Extra detail: The October/November 1917 revolution Flashcards
Which two Bolshevik newspapers did Kerensky close down?
Pravda and Izvestia
How did Kerensky cut a Bolshevik area of the city from the centre?
Troops raised the bridges linking the Vyborg district (a Bolshevik stronghold) to the centre
Was Kerensky successful in cutting off the Bolshevik area from the centre?
No
Troops loyal to the Bolsheviks who claimed his actions were a betrayal of the Soviet and an abandonment of the principles of the Feb/March revolution prevented his troops
How many soldiers and Kronstadt sailors moved into the city on the 24th?
5000
What key government positions and buildings did they take over?
The telephone exchange, post office, railways stations, news agency, state bank, bridges and power stations
Did the soldiers encounter resistance on the 24th?
Barely
Some resistance at the main telegraph office but the troops on duty generally just gave in
When did Lenin come out of hiding?
The evening of the 24th
He travelled to Smolny by tram to take charge
When was the blank shot from the Aurora fired?
9:40pm
When did the Second Congress of Soviets meet on the 25th?
10:40pm
How many members did the ‘All-Russian Central Executive Committee’ have and what was their political make up?
101
62 Bolsheviks, 29 left-wing SRs
Why did Sovnarkom only include Bolsheviks?
The left-wing SRs refused to join
Who was elected chairman of Sovnarkom?
Lenin
What other resolutions were adopted on the 27th?
- the transfer of power in the provinces to the local soviets
- the freeing of those arrested for political action by the PG
- the abolition of the death penalty at the front
- the immediate arrest of Kerensky
- etc
Who were the Cossacks loyal to?
The PG
Who did the Congress appeal to?
- The Cossacks, to switch sides
- The railway workers, to maintain order on the railways
What was a major reason for the low death count of the revolution?
The PG had hardly any military resources left with which to fight back
Give examples of how life in Petrograd remained unchanged
- Trams and taxis ran as normal
- Restaurants, cinemas & theatres stayed open
Which Bolsheviks spoke out against the revolution?
Zinoviev and Kamenev called it a ‘coup’
Why was the title ‘People’s Commissar’ chosen for members of Sovnarkom?
To distinguish the new officials from the old bourgeois ‘ministers’
What role did Lenin have in the original Sovnarkom?
Chairman
What role did Trotsky have in the original Sovnarkom?
Commissar for Foreign Affairs
What role did Rykov have in the original Sovnarkom?
Commissar for Interior Affairs
What role did Stalin have in the original Sovnarkom?
Commissar for Nationalities
Where had Kerensky set up a new headquarters?
At Gatchina
Who was Kerensky’s army made up of?
18 Cossack regiments and a small force of SR cadets and officers
Who was The Executive Committee of Railwaymen composed of?
Mensheviks, SRs and Bolsheviks
What did the Committee of Railwaymen do on the 29th?
Demanded ‘a united socialist government’ and refused to transport food
How did Lenin deal with the Committee of Railwaymen?
He ignored them and the protest gradually died out
What did the Government proclaim on the 2nd of November?
‘The Declaration of Rights of the Peoples of Russia’ permitting the nationalities of Russia to break away and have full independence
Which nationalities had broken away by the end of 1917?
The Ukraine and Finland
Who replaced Kamenev as Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on the 3rd?
Sverdlov
What was the Rights of people of Russia decree and when was it announced?
Abolished titles and class ranks
November 1917
What was the Nationality decree and when was it announced?
Promised self-determination to the people of the former Russian Empire
November 1917
What was the Bank decree and when was it announced?
Nationalised banks and ended the private flow of capital
December 1917
What was the Military decree and when was it announced?
Removed class ranks, saluting and military decorations from the army and placed it under the control of soldiers’ soviets which would elect officers
December 1917
How did Lenin use propaganda to combat opposition?
Mounted a campaign against political and ‘class enemies’, particularly the bourgeois
What was decreed in November?
Everyone had to be addressed as a ‘Citizen’ and party members as ‘Comrade’
What was there a purge of in the early months of Bolshevik rule?
The civil service
