the duration of war - striking workers could be punished by death
• Railway workers were placed under military control
• Desertion from the army punishable by death

Question 12

The events of the Kornilov Revolt are not clear, but what is presumed?

Answer 12

Kornilov apparently demanded to place Petrograd under military control - Kerensky refused, knowing that the workers of Petrograd would resist - as a result Kerensky dismissed Kornilov as commander-in-chief.

Question 13

How did Kornilov respond to being dismissed by Kerensky?

Answer 13

He order a detachment of troops to march on Petrograd - Kerensky assumed that Kornilov was attempting a military takeover.

Question 14

What was Kerensky forced to do as a result of Kornilov’s response? What did this decision do?

Answer 14

• Ask the Petrograd Soviet to defend the capital - he agreed to arm the Red Guards, a dominated militia
• This decision strengthened the Bolsheviks, as Trotsky was chairman of the Soviet, and by the end of August the Bolsheviks had a third of the seats in the Soviet
• Kerensky agreed to release Bolsheviks from prison so that they could defend the capital

Question 15

How did the Bolsheviks play a key role in defeating Kornilov’s forces?

Answer 15

• Trotsky ordered railway unions to prevent the train carrying Kornilov’s troops from entering the city
• Bolsheviks infiltrated Kornilov’s troops and persuaded many to abandon the attack

Question 16

What were the consequences of the Kornilov affair?

Answer 16

It seriously weakened the Provisional Government:

• The vast majority of the Russian workers lost faith in the PG
• Discipline within the Russian armed forces deteriorated even further
• Support for the Bolsheviks grew - they were credited with saving the revolution
• By September the Bolsheviks had won majorities in the Moscow and Petrograd Soviets