October Revolution Flashcards
October 1917
What was two of Lenin’s concerns about needing to ‘seize power now’?
> 2nd Congress of Soviets (25th Oct)
Voting would be dominated by workers/soldiers but the Bolsheviks did not have an absolute majority and the united Menshevik and SR opposition would make it harder to overthrow the government.
> Constituent Assembly (28th November)
Voting would be dominated by the peasants who supported the SRs and a national government would have great legitimacy and would be difficult to overthrow.
What was Kerensky’s first mistake?
> On 20 October 1917, Kerensky announced that the bulk of the Petrograd Garrison would be moved to the front, to prevent the German army from reaching the capital.
> The Milrevkom declared itself to be the sole authority over the armed forces, and officers loyal to the government was arrested.
> o “The Provisional Government had lost effective military control of the capital a full two days before the armed uprising began.”
What was Kerensky’s second mistake?
> On 24 October 1917, he ordered the closure of Bolshevik newspapers in the cities.
> The incident was portrayed as an attack on Soviet democracy.
What did Orlando Figes argue regarding Lenin’s role in the October Revolution?
“Without Lenin’s intervention,” the Bolshevik dictatorship “would probably never have happened at all
When was the October Revolution?
24 - 26 October
What happened at the 2nd Congress of Soviets?
> The Mensheviks and SRs denounced the Bolshevik seizure of power. They accused the Bolsheviks of carrying out a coup, and attempting to create a dictatorship.
> The Mensheviks and SRs walked out in protest. This left the Bolsheviks with unchallenged control of Petrograd.
What did Orlando Figes say about the nature of the October Revolution?
It “was in reality such a small-scale event, being in effect no more than a military coup, that it passed unnoticed by the vast majority of the inhabitants of Petrograd.”
How many people were involved in the October Revolution?
At most, 25,000 - 30,000 people
