The Bolshevik Revolution

Question 1

who arranged for Lenin return from exile and what was their sim in doing so

Answer 1

Germans
- hoped that Lenin would create upheaval in Russia and made them pull out of the war, give then one less enemy to fight

Question 2

where was Lenin exiled to

Answer 2

Switzerland

Question 3

what were the old Bolshevik members reaction to Lenin’s ideas after his return

Answer 3

• April Theses a shock: thought he was ignoring key communist belief - workers’ revolution could only happen in a advanced industrial country - Russia industrial growth very behind Germany, France, Britain, USA
• new members of the now risen numbers of 75,000 Bolsheviks helped in supporting Lenin’s decision of immediate action - they were not interested in waiting
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Question 4

What was the ‘April Thesis’ and what did the demands include?

Answer 4

April 1917, Lenin set out manifesto of how working class out take control of Russia
Demands included:
1. End the War: a capitalist and imperialist conflict that threatened the revolution
2. transfer all power to soviets: for all governments from local to national
Prov Gov should not be supported
3. Take land from rich landowners and give to peasants through agricultural soviets

Question 5

support for the Bolsheviks grew because of what 3 things:

Answer 5

1. Lenin’s ‘April Theses’: showed Bolsheviks had *clear + powerful message** for workers, peasants and soldiers
2. German secretly funding Bolsheviks campaigning –> 41 newspapers set up across Russia by June
3. Bolshevik newspapers in most Russian cities constantly criticised the failures of the Provisional Government

Question 6

what was Lenin’s new slogan that said that power to govern Russia should all go to the soviets

Answer 6

‘All power to the soviets!’
- Russia’s power to soviets:
- worker’s soviets to run factories
- agriculture soviets to run rural districts
- regional + city soviets + congresses of soviets making decisions at national level

Question 7

what was Lenin’s other slogan which a better future?

Answer 7

‘Peace, Land, Bread’
If Bolsheviks had power, promised:
- end Russia’s involvement in war
- give land to peasants
- end food shortages in the cities

Question 8

what were the ‘July Days’ and what were the dates

Question 9

why did the uprisings of the July Days start

Answer 9

• food shortages
• failure of June Offensive

Question 10

did the Bolsheviks join the demonstrations and if so why?

Answer 10

Yes:
Lenin believed right time to overthrow the Provisional Government

Question 11

why did Petrograd Soviets not support the July Days and help the Provisional Government instead

Answer 11

its Menshevik members did not trust the Bolsheviks

Question 12

How did the Provisional government defend Petrograd

Answer 12

• brought soldiers from the front to defend itself
• denounced the Bolsheviks as German spies

Question 13

were did Lenin flee to during the July Days

Answer 13

Finland fleeing in disguise

Question 14

what were they consequences for the Bolsheviks as they were blamed for starting the revolt

Answer 14

Key members arrested : Kamenev + Trotsky

Question 15

what statistic shows that the Kornilov Revolt boosted Bolsheviks support

Answer 15

• by October 1917: Bolsheviks had 340,000 members

Question 16

what did Lenin do that shows that despite the failure of the July Days he felt that it was the right time to overthrow the provisional Government

Answer 16

10th October: Lenin secretly returned to Petrograd from exile in Finland
- arranged meeting with 12 senior Bolshevik party members and convinced them to support new attempt to seize power

Question 17

when did Trotsky plan to seize power , and how was it different to Lenin’s

Answer 17

• Lenin wanted Red Guards to seize power immediately - but still in Finland
• Trotsky thought better to seize power just before the 2nd All-Russian Congress of Soviets met later in October

Question 18

how did Trotsky’s position as chairman of Petrograd Soviet help him succeed in seizing power for the Bolsheviks?

Answer 18

• had been elected chairman of Petrograd Soviet –> gave him opportunity to use its Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) to seize power

Question 19

what did Kerensky do as he tried to stop the Bolsheviks seize power

Answer 19

24 October: Kerensky ordered:
- closing Bolshevik newspaper
- blocking river crossings between ** city centre and working class districts**
- calling for arrest of MRC

Question 20

Trotsky used the MRC to take control of what 3 things:

Answer 20

• road and canal bridges
• army headquarters
• telegraph offices

Question 21

by the night of 24 - 25 October, what had the Red Guards done

Answer 21

occupied key positions in the city

Question 22

what happened in the night of the 25th - 26th October

Answer 22

Bolshevik soldiers climber through windows of olf tsarists Winter Palace (Prov Gov headquarters) + arrested remaining **members of Provisional Government

Question 23

why was the Provisional Government so easy to defeat during the raid of the Winter Palace

Answer 23

palace was only defended ny officer cadets + womens battalion
- Kerensky could not persuade experienced troops to fight for Provisional Government

Question 24

what council was formed on the 26 October and why

Answer 24

Council of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom) - formed by Lenin
- many socialists left the Soviet in protest at the Bolsheviks actions

Question 25

why was the October Revolution successful

Answer 25

• Lenin was single - minded with a clear plan of attack
• Lenin made sure Bolsheviks were in charge not any other revolutionary group
• Kerensky* didn’t take Bolsheviks **revolution seriously after July Days
• Kerensky didn’t disband the Red Guards after Kornilov affair
• Trotsky was amazing planner –> formed the Red Guards into effective fighting force
• the Provisional Government had become unpopular and no one stook up to defend it