October Revolution Flashcards
Lenin
Lenin sent a letter to the Bolsheviks’ Central Committee in Moscow
& Petrograd titled The Bolsheviks Must Assume Power.
(Sep 14th)
Lenin
“What is to be done?” -He outlines how a revolution will occur (secretly, planned, not spontaneous, led by a few leaders)
• Against the war
• April Theses (Peace - end war, land - for peasants and bread - for workers All Power to the Soviets
• Lenin decided that the “Red Guards” defending Petrograd should start a revolution
• Chris Read believes Lenin was a key figure but there was a lot of independent action at a local level
Provincial Government Structure
Structure
• The Petrograd Soviet and Provisional Government had dual power with the Petrograd Soviet forcing them to negotiate a lot of policies which took time. Petrograd Soviet wanted more power for working class but Provinsional Government only wanted moderate changes
• First Coalition included Mensheviks and Revoltioanaries but not Bolsheviks as Lenin decided. 3 Liberal Kadets
• Second Coalition came in after failed Summer Offensive which Kerensky become leader and start to appoint his friends into the Government 3 Liberal Kadets
• Third Coalition came after Kornilov Affair - many non party membersThree Liberal Kadets
Martin McCauley: “It was a true caretaker government.”
Provisional Government policies
Policies
condemning land seizure one (you know what I mean)
• Releasing Lenin and other political prisoners was a mistake
• Kerensky sacking Kornilov angered him MAYBE leading to the Kornilov affair - gave weapons to Petrograd Soviet who decided to support Bolsheviks
• Summer Offesnive lead to 60,000 Russian deaths showing how bad this Government was
• Orlando Figes argues that “…there is no doubt that the launching – let alone the failure – of the offensive led directly to the summer crisis which culminated in the downfall of the provisional Government…”.
Organisation and Support
- Under 20,000 armed people so most people had no weapons-5000 Red Guards for July Days and for October 40,000 rifles for Red Guards key for October success
- Troksey decided the Revolution should happen when Soviets met in Petrograd on 24 October
Lenin sent a letter to the Bolsheviks’ Central Committee in Moscow
& Petrograd titled The Bolsheviks Must Assume Power.
(Sep 14th)
Just Support
in October Moscow Municipal election 51% of vote was for Bolsheviks
About 500k demonstraters for July Days Arguement: Shows lot of support but also they needed rifles as July Days failed.
Historians
Martin McCauley: “It was a true caretaker government.”
• Chris Read believes Lenin was a key figure but there was a lot of independent action at a local level
Orlando Figes argues that “…there is no doubt that the launching – let alone the failure – of the offensive led directly to the summer crisis which culminated in the downfall of the provisional Government…”. In other words Figes believes the failed Summer Offensive shattered their popularity leading to July Days and eventually their own downfall
Trotsky Crucial
Persuades Lenin to postpone date of uprising
Organised the take over
• Troksey decided the Revolution should happen when Soviets met in Petrograd on 24 October
It was a good tactic of his to use All-Russian Congress of Soviets as vechile for seizure of power.
•
Lenin and land
*The Provisional Government announced that it condemned land
seizures by peasants.- Really angered peasants and less willing to give grain to towns helping to cause food shortages.
(Mar 19th)
*Lenin arrived in Petrograd in exile from Switzerland, & then gave his
April Theses.
(Apr 4th)
Peace, Bread and Land.
Bread claim is that Bolsheviks claimed they can deal with food shortages
LofA
Provisional Government Policies specifically as the failed Summer Offensive and decision to give amnesty to political prisoners
Arguements
Policies as amnesty to prisoners etc and failed summer offensive, policies lead to stuture changes such as after summer offensive 2nd coalition.. giving weapons counter luck as so much opposition BUT better policies such as not condemning peasant land seizures could have kept support away from Bolsheviks
Stuture as caused instability and no clear leadership (work on this)
Organisation 5 deaths at winter palace, April Thesis staying out of pg and anti war all helped gain support
Bolshevik support Need lots to overthrow - also need weapons and leaders to not be in prison
Lenin - genius but needed to be released from prison
Kornilov Revolt
Easy fact which works
The Kornilov Revolt panicked the Provisional Government into arming Bolshevik “Red Guards”.
The Kornilov Affair. Kornilov’s anti-Provisional Government rebellion
failed. About 40,000 Bolshevik Red Guards received weapons to
defend the existing government.
(Aug 27th-30th)
Lenin decided that the “Red Guards” defending Petrograd should start a revolution
March 2nd
Just focus on
The Provisional Government was formed under the non-party
Georgy Lvov. It was dominated by the liberal Kadets, the SRs & the
Mensheviks, & immediately granted an amnesty to political
prisoners.
(Mar 2nd)
Focus on remember amnesty and this was when the (first coalition) PG was formed
Big point for Vote CW
Zinoview and Kamenev voted not to have the October Revolution
