Events leading up to the October Revolution

Question 1

Establishment of the Provisional Government

Answer 1

• 2nd Mar – former deputies of Duma proclaimed they were the Prov Govt h/w x voted 4 t.f x elections
• Assumed power in a power vacuum – formed govt to limit levels of soc disorder and prevent rev upheaval
• Hesitant to act, non-elected authority, without popular mandate, limited pwr, judged heavily
• Only govern until elections for constituent assembly could be formalised
• Implementation of reforms – recognition of trade unions, 8hr work day, capital punishment abolished, mutinous soldiers pardoned, freedom of speech, assembly and press were introduced, universal suffrage

Question 2

Dual Authority

Answer 2

• Weaknesses of prov govt – no mandate to rule/ x elected temp govt until constituent Assembly elected t.f hesitant to act on major issues ie war, land reform and economic crisis
• Soviet Order No.1 – March 1st – Soviet rules could override PG t.f ‘The Soviet had power without authority; the Provisional Government authority without power.’ -Kerensky
• Hesitancy of prov govt -> many ppl quickly becoming disillusioned with its work which undermined its effectiveness
• gave more power to the Soviet who were the representatives of the workers

Question 3

Limitations of the Provisional Government

Answer 3

• Declaration of war aims/Miliukov’s note -> when reading out PGs aims on war (peace without punishment) had a note explaining the opposite of aims -> leaked to press and created fury amongst workers and soldiers
• 20th April mass protests across Petrograd more than 25000 – calls for Petrograd Soviet to take over
• April Crisis -> Lvov talks with Chkeidze asking for support to suppress protests = 3-day ban on demonstrations and ordered soldiers not to leave barracks = showed that the Soviets had more pwr than the PG + goodwill towards PG gone
• 5th May First Coalition Government btw PG and members of Soviet -> due to new socialists in PG increase divide -> difficulties coming to agreements and failure to meet popular expectations
• People quickly became disillusioned with PG b/c unwillingness to solve major issues
• Mil. Note gave validity to Lenin’s April Thesis t.f radical ideas gained support
• April Crisis – every failure of the 1st Co.Go – linked to every revolutionary gp but the Bols

Question 4

Lenin’s April Thesis

Answer 4

• Exiled revolutionaries returned to Ru -> germans giving Lenin passage through Ger territory = 3rd April Lenin in Ru -Met w lrg crowd – went to Bol HQ
• 4th April – ‘Lenin’s April Thesis’ triade against the PG and continued involvement in war, denunciation of the ‘capitalist nature’ of the PG + its continued commitment to war, argued for a second rev where Bol should be centre
• Made the bols relevant again ie clear slogans that expressed the wants of the workers ie Peace! Bread! Land!, Turn the imperialist was into a civil war!, All power to the Soviets!
• End of April = broad backing from the Bol party -> they became the most hostile party towards the PG + easily recognizable for their radical class ideas

Question 5

Causes of the July Days

Answer 5

• 1st Coalition preparing for renewed military offensive -Kerensky worried about reports of low morale – h/w pressure 2 keep fighting -> 14th May offensive announced w enthusiastic response
• Brusilov offensive – 18th June initial success = 30km advance in2 Austria h/w 40 000 losses – 2nd July offensive staled
• 6th July counter attack – 400 000 men retreat = Germans advance 230km, massive increase in desertions
• Morale of soldiers eroded, Soviet War Aim discredited, 1st coalition = put under more strain, increase support for Bols/SRs

Question 6

Key events in the July Days leading up to mass protests

Answer 6

• Urban – Class tensions heightened – increased popular discontent towards govt b/c increase disparity btw rich and poor, increase no. of strikes in summer of 1917 + inf. Of rev. ideas ie ‘capitalist bourgeoise’
• Rural – Returning (deserted soldiers) accustomed to violence and brutality -> increase in land seizures w radical views towards land reform, Govt denounced land reform and urged peasants to wait for constituent assembly h/w ignored
• Political – nationalist gps pushing for greater autonomy -> Rada (gp @ Ukraine) offered political concessions from govt = Kadets walked out 2nd July – govt breakdown

Question 7

July Days

Answer 7

• Internal collapse of govt + failure of offensive
• Meeting of 1st Machine Gun Regiment @ Pet. SOv – anti-govt resultions passed denouncing war + agreement to armed demonstration 3/4th July
• Bolsheviks endorsed h/w asked for restraint
• 4th July – 100 000+ protestors + 2500 sailors from Kronstadt naval base (Bols) -> 50 000 soldiers, sailors, workers gathered at Tauride Palace – volatile and hot tempered, bol slogans
• Lenin didn’t act
• Chernov sent to intercept crowd h/w arrested by crowd – Trotsky sent to save him
• 4th July protests fizzled out due 2 rain + lack of leadership
• Perverzev – blamed situation on Bols – leaks to press that bols were funded by Germans, raid of Pravda, accusing Lenin of being a ger spy
• Soldiers returned to protect the PG, fizzling out of rev situation
• Seizing of Bol. HQ -> 800 Bols arrested, Lenin goes back 2 Finland

Question 8

Concequences of July Days

Answer 8

• Kerensky determined to ruin the Bols
• July Days = disaster for Bol – did not posses the power to drive through a revolutionary movement
• Govt had survived h/w showed that a popular movement with more decisive leadership could severly impact the govt