Russia chapter 3 Flashcards
Dual control
Provisional government was ruling only with the support of the Petrograd soviet.
Petrograd soviet
Workers and soldiers who supported the revolution.
Provisional government
12 members of the Duma (middle class)
Power vacuum
After the Tsar abdicated there was a whole that needed filling.
The 8 principles of government
- Political prisoners set free.
- Freedom of speech & more.
- No class, religion, nationality discrimination.
- Preparations for a constituent assembly.
- Police replaced by the milita.
- Local governments elected.
- Military units not sent to fight.
- soldiers have the same rights as civilians.
Weaknesses of the provisional government
- Temporary
- Shared power
- Relied on the PS
Mistakes of the provisional government
- Social issues not resolved
- Giving people rights (they could openly complain)
- Staying in the war.
Who was the petrograd soviet set up by?
The Mensheviks.
Who did the petrograd soviet first represent?
Factory workers but soon was dominated by soldiers.
Sections could have as many as 3000 people in them.
Therefore the executive committee made most of the actual decisions.
Why did the petrograd soviet not take power early on?
- They didn’t because it believed it was too early to do so.
- Russia had many problems, and it did not want to get blamed.
- They decided to use its power to influence government policies in the interests of the people.
When did Lenin return to Russia?
- By 1917 he had been in exile for 10 years.
- The Germans allowed him to go through the country on a train.
- Finland station - 03/04/1917
What was the April theses
Lenin wrote what he would give to the people on the train.
Two simple slogans:
“Peace, Bread, Land”
“All power to the soviets”
What was the makeup of the congress of soviets in June
13% Bolsheviks (very small party)
66% was SRs and Mencheviks
How did support for the Bolsheviks grow in the summer of 1917.
- Lenin made many speeches.
- By June there were 41 Bolshevik newspapers.
- The Bolsheviks set up ‘Red Guards’ of armed workers under the leadership of Leon Trotsky. By July there were 10,000 ‘Red Guards’ in Petrograd.
Why did people up-rise between the 3rd and 7th of July (The July days)
The failure of the June Offensive
The continuing shortages.
What happened in the July days?
- Started by anarchist revolutionaries.
- Thousands of workers and soldiers marched calling for power.
- The Bolsheviks joined in.
The PG sent in loyal troops and around 400 people were killed. - Lenin fled to Finland,
- Trotsky was arrested.
Who did Prime minister Kerensky appoint and why?
He appointed General Kornilov to restore discipline in the army and to help him stop unrest in Petrograd.
When did Kerensky appoint Kornilov?
18th of July 1917
What happened on the 24th of August 1917
Kornilov tried to shut down the Petrograd Soviet and sent troops to Petrograd.
Kerensky had no other choice but to release from jail and arm the Bolsheviks to defend the city.
How did the Kornilov revolt boost support for the Bolsheviks?
- Seen as heroes for saving Petrograd.
- Many Bolsheviks elected to the Soviets.
- Bolsheviks gained control of the Petrograd Soviet and Trotsky was elected President.
- 40,000 Bolshevik supporters kept their weapons.
How did the Kornilov revolt weaken the provisional government?
- Kerensky looked weak because he needed Bolshevik help to defend Petrograd.
- 2 million soldiers deserted and returned to their villages. Many murdered their own officers!
- Peasants seized land across the Russian countryside.
When did Lenin return to Russia after the Kornilov revolt?
The 10th of October from Finland and persuaded the Bolsheviks to agree to an armed takeover of power.
Why did the Petrograd Soviet set up the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC)
To bring together all the Soviet supporting soldiers in Petrograd. By the 21st October most of Petrograd’s regiments were loyal to the MRC.
What happened during the night of 24-25 of October 1917
The Red Guards seized most key areas of the city.
