The Bolshevik Seizure Of Power Flashcards
What was the new government created by the Duma to run Russia until the constituent assembly?
Provisional government
Who was the PM of the provisional government?
Prince G E Lvov - progressive noble who had successfully run zemstvos Union sending materials and medical supplies to the front
When was the Petrograd soviet formed?
27 Feb 1917
When was the provisional government formed?
2 March 1917
When was order 1 issued?
March 1 1917
When is the first all Russian congress of soviets?
3 June 1917
When does kerensky become PM?
8 July 1917
Who was the strongest group in the provisional government?
Leaders
What was the Petrograd soviet?
Workers and socialists (mainly Mensheviks) created it to protect workers interests
How many members did the Petrograd soviet have by the 3 March 1917?
1300
What do soviet order no 1 do?
Gave soldiers committees all control of all weapons and that soldiers would carry out PG orders so long as soviet agreed
Describe dual power
PG was the popularly accepted government but the real power lay with the soviet
What did the soviet control?
Soldiers in Petrograd Railways Power supplies Telegraph network Factories
Why did the soviets allow the provisional government to govern?
Didn’t want to make excuse for a counter revolution
Socialist leaders of soviet had little idea how to run a govt
Socialist leaders didn’t think time was right to take control - only going through bourgeois democratic revolution
What were the first few measures taken by the PG that met with public approval?
Tsarist ministers and officials arrested and imprisoned
Secret police disbande d
Death penalty abolished
Freedom of press, speech and religious freedom
Elections to constituent opinion run by secret ballot and universal suffrage
What did Lvov encourage localities to do?
Run their own affairs
What was the trouble with the aftermath of the revolution?
Great wave of expectation built up and new govt couldn’t meet hopes and aspirations of all the different groups of Russian society
What were the main issues facing the provisional govt?
War Land and peasant National minorities Social reform Deteriorating economic situation in the cities
What do the kadets want to do about the war issue?
Continue war didn’t want national shame, loss of territory and humiliating sueing Germans for peace would entail
Financial support to save state from bankruptcy only guaranteed if Russia stayed in wat
What was the first crisis for the PG at the end of April?
Milyukov minister of war committed to an aggressive war and wanted territorial gains - angered socialists - anti war demonstrations in Petrograd - forced to resign
What was war causing?
Huge strain on economy and prevented PG from dealing with social reform and other issues at home
Army discipline breaking down
How did kerensky throw himself into July offensive? (Major offensive against Germans?
Propaganda campaign Toured the fringes giving patriotic speeches - got middle class civilians to volunteer to fight in shock battalions but was less successful with soldiers who were unwilling to fight
When did the July offensive being?
16 June and lasted for about three days
What did the July offensive cause?
Fell apart thousands of soldiers killed - pushed soldiers towards Bolsheviks and led to armed uprising in Petrograd - July days - socialist leaders in PG lost credibility with soldiers and workers
What did the peasants see the Feb Rev as?
Chance to get remaining estates distributed with compensation and wanted land question answered
How did the PG feel about the lad question?
Wanted constituent assembly to resolve it
Why did the PG want the constituent assembly to resolve the land question?
Many liberals in PG came from landed gentry so didn’t want their property handed over to peasants - wanted landowner compensation
Worried a land free for all would leans to disintegration of the army
What did the peasants do because the PG didn’t solve the land question?
Began taking land without government sanction - took livestock tools timber and anything from private estates
Why did land seizures increase during the summer 1917?
PG blocked Chernovs proposal for peasants having the right to use land from private estates with the owner ship sorted out later
How many land seizure cases were reported July 1917?
237
How did the PG mishandle peasant relations?
Didn’t solve land question
Tried to make press ants agree to fixed grain prices to feed the cities but peasants thought prices too low and refused - army sent to requisition grain
What happened to the national minorities when the tsarist regime collapsed?
They either demanded outright independence like the Finns or poles or wanted more autonomy like the Caucasus
What did the kadets believe about the national minorities?
Determined to maintain integrity of the empire
Beloved Russia would remain great power if it kept all its regions together in q centrally governed state
What did the socialists believe about the national minorities?
Non Russians should EU their own affairs and have more self government
What came to a head over Ukraine?
National minorities crisis - Ukrainians demanded self govt socialists in govt made concessions to them three kadet ministers resigned 2 July outraged
What were the workers like after the Feb Rev?
New sense of assertiveness - had achieved some of their aims - factory committees demanded more active role - workers had become politicised but economic demands still top of their agenda
Weren’t getting the reforms and improved conditions they expected
