section 2: chapter12

Question 1

when did Lenin return to Russia

Answer 1

• 3rd April 1917

Question 2

Lenin’s April thesis demanded:

Answer 2

• power transferred to soviets
• war end immediately
• all land taken over + redistributed to peasants.
• sometimes referred to as ‘peace, bread + land’

Question 3

what did Lenin propose about dual power

Answer 3

• argued PS should refuse to cooperate with PG
• to allow middle classes to continue in power would only delay proletarian revolution

Question 4

what was the Bolsheviks response to Lenins return

Answer 4

• response was mixed
• some thought radical proposals would do more harm than good
• unrealistic to oppose PG as Bolsheviks still minority among socialists.

Question 5

who supported Lenin

Answer 5

• end of April - convinced majority of central committee of Bolshevik party
• july - Trotsky decided to support bolshevik cause

Question 6

what happened in June and July 1917 to restrict Lenins progress

Answer 6

• June - ‘all Russian congress of soviets’ = overwhelming vote of confidence in PG
• uncontrolled rioting during ‘July days’ blamed on Bolsheviks - Lenin fled to Finland + Bolshevik leaders imprisoned

Question 7

when and why did the bolshevik reputation rise + grow support

Answer 7

after their part in the ‘kornilov coup’ of august

Question 8

what happened in september 1917 for the Bolsheviks

Answer 8

won majority in PS (already controlled moscow soviet)
- Trotsky became chairman

Question 9

what were the membership figures of the bolsheviks in early October

Answer 9

• membership at 200,000 compared to 23,000 in feb

Question 10

what did Lenin demand from mid September

Answer 10

• (from finland) - that Bolshevik party central committee should stage Revolution + seize power

Question 11

what happened on the 15th September 1917

Answer 11

• Bolshevik party central committee voted against Lenins demands
• Zinoviev + Kamenev feared Russia not yet ready for revolution
• Trotsky hoped to win support of all socialist parties for a soviet gov w/out violence.

Question 12

outline the Bolshevik seizure of power
(7th -9th October 1917)

Answer 12

7-9 oct - Lenin secretly returned to Petrograd to persuade central committee to take power

Question 13

outline the Bolshevik seizure of power
(10th October 1917)

Answer 13

10th oct - persuaded central committee to vote for armed rising(vote-10:20)

Question 14

outline the Bolshevik seizure of power
(24th October 1917)

Answer 14

Kerensky tried to close 2 Bolshevik newspapers + raised bridges linking working class areas to Petrograd centre
- bolsheviks used this as an excuse to act

Question 15

outline the Bolshevik seizure of power
(25th October 1917)

Answer 15

Kerensky left petrograd for front - hoped for support from troops.
- remaining PG members met in winter palace
- Bolsheviks coordinated by Trotsky stormed palace + arrested them

Question 16

what happened on the 26th october 1917

Answer 16

• ‘all Russian congress of soviets’ opened
• not all approved of coup but congress voted for socialist gov
• majority of seats for new executive committee went to bolsheviks

Question 17

what did the executive committee establish as their new gov

Answer 17

’ the soviet of peoples commissars’
- all members bolshevik
-Lenin chairman

Question 18

what decrees did Lenin immediately introduce

Answer 18

• decree on peace
• decree on land
• workers control decree
• military decree
• nationalisation of banks

Question 19

why was the Bolsheviks position still ‘precarious’

Answer 19

• many bankers refused to provide finance
• Kerensky assembled army(outnumbered lenin)
• fighting between PG + bolshevik revolutionaries supporters
• railway workers went on strike

Question 20

what was the situation for the bolsheviks like by the end of 1917

Answer 20

• Kerenskys troops held back
• Bolsheviks dominated towns
• however, large areas of countryside still outside bolshevik control

Question 21

what methods did Lenin use to establish Bolshevik control

Answer 21

• propaganda campaign against ‘class enemies’ - particularly Bourgeoisie
• purge of civil service
• established new secret police body - Cheka