Kornilov coup Flashcards
What were Kornilov’s motives?
Kornilov, a conservative general, aimed to restore order by crushing the Petrograd Soviet and Bolsheviks. He believed Kerensky’s government was too weak to prevent Russia’s disintegration.
What were key events?
Kerensky initially supported Kornilov’s plan to send troops to Petrograd but later denounced it as a coup when he feared Kornilov would overthrow him.
The Bolsheviks, though previously persecuted by Kerensky, mobilised the Red Guards and armed workers to defend Petrograd, portraying themselves as defenders of the revolution.
Kornilov’s troops were halted by railway workers and agitators, and the coup collapsed without bloodshed.
What were the consequences?
The Bolsheviks’ credibility soared; their membership grew rapidly.
Kerensky’s government was fatally weakened, paving the way for Lenin’s October Revolution.
What did Kerensky’s Telegram to Kornilov (August 1917) state?
“I demand immediate suspension of all movements of troops previously directed on Petrograd.” This reveals the breakdown of trust between Kerensky and Kornilov, illustrating the Provisional Government’s desperation.
What does Orlando Figes state was Kerensky’s fatal mistake?
“Kerensky’s fatal blunder was to arm the Bolsheviks… The Red Guards kept their weapons and used them in October.”
What did Bolshevik Leaflets (August 1917) at the time state?
“All power to the Soviets! Down with the counter-revolutionary Kornilov!”
Bolshevik propaganda during the crisis, urging workers to resist Kornilov and defend the revolution.
Shows how Lenin’s party exploited the chaos to position itself as the true revolutionary force.
What was Trotsky’s role in mobilising the masses?
Trotsky, recently released from prison (where he was held for his role in the July Days uprising), worked with the Petrograd Soviet to organize resistance.
He helped coordinate the Red Guards and railway workers to block Kornilov’s troops through sabotage and propaganda.
How did Trotsky use the victory as propaganda?
Trotsky framed the Bolsheviks as defenders of the revolution, even though they had been branded German agents weeks earlier.
His speeches and pamphlets portrayed Kerensky as weak and duplicitous, while positioning the Bolsheviks as the only true revolutionary force.
What was the outcome of the coup for the Bolsheviks, and Trotsky?
The Bolsheviks gained legitimacy—workers and soldiers saw them as heroes who stopped a counter-revolution.
Trotsky’s leadership during the crisis cemented his role as Lenin’s chief lieutenant, setting the stage for his later command of the October insurrection.
What were Kerensky’s motives?
Kerensky, fearing a Bolshevik uprising, had secretly approved Kornilov’s plan to send loyal troops (the “Savage Division” and Cossacks) to Petrograd to “restore order.”
He believed Kornilov would disperse the Petrograd Soviet and suppress radical leftists, strengthening the government’s authority.
Why did Kerensky arm the Bolsheviks?
When Kerensky realized Kornilov intended to remove him and install a military dictatorship, he denounced Kornilov as a traitor (August 27).
His government issued orders to halt Kornilov’s advance, but it had no reliable military force to enforce this.
In desperation, Kerensky armed the Bolshevik Red Guards (who had been persecuted weeks earlier) to defend Petrograd.
What were the consequences for Kerensky?
Kerensky’s flip-flopping exposed his weakness—he had neither the support of the right (conservatives/military) nor the left (socialists/Bolsheviks).
