October Revolution Flashcards
Give a brief explanation of the key factors which allowed Lenin to get back to Russia. What was the situation come February?
February much like 1905 -> NO rev influence, a spontaneous mass uprising (Gapon vs bread riots)
- Bolsheviks a small party by this point. Only 25,000 by Feb
- LIKE 1905 IN THAT CAUSED BY GOVERNMENT DUMBASSERY AS OPPOSED TO REV ACTION
- Lenin, Trotsky, other leaders all emigres by this point and debating socialism abroad
- Lenin sees Feb happen -> believes this could be the spark he’s been waiting for so is determined to get back and fan flames of revolution
- EMIGRE: Parvus is a wealthy socialist businessman who has contact w/ German high command -> lets Lenin pass through secretly in central power territory from Bern
- When gets to Russia, fine (Provos political amnesty to all former opponents) -> announces April theses, strong NATIONAL leader of party now
- OTHERWISE/wo/o leadership party in dissarray and obeying provos - no chance of getting power
By Summer:
Document rejected multiple times, Lenin gets it through by threatening to quit and flexing his power (lack of other person to lead party)
Trotsky arrives in may, stands for election in Petrograd Soviet -> gets this September
June:
- First All Russian Congress of Soviets held -> multiparty congress of revolutionaries to regroup
- Representatives of nationwide Soviets sent
- 1090 delegates -> common ground rules decided. Strategy approach. Only 137 Boles are heads of Soviets
OVERALL:
- story of WEAKNESS of provos as opposed to strength of bols
What exactly are the April theses, and why are they important? How do they relate to Lenin’s key slogans of this time?
Lenin’s attack against “opportunism” and the lack of revolutionary action against the provisional government by Russian Bolsheviks and other SDs
- MOST Bolsheviks had accepted provos. MAKES SENSE BECAUSE OF MARXIST PROGRESSION
From Marxist perspective -> BOURGEOISIE revolution just happened (FEB/political freedoms). THEREFORE need to stand back and FACILITATE social revolution through propaganda while exploiting new channels
- Allow time to propagate socialism among the masses WITH new political freedoms
LENIN instead wants to skip this -> elected Soviets ONLY legitimate / viable rev govt. (represent people) (point 4)
Steals SR land program in Point 6 (nationalization of land)
Slogans:
All tie back to Lenin’s SLOGANS -> All power to the Soviets, and Bread, Peace, Land (THIS one important -> SHORT slogan and simple -> easy for peasants to read legit literacy).
- Bread / Peace / Land: implies confiscations of land by LLs, immediate peace /no annexations
- All Power to the Soviets: Cannot work WITH provos -> only way to get reform is through immediate seizure of People’s Power via Soviets
- For Bols, implies need to infiltrate soviets to retain control
- Viewed by people as more legit form of governance - Worker Control of Factories (SLogan too)
Meant control of all industry
Worker elected committees to RUN factories -> instead of industrialists
Important Theses:
1. Attitude towards war: “predatory, imperialist” -> CANNOT defend defensism -> NEED TO OVERTHROW CAPITALISM IN ORDER TO TRULY REMOVE ROOT CAUSE AND OBTAIN PEACE -> THEREFORE PROPOGANDIZE SOLDIERS -> ENCOURAGE FRATERNIZATION WITH WORKER ENEMIES
- THIS stage of revolution is a TRANSITION. NOW in hands of Bourgeoisie (FEB) -> need to get power to workers / proles (instead of slowly cultivating socialism)
- Recognition bols a minority in MOST worker’s soviets -> party yielded to “opportunists” who are in league w/ Bourg. Need to convince masses that Soviets only possible form of revolutionary government
(Basically all power to the soviets -> all power of state to here)
- Ones who ACTUALLY rep proles because not in league w/bourg - Just steals SR land program -> confiscation of gentry estates, nationalization and redistribution of all lands -> put in charge of peasant soviets
- Because of BETRAYAL of Soc Dems -> change name to Communist Party (evidence of internationalization of Lenin’s aims and his emotional connection to the movement)
Explain how the fuck-ups of the provos explicitly allowed the Bols to take over in 1917.
OVERALL:
- Mix of Bol prowess/trickery/propaganda and weakness of provos allows Bols to take power
Second Colaition:
Failure of Kerenskii Offensive:
- Ask troops to advance against Germans in June. Wave of mutinies because of breakdown of discipline (Order #1 relating to Petrograd Garrison unofficially applying to units along the front -> because NOT AUTOCRATIC ENOUGH w / army)
Delayed Reforms:
- Delays of land reforms until constituent assembly convened (officially announce)
- Only grant workers limits to child labour, no 8-hour work day
- RESULTS IN -> JULY DAYS -> POPULATION SPONTANEOUSLY UPRISES AND DEMANDS A SOVIET/REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
July Days:
- Though Lenin thinks now is not the time, feels he has to commit and many Bolsheviks take part in uprising
- CRACKDOWN by state -> pivot to autocratic methods to retain control
- Arrest warrants put out for Trotsky and Lenin -> reneging on granted political freedoms
- Slide into autocracy and violent put down of crowds, death penalty for soldiers again, bans soldiers Soviets on front and spread of Bol propaganda (again, reneging on political freedoms)
Overall: slide into autocracy by banning Bol propaganda (political freedom), violently putting down crowd, reintroduce death penalty after granting too many concessions
Kornilov Affair:
Looks like Kornilov will launch coup
In defence, Kerenskii releases ALL revs from July days -> need support other than military
- (Reason: to DEFEND revolution -> ARMS THEM w 40,000 guns).
Results in: all military hierarchy/officers lose faith in Kerenskii -> no longer can count on army to protect him like Nick and 1905
- Lenin PREDICTS Kornilov Affair -> sees massive surge in support (August) for Bols who seem competent after crushing plot through unified rev action.
- Therefore singlehandedly empowers Bols and weakens Provos
- Bols also establish closer ties to sailors, soldiers, and workers through propaganda during Kornilov -> PRACTICE for mobilizing them when seeking support in October
How did the Bols manipulate their propaganda to acquire power?
OVERALL:
- As masses become dissilussioned with Provos -> Lenin and Bols SWOOP IN to directly appeal to their fears of land and peace via slogans and such.
Bols and Kornilov.
- Lenin PREDICTS Kornilov Affair while other Rev groups decry it as absurd
APPEALS to soldiers
Military-Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet -> leaks into garrison units and replaces govt commissars. Slow takeover -> assure troops and get agreement: no orders will be undertaken unless co signed by this committee (get this guarantee from petros) -> DISARMS PROVOS WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT
- Do this by successfulyy playing on unpopularity of the war. EVIDENCE that soldier discipline had broken down in light of non autocratic and broken promises by provos.
Propaganda:
- Successful slogans by Lenin allow Illiterate peasants and workers to understand party platform more
- Prey upon notion of Vlast (control) -> provos too lib to be vlast and actually execute reform -> vlast in hands of Bourgeoisie
- Lenin thinks vlast should never again fall into their hands -> emphasizes worker / peasant vlast BY slogan of “All power to the Soviets” -> evidence that he wanted to SKIP bourgeoisie portion of rev and go right to socialist / worker led govt
- ALSO propaganda here: as long as Bourgeoisie in control of vlast -> land and imperialist war will continue to be procrastinated on -> therefore directly appealing to most intense desires of peasants and workers
- “Can the Bolsheviks retain state power?” -> 1917 pamphlet arguing only reason leftist policies haven’t been implemented is because Bourgeoisie retain vlast and that OTHER PARTIES (SRs) work with them in coalitions. Therefore CANNOT allow coalitions w/ other revs to continue else Vlast will remain OUT of hands of Soviets and IN hands of Bourgeoisie
Lenin
Zurich/Bern an emigre -> Petrograd a respected and feared NATIONAL leader of party Just before arrival in Petrograd, heroic scenario of class leadership goes under modification -> APRIL THESES
Theses:
- Militant opposition to “opportunists” who want to continue war -> evidence of emotional attachment to the cause
- Platforms all power to the Soviets (REFUSES to work with provos following Bourgeoisie revolution)
- Wants to win over peasants by granting large and IMMEDIATE land seizures (instead of waiting for constituent assembly like moderate socialists and provos/libs)
NOW in October 1915, had envisioned political revolution in Russ would SPARK socialist revolution in Europe. NOW wants to get straight up socialist rev in Russ and then EXPAND INTO WORLD COMMUNISM
- Overall April Theses evidence that Lenin’s mission ACCELERATED -> goes beyond into own interpretation of Marx (naming of communist party in 9 point)
Power hungry:
Lenin personally intervenes to get party to start revolt on Oct 25 (day of Congress) -> rest of party had wanted to wait until congress later today
- Rest of party had been with him because Lenin argued that Kerenskii’s crackdown earlier on the 24th justified the Soviet seizure of power (and breaking their promise to Petrograd garrison).
How did the Bolsheviks convince the masses that they were the only viable rev party? Why didn’t the Left SRs end up collabing w/ them?
Boycotts
- Bolsheviks keep boycotting provos unlike SRs (Chernov, etc) who start to cooperate with Provos AFTER First Coalition collapses -> ONLY if they give up on aim of achieving end of war.
- THEREFORE -> masses begin to see Bolsheviks as only actual anti-war party and in general turn away from supporting coalitions.
- Support consolidated after Lenin predicts Kornilov Affair which is allowed to happen UNDER COALITION GOVT WITH SOCIALISTS
- Therefore argues in pamphlets / propaganda in 1917 (Can the Bolsheviks retain State Power) that coalition governments will just hand over Vlast/authority to bourgeoisie -> therefore NEED single party / Soviet vlast. (implicitly, then, support the Bols!)
Preparing for October:
- Boles and Left SRs join up in Sept to call for early meeting of Second All Russian Congress of Soviets -> wanted to create homogenous socialist govt against Bourg -> think this will launch revolutions in other countries like planned
- Congress set for 25 Oct
- Lenin becomes anxious, doesn’t want to miss shot in attaining socialism for RUSSIA and is paranoid about other groups -> writes two angry letters to Central Committee demanding party walk away and start a revolution immediately (Sept 12-14)
- Evidence that Lenin COMMITTED TO OWN INTERPRETATION OF MARX
Bols Seize Power:
- Lenin wants it done by 25 BEFORE meeting so he can
ARGUE that seizure of power allows power to Soviets -> socialist control of country so he can avoid coalition and EXECUTE OWN VISION
- Congress opens -> 60% are boles by this point. Many others SR and Men
- Gives speech -> who is with us?
- Right wing SRs disagree. Mens most outraged. Bad Marxism ->Both walk out and RENEGE on chance to share power
- SRS LEAVE POWER TO BOLS UNOPPOSED
Briefly, how did the Bolsheviks consolidate power upon getting it via reforms?
2nd Day of 2nd Congress (Oct 26)
- AFTER Right SRs / Mensheviks walk out
- POLITICAL REFORM
- Announce radical reforms to RETAIN PROMISE TO MASSES AND RETAIN CONTROL
- Senate, Duma, Zemstva all abolished because don’t rep workers -> new govts founded on Soviets
- Separation of Church and state
- Abortion, women franchise in elections, etc.
- Welfare state announced basically.
- ANNOUNCES these but doesn’t have economic resources to back them up (industry collapse, etc) - LAND REFORM:
- Abolishes private land ownership w/ no compensation IMMEDIATELY -> held now by peasant soviets of elected deputies -> allowed to farm whatever they want
- RIPOFF of SR
- Peasants were deserting front to secure land for themselves so very happy w/ this
- Therefore IMMEDIATELY APPEASE PEASANTS
- Seen as most viable and popular way to win power over peasants -> steal idea - PEACE:
- Foreign audience (journalists) ALLOWED THESE MESSAGES TO BE TELEGRAPHED DESPITE OVERALL CONTROL -> assert legitimacy abroad
- Attain 3 month ceasefire w/ CP, no diplomacy -> immediate peace -> publish ALL secret treaties imperial govt had signed -> walk away from foreign debts -> former govt illegitimate
Explain the IMMEDIATE justifications for Bolshevik seizure of power over the Provos
Justifications:
Breaking Petrograd Guarantee:
- Need soldiers on front by October -> break promise
- Lenin able to say Provovs BETRAYING revolution -> no guarantee of other promises -> NEED ALL POWER TO THE SOVIETS
- By September, Trotksy had become head of Petrograd and attained Bol majority, Nogin in Moscow -> begins talks with other Bol leaders about seizing power IMMEDIATELY after Trotsky gets in.
- October 10 Lenin and co begin planning coup
- Right bols leak to press, COUP made public and yet Kerenskii can do nothing because he has no armed support from Petro/military hierarchy
- JUSTIFIES Bolshevik coup (breaking promise, need to seize legit Soviet power -> implicitly allow Bols to seize power because of control
Further justification: crackdown on Bols in October 24
- MRC: Military Revolutionary Committee in Petrograd Sovt -> Trotsky requisitions arms and provides these to militant factory workers FIRST MOBILIZED DURING KORNILOV AFFAIR -> gets arms from sympathetic soldiers Oct 20
- Evidence that soldiers support Bolsheviks now instead of Provos
- Again, all public
- In response, Kerenskii decides to ban Pravda, outlaw the MRC, and staff Winter Palace with armed Woman’s battalion of Death (only guards left)
- DEFENSIVE action then -> Trotsky secures Petrograd support and takes over Winter Palace on 25 Oct (date of 2nd Congress)
How did the Bols seize power in regards to the constituent assembly? What does this evidence?
OVERALL: LENIN COMMITTED TO INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION OF MARX AND RETAINING POWER
- CONSTITUANT ASSEMBLY:
- Elections will proceed in November as planned -> BUT power/vlast MUST remain in hands of working class/Soviet. Can’t overturn coup (what Lenin THINKS)
- Done in order to AVOID ANOTHER COALITION GOVERNMENT -> evidence Lenin trying to retain Left SR/Bol control over Soviets (power to Soviets -> they CONTROL soviets…)
- December Theses AGAINST const after electoral loss -> All power to soviets
- In Jan, meets and approves much Bol legislation including land reform, but Lenin committed to OWN vision / heroic scenario -> risks civil war
- BLOCKS second meeting
In wake of shut down:
- Appoint Sovnarkom (Council of People’s Commissars)
- Divided up jobs just like provos -> not elected
- JUSTIFIES this via presence of left SRs -> coalition of leftists instead of Bol dominance / coup
- Sovnarkom central committee now almost has exact same membership of Bolshevik committee. Most DEFINITELY a coup
- Final Consolidations: Autocratic powers (see more in other Deck)
- Ban rival presses, state monopoly on printing stock
- Fighting breaks out in Moscow -> 238 revs die -> 2nd Nov control Moscow now
- DOMINO effect from Petrograd -> by Jan 45 provincial capitals. gradual expansion of Bol control
- LEFT SRS THEN REFUSE INVITATION TO ACCEPT SOVIET GOVT POSTS
-First council of People’s Commisars, headed by Lenin, exclusively Bolshevik
As justification, Bols say they’ll only last in pwoer till const ass (NO ONE THOUGHT THEY’D DO OTHERWISE REMMEBER)
