Provisional Government and the Bolshevik Revolution Flashcards
What were the weaknesses of the Provisional Government?
The Provisional Government shared its power with the Petrograd Soviet—Dual Control
The Dual Control meant that there were key areas of the govt. that the Provisional Government had no control over because it answered only to the Petrograd Soviet: railway system and postal services
The Petrograd Soviet had a rule called “Order Number 1” which meant that only it had the final say on military matters. This damaged the Provisional Government’s authority because it couldn’t work effectively if it needed the Petrograd Soviet’s permission to follow orders
The Petrograd Soviet was elected but the Provisional Government was not elected by the people it was supposed to govern, WEAKENING ITS AUTHORITY
What were the mistakes of the Provisional Government?
- Continuing the WW1: desperate to continue the war because they were relying on Allied countries to invest in Russia’s recovery
- Delaying elections: It found a general election difficult to organize and there were many other problems needing serious attention but it looked as if it was trying to stay in power.
- Delaying reforms: The peasants wanted more land taken from the landlords. They believed any land reforms should be carried out by the Constituent Assembly. It only had authority in towns and cities in the north of Russia; it had little power elsewhere
- Allowing more freedom: This may have reduced the autocracy of the tsar’s rule, it also allowed people to openly criticize the Provisional Government
What was the June Offensive?
Alexander Kerensky decided that the Russian army should launch a major offensive against Austria and Germany which would help win support for the Provisional Government and boost the army’s confidence. However, it was a disaster as the Russian front collapsed and the Russian army was pushed back hundreds of km. This showed that the military couldn’t rely on its soldiers to follow orders
Did the Petrograd Soviet challenge the position of the Provisional Government?
No, it didn’t make an attempt to govern Russia on its own
The Petrograd Soviet’s impact on Russia was limited due to the following factors:
- The Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government were worried about tsarist forces trying to take back control of Russia. Therefore, the soviet didn’t want to weaken the Provisional Government
- The Petrograd Soviet was ruled by Mensheviks and Marxist who believed that Russia should undergo a bourgeoise phase before a socialist revolution could take place. The Provisional Government was a bourgeoise government so the soviet supported it.
- Russia had many problems to deal with so the Petrograd Soviet distanced itself from the duma because it didn’t want to start getting blamed for all the things going wrong in Russia
Impact of the Petrograd Soviet:
Its impact on Russia was limited.
It didn’t directly challenge the authority of the Provisional Government but it used its powers to influence government policies such as those issued in the manifesto: abolition of police authorities and freedom of political prisoners.
“Order Number 1” limited the authority of the Provisional Government on military matters (esp. it was in charge of a country in war)
The increasing support for the Bolsheviks in 1917 and a Bolshevik majority in the Soviet limited the Mensheviks’ efforts to have a socialist revolution.
In his April Thesis, Lenin proposed that the Bolsheviks should do the following:
- Ending all cooperation with the Provisional Govt. and all parties supporting them (including Mensheviks and SRs)
- A campaign to end the war
- Nationalising land; all the land would be taken from landlords and given to peasants
- Industry to be controlled by the Soviets, with all banks combining into one state bank
- Educating peasants and workers that all power must go to the soviets
Change in support for the Bolshevik Party in 1917:
In April 1917, the Bolshevik Party was small. The SRs had far more support among the peasants. The Mensheviks were more popular among many of the workers in Russia’s industrial cities.
In June 1917, the All-Russian Congress of Soviets was organized to bring together the representatives from all soviets in Russia: only 13% were Bolsheviks with 66% Mensheviks and SRs
However, support for the Bolshevik grew through 1917:
- Bolshevik newspapers appeared in most industrial cities, criticizing the Provisional Govt.
- Lenin’s April Thesis explained how the party would end the war and give state power to the soviets; how it would govern for the ordinary workers and not the wealthy
- The Bolsheviks recruited an armed people’s militia, Red Guards
- Germany secretly sent Bolsheviks money to pay for their activities-they hoped Lenin would persuade Russians to pull out of the war
Reasons for the July Days Uprising:
- Failure of the June Offensive
- The Provisional Govt. had introduced bread rationing and the amount of bread available had declined. The war was using up vital food and fuel – Continuing shortages of food and fuel in major cities
- Effective Bolshevik propaganda against the Provisional Govt.
Events of the July Day Uprising:
The uprising was started by anarchist revolutionaries. The Bolsheviks had initially tried to prevent the demonstration but then believed it was about time to act and so called on their supporters to join in. Tens of thousands of workers and soldiers marched with banners calling for power to be handed to the soviets
The Petrograd Soviet didn’t support the demonstration; they didn’t trust the Bolsheviks. The leaders of the Petrograd Soviet met with the leaders of the Provisional Govt. and decided to work together. On 5th July, the govt. brought back troops from the front to surround the Bolshevik headquarters and arrested hundreds of Bolsheviks including Trotsky. Lenin fled to Finland.
How did Alexander Kerensky tackle problems of war, economy, and opposition from the Bolsheviks?
To tackle problems of war, economy, and opposition from the Bolsheviks, Kerensky planned to restore discipline in the army to help prevent defeat in the war; a disciplined army could then also be used to restore order in the cities. To do this he appointed Kornilov as commander-in-chief and the two agreed to bring troops to Petrograd in case of unrest.
(This would also increase support for him and the Provisional Govt.)
How did Kornilov’s decision differ from Kerensky’s?
Kornilov was not an easy man to control. He wanted to introduce martial law and break the power of the soviets. This was supported by many middle-class people who worried that the workers would steal their homes and businesses. Kerensky saw this as a challenge to his leadership and dismissed him as commander-in-chief. Despite this Kornilov sent troops to Petrograd on 24 August with the plan of shutting down the soviet and restoring order in the city.
How was the city defended against the Kornilov troops?
Soldiers and workers began preparing to defend the city. Kerensky feared that Kornilov was going to take power for the military. So, as the troops approached, he allowed the Bolsheviks to arm their supporters so they could defend the city and the Petrograd Soviet from Kornilov. The Bolsheviks took charge of preparing defenses in the city, using Red Guards; while the railway workers blocked Kornilov’s troops’ route into Petrograd.
Bolseviks convinced the troops to desert their officers. He was arrested on 1st September
Impact of the Kornilov revolt:
It boosted support for the Bolsheviks while weakening Kerensky and the Provisional Govt. It presented Kerensky as weak because he had to rely on the Bolsheviks to defend Petrograd and the govt. and so the Provisional Govt. lost crucial support
The Bolsheviks were seen as defenders of the revolution. Many more Bolsheviks were elected to the soviet and in September 1917, Trotsky was elected president by the soviet. By October 1917, they had 340,000 members. The Red Guards added power to the Bolsheviks: around 40,000 supporters kept hold of their weapons after the revolt.
Army discipline collapsed as officers were accused of being part of the counter-revolution. Hundreds were murdered. Tens of thousands of soldiers deserted and returned to their villages. Incidents of peasant rioting and seizing land increased across the Russian countryside
Key events of the Bolshevik takeover:
10th October: Lenin secretly returned from Finland and in a meeting with Bolshevik seniors put forth the idea of an armed takeover for power.
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Rumors spread that Bolsheviks were planning an armed takeover, Kerensky tried to send all Bolshevik-influenced units out of Petrograd but the Petrograd Soviet claimed that Kerensky was planning a counter-revolutionary attack and set up the MRC to bring together all soviet-supporting soldiers in Petrograd.
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Kerensky ordered a crackdown on the Bolsheviks: shutting down Bolshevik newspapers, blocking river crossings between the city center and working-class districts, calling for the arrest of the MRC. Lenin and Trotsky were quick to call this a counter-revolution and used the MRC to take control of road and canal bridges, army headquarters, and telegraph offices
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On 24-25 Oct, Red Guards seized more key areas of the city. There was almost no opposition. Over the next 2 days, Bolshevik soldiers climbed through the windows of the Winter Palace and arrested the remaining members of the Provisional Govt.
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On 26th Oct, Lenin formed a Bolshevik Govt. known as the CPC.
