November Revolution (Oct)

Question 1

Key dates

Answer 1

Sept 25 - Bolsheviks gained a majority in the Petrograd Soviet
Oct 9 - Petrograd Soviet set up Military Revolutionary Committee at Trotsky’s insistence
Oct 11 - Kamenev + Zinoviev publicly opposed idea of an uprising, believed it to be too early
Oct 23 - Kerensky moved to close down Pravda’s and Izvestiya, Lenin instructed the Bolsheviks to begin the uprising against Kerensky’s Provisional Government
Oct 24 - first session of the Congress of Soviets
Oct 24-25 - Bolsheviks took control of Petrograd
Oct 25-26 - Kerensky fled from Petrograd after failing to raise troops, Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace
Oct 26 - Bolsheviks established Sovnarkom
Oct 27 - Lenin claimed power in the name of the Congress of Soviets

Question 2

Causes of the October Revolution

Answer 2

Political tensions in Russia
- Petrograd Soviet had continually shifted to the left politically whilst Provisional Government shifted to the right, wishing to prevent Soviet encroachment on its power, made some form of clash increasingly likely
- Lenin stated “There is a soviet government or Kornilovism. There is no middle course.”
- By middle of Sept, Bolsheviks had gained a majority in both Petrograd and Moscow soviets
Popularity of Bolsheviks
- Seen as defenders of Petrograd following Kornilov Offensive in August
Provisional Government weakness
- Virtually personal dictatorship of Kerensky
- Since the Kornilov Offensive, they could not rely on the army
- Bread and coal shortages, inflation and collapse of the army had left Kerensky without popular support
Bolshevik organisation
- Premeditated revolution by the Bolsheviks, spearheaded by Lenin
- Significant as this was the key reasoning for them failing to take advantage of the July Days unrest
Kerensky and the Provisional Government
- Kerensky interpreted journal from Zinoviev and Kamenev as indicating that a date for a revolution had already been set
- This then led Kerensky to close down Bolshevik newspapers (Pravda and Izvestiya) and attempt to round up Bolshevik leaders (Oct 23)
- In reaction to this, Lenin ordered the planned insurrection to begin

Question 3

Role of Lenin

Answer 3

• Main contribution was through April Thesis, by persuading party to take anti-Provisional Government stance Lenin placed them as being the main party to stand in opposition to the failing government
• Lenin’s promises of peace, land and bread and independence to nationalities of Russia contributed to support of Bolshevik party, allowed them to gain majorities in Petrograd and Moscow Soviets
• Persuaded the Oct 10 meeting of the Bolshevik Central Committee to agree to seize power
• Lenin enabled Bolsheviks to find newspapers and pamphlets by raising funds from Germans
• However, Lenin almost destroyed Bolshevik party during July days, was hiding in Finland after this failure, so Trotsky actually organised the October revolution

Question 4

Role of Trotsky

Answer 4

• Joined party July 1917
• Chairman of Petrograd Soviet Sept 1917
• Organised Military Revolutionary Committee Oct 9, managed to be accepted into one of three who ran the committee
• Timed the Bolshevik coup the day before the Congress of Soviets so that Congress could immediately legitimise the new Bolshevik government
• Trotsky directed the Red Guards in the seizure of key vantage points in Petrograd

Question 5

Role of Kerensky

Answer 5

• Due to his treatment of Kornilov in the July Days unrest, Kerensky was no longer trusted by anti-Bolshevik troops
• In October, Kerensky could only find 600 troops willing to defend the Provisional Government, these troops fought with much larger group of Red Guards at Pulkovo and were defeated
• Motivated Lenin to begin insurrection by actions against Bolsheviks (shutting down Pravada and Izvestiya and attempting to arrest key Bolshevik figures)

Question 6

What was the Military Revolution Committee and what was its significance?

Answer 6

• Set up on Oct 9 1917
• Purpose of defending Petrograd, was a legitimate force as it theoretically acted on the authority of the Soviet
• Trotsky realised that if the Bolsheviks could control the MRC, they could control Petrograd
• This Committee was the only effective military force in Petrograd, under Trotsky’s authority

Question 7

What took place when the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace?

Answer 7

• Provisional Government had no actual military force, Petrograd Garrison (in Peter and Paul fortress) was won over by Trotsky Oct 23, small number of Cassak guards refused to fight
• Very little actual fighting, Red Guards broke into the Winter Palace and captured remaining Provisional Government Oct 26

Question 8

What role did the Congress of Soviets play?

Answer 8

• Once the Bolsheviks had captured the Provisional Government, the Bolsheviks opened the Congress of Soviets
• Bolsheviks had a clear majority, had organised the Congress and had given extra seats to Soviets where they had a majority
• When Bolsheviks declares they had seized power, Mensheviks and some SRs walked out, left Bolsheviks an even greater majority
• Congress passed decree for peace, decree redistributing land to peasants and james the new government which was to be called “Council of Peoples Commissars”
• Lenin chairman, Trotsky dealt with foreign affairs, Stalin Commissar for nationalities