October Revolution Flashcards
What is the term used to describe the balance of power between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet?
Dual authority
What document did Lenin publish upon his return to Petrograd urging for the real proletariat revolution to begin?
April Theses
What key slogans were outlined in Lenin’s April Theses?
- Peace
- Bread
- Land
- All power to the soviets
What was the name of the council of Peoples Commissars at the top of the new constitution?
Sovnarkom
What caused the October Revolution?
The confused variety of bodies claiming to represent the people, including the Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet
What did the Soviet’s ‘Order No.1’ state regarding soldiers and workers’ obedience?
They should obey the Provisional Government only when the Soviet agreed with it
Who was the Foreign Minister of the Provisional Government that was forced to resign?
Milyukov
What was the outcome of the failed June Offensive in 1917?
Whole regiments mutinied or deserted
What was the significance of the Kornilov Affair for the Bolsheviks?
It allowed them to present themselves as defenders of Petrograd
What did Lenin demand from the Central Committee from mid-September?
To prepare for revolution
What was the role of Trotsky in the October Revolution?
Largely organized the revolution and set up the Military Revolutionary Committee
Fill in the blank: The Provisional Government failed to end the war and tried to turn it into a _______.
revolutionary crusade
What was the composition of the Military Revolutionary Committee?
66 members, 48 of whom were Bolsheviks
What chronic problem did the Provisional Government inherit from the 1861 emancipation?
The land issue
True or False: The Provisional Government made significant progress on land redistribution.
False
What did Lenin’s message resonate with during 1917?
The chronic land issue and the need for redistribution
What was the fate of the Bolsheviks after the failed uprising in the July Days?
They appeared to be crushed
What did the Soviet adopt after the Kornilov Affair on 9th October?
A resolution to create a ‘military revolutionary centre’ to protect Petrograd
What was the total number of troops under the control of the Military Revolutionary Committee?
200,000 Red Guards, 60,000 Baltic sailors, and 150,000 sailors of remaining Petrograd garrison units
When did the MRC begin its attack on the Provisional Government?
Evening of 24th October
What was the response of soldiers who had previously served the Provisional Government during the attack?
Offered little resistance
What key locations did soldiers loyal to the MRC occupy?
Post and telegraph offices, railway stations
What was the effect of the MRC’s control over the city’s infrastructure?
Prevented the Provisional Government from getting help
Who successfully arrested the majority of the Provisional Government?
Trotsky and the Red Guards
What was the defense of the Winter Palace comprised of?
A small number of female troops
What announcement did the MRC make on 25th October?
The Provisional Government had been ‘deposed’
Where did Kerensky flee after the MRC’s announcement?
To America
What did Lenin always state he wanted regarding power distribution?
Power to be given to the soviets
What was Lenin’s stance on sharing power with other parties?
Did not want to share power with SRs or Mensheviks
What happened during the Second All-Russian Congress on 25th October?
Some SRs and Mensheviks walked out
How did the walkout of SRs and Mensheviks affect Lenin?
Reduced their representation at the Congress
What did the Congress vote to create?
A new constitution with Sovnarkom at the top
Who was appointed as the chairman and overall leader of Sovnarkom?
Lenin
What was below Sovnarkom in the new government structure?
The All-Russia Congress of Soviets
Who represented the lowest tier of the new government organization?
Representatives from cities, villages, and local soviets
What did the first decrees issued before December 1917 end?
Russia’s fighting in WWI
What was authorized by the Decree on Land?
Peasant land seizures
