Fact Test 4: The Bolshevik Seizure of Power

Question 1

Who led the Provisional Government?

Answer 1

Prince Lvov

Question 2

Who was the most important politician in the PG?

Answer 2

Alexander Kerensky

Question 3

What positive things did the PG do?

Answer 3

Ended capital punishment.
Ended press censorship.
Released all political prisoners.
Disbanded the Okhrana.

Question 4

Where did the PG and Petrograd Soviet meet?

Answer 4

Tauride Palace

Question 5

What did the PS have control over?

Answer 5

The railways and postal service

Question 6

Who pressured the PG to continue fighting in WW1?

Answer 6

Britain and France

Question 7

What did the Cadets in the PG want?

Answer 7

To restore law and order and set up a parliamentary democracy.

Question 8

What did the Socialists in the PG want?

Answer 8

To push the revolution further and give more land to the peasants

Question 9

What was the July Offensive?

Answer 9

A massive attack on Austro-German forces in July 1917

Question 10

Why did the July offensive fail?

Answer 10

Bolshevik agitators encouraged soldiers to return home

Question 11

By Petrograd in July 1917 what had the bread ration fallen from and to?

Answer 11

450 grams to 110 grams

Question 12

What were July Days?

Answer 12

16th – 18th July 1917 – anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd by soldiers, sailors and workers.

Question 13

How did Kerensky put down July Days?

Answer 13

Sent in troops, Lenin fled to Finland, leading Bolsheviks arrested

Question 14

How did the PG attempt to stop Kornilov’s revolt?

Answer 14

Gave weapons to the Petrograd Soviet

Question 15

Who ran the PS while Lenin was in exile in Finland?

Answer 15

Trotsky

Question 16

Who was the biggest party in the 1917 All-Russian Congress of Soviets?

Answer 16

Socialist Revolutionaries with 285 representatives.

Question 17

How many representatives did the Bolsheviks have?

Answer 17

105

Question 18

What was Lenin’s April Theses?

Answer 18

Peace, Bread, Land and All power to the Soviets

Question 19

Why did the Bolsheviks not join the PG?

Answer 19

Lenin’s orders. They could not be blamed for their mistakes

Question 20

Who did Trotsky persuade to help the Bolsheviks in the Oct revolution?

Answer 20

Soldiers at the Petrograd Garrison and the sailors at the Kronstadt Naval Base

Question 21

Who organised the Oct revolution?

Answer 21

Trotsky

Question 22

Who persuaded the Bolsheviks to seize power?

Answer 22

Lenin – after he had returned from Finland

Question 23

Where was Bolshevik HQ during the revolution?

Answer 23

Smolny Institute

Question 24

How did the Bolsheviks seize power?

Answer 24

They took control of bridges, the main telegraph office, the railways stations, the power stations and important buildings

Question 25

Who was defending the Winter Palace?

Answer 25

Women’s Death Battalion and some military cadets

Question 26

What signalled the beginning of the takeover of the Winter Palace?

Answer 26

The battleship Aurora sailed up the River Neva from Kronstadt naval base and fired a blank shell to start the attack.