Provisional government and the October revolution (section 2) Flashcards
What happened in Konstradt?
Sailors and workers defied the central authorities by setting up their own government
What did this tempt revolutionaries to do?
Made them believe that they had the opportunity to bring down the pg
What events suggested that the pg were not in full control?
Spread of Soviets, land seizures by workers, internal government disputes and worker control of factories
How did national minorities exploit the pg?
By setting up their own governments and claim independence of central control
What did Ukraine contain?
The largest number of non-Russian people in the empire
What did it produce the most of the the region?
Food
Why did kadet ministers resign?
Because the pg offered independence in Ukraine
What did the kadets protest?
That a constituent assembly would properly solve matters
How often had strikes occurred since February?
Almost daily
What had Lenin declared at the all Russian congress?
That the Bolsheviks were prepared to take over
What did the delegates regard Lenin’s declaration as?
An intention, not a plan
What happened to those reluctant to make a bid for power in the July days?
They were physically attacked
Why was it easy to crush the rising?
Due to the disunity
What did Trotsky argue about the July days?
That it was started by the Mensheviks and SRs
What did Trotsky try to do?
Absolve the Bolsheviks from the blame of a failed revolution
What explanation was offered by the Bolsheviks?
That they had come to the aid of workers and sailors
What did the failed uprising reveal?
That the Bolsheviks were not a dominant revolutionary party
How did Kerensky put pressure on the Bolsheviks
Closed down Pravda and many Bolshevik leaders were arrested
How did Kerensky brand the Bolsheviks in his campaign ?
That they were traitors and German agents
What did peasants believe they would benefit from?
A major land redistribution
What happened when the government did nothing on the land question?
Peasants seized property of local landlords
What was the aim of the land commission?
To redistribute land
What did the Bolsheviks dismiss the peasants as
Lacking true revolutionary initiative
What allowed Lenin to add the peasants to the proletarian cause?
The peasants were acting as a revolutionary force due to post-tsarist circumstances
What produced a considerable amount of support for the Bolsheviks in the countryside?
Their recognition of land seizures as perfectly legitimate
Who did Left SRs side with?
Bolsheviks
What was the kornilov affair
A crisis that undermined the gains it had made from its handling of the july days
What did the kornilov affair do for the Bolsheviks?
Allowed them to recover from their humiliation
What did kornilov believe?
That Russia had to destroy its socialist enemies before Germany
Why did refugees and deserters flock into the city?
Because German forces came deeper into Russia
What did kornilov declare?
That Russia stood in danger of socialist inspired insurrection
What did kornilov inform Kerensky?
That he intended on bringing his loyal troops to Petrograd to save the pg from overthrow
How did Kerensky respond to this?
He called on all loyal citizens to take up arms and defend the city
What was ironic about the Bolsheviks being given arms?
They were given arms to defend those who they intended to overthrow
Why were the arms not needed?
The railway workers refused to operate the trains to bring in kornilov army
What did Kerensky do after learning this?
Abandoned the advance and allowed his arrest
Who benefited the most from this?
Bolsheviks
How were the Bolsheviks able to present themselves?
As defenders of Petrograd
What did this reveal about the pg?
Its vulnerability to military threat
What had the Bolsheviks gained by September 1917?
A majority in the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets
How successful were soviet meetings?
In the first few months they were fully attended
What did the Bolsheviks political dedication mean?
That they showed up in full swing and were able to extend their influence
Why did Lenin want to seize power at this moment?
Because the pg were vulnerable
Which two events were worrying Lenin about their ability to seize power?
Election for constituent assembly and meeting of all-Russian congress of Soviets
Why did Lenin want to topple the pg before the congress met?
Because they could present their authority as a fait accompli which they would have no reason to reject
Which parties had set their hopes on the constituent assembly?
Progressivists and reformers
Why did the Bolsheviks need to be in power before the election?
So that they could undermine their decision
What was the pre-parliament
A body to advise the government
What was the intention of a pre-parliament
To fill the interim before the constituent assembly came into being
What did Lenin condemn the pre-parliament as
An attempt by the pg to strengthen its grip on power
How did the Bolsheviks react to a pre-parliament?
They mocked it loudly and walked out
How did Lenin’s presence addict the Bolsheviks
Stiffened resolve but didn’t create total unity
What did the central committee pledge itself to?
An armed insurrection
Who initiated the rising
Kerensky
What did the article written by kamenev state
That it would be a mistake to overthrow the pg
How did Kerensky interpret this article?
That a date had already been set
Who organised the October rising
Trotsky
What did the Soviets set up?
A revolutionary committee to organise the defence of Petrograd
What did Trotsky use his influence for?
Being accepted into being on the team to run the MRC
What did this mean Trotsky had at his disposal?
The only effective military force
What was Trotsky now in the position to do?
Draft plans for the overthrow of the PG
Who directed the red guards?
Trotsky
How many deaths occurred in the time it took for the Bolsheviks to seize power
Only 6
What had the desertions reduced the garrison to?
A small group of kadets, Cossacks and amazons
How much resistance was there by the pg?
None
How did the red guards enter the winter palace?
Through the back doors and defenders gave up
Who were the 14 names of the new government?
All SRs and Bolsheviks with Lenin as chief minister
