What were the main causes of the October revolution Flashcards
What were the fundamental problems with the provisional government
- It was not an elected body, having come into being as a
rebellious committee of the old duma, it lacked
legitimate authority and had no constitutional claim on
the loyalty of the Russian people.
-Its authority was limited by an unofficial partnership with
the Petrograd soviet
Why did the Provisional Government lack any ‘real’ power even before it came into governance
- The Petrograd Soviet was a unity between the
soldiers, sailors and workers of Russia - On 1st March 1917 order number 1 was issued
- This order meant that the decrees of the Provisional
Government were not binding unless approved by the
Petrograd Soviet - This made it clear the Provisional Government did not
hold power over its army and therefore could be
removed at any time
What were the main causes of the October revolution
- The return of Lenin to Petrograd in April 1917
- July days
- Kornilov affair (Actions of the Provisional Gov)
- The chaos ensuing Russia
What was the significance of Lenin returning to Petrograd in April 1917 to the October revolution
- leaders Kamenev and Stalin, who had led the
Bolsheviks after the abdication of the tsar, had accepted
the formation of the Dual Authority. Kamenev even
believed in the possibility of a restoration of
relationships with the Mensheviks. - On the 3rd April 1917 Lenin returned to Russia from
exile - Germany had funded this transportation as they
believed a stronger Bolshevik party would increase the
chance of the Russian pulling out of the war. It was of
great significance, One German official likened it to
the transportation of a deadly virus in a test tube - Lenin changed all this and condemned the Russian
government as a parliamentary-bourgeois republic - Introduced the April theses
- He insisted that the bolshevik was only a truly
revolutionary proletarian party and condemned the
provisional government, calling for its overthrow in a
genuine revolution
What were the April theses
- A new fundamental policy formed by lenin for the
Bolshevik party - these included;
- abandon all co-operation with other parties
- Work for a true revolution
- overthrow the Provisional Government
- Demand that authority pass over to the soviets
How did the July days show the October revolution was not inevitable ‘3rd to 6th july’
-On the island of Kronstadt sailors and workers defied
the central authorities and set up their own central
government
- This tempted a number of revolutionaries in Petrograd
into thinking the opportunity had come for them to bring
down the provisional government - The uprising itself was a confused, disorderly affair. In
the course of the three days, the demonstrators fell out
amongst themselves; those members of the society who
seemed reluctant to make a bid for real power were
physically attacked. This disunity made it easy for the
Provisional Government to crush the uprising. - It showed that the opposition movement was still united, the Bolsheviks were far from the dominant party and the Provisional Government still had sufficient strength to put down the armed insurrection
- Lenin exiled to Finland and prominent Bolsheviks
arrested - However it gave revolutionaries, particularly Lenin, the
confidence that the hunger was there for a revolution
and it was possible with greater strength - It showed that the revolution of October was not
inevitable - the Kornilov coup changed this
How did the Kornilov coup contribute to the October revolution
- General Kornilov of the army had never accepted the
February revolution as legitimate - He believed that for Russia to defeat Germany,
socialism in the country must be destroyed first - Kornilov intended to bring his troops to Petrograd out
of fear that they were on the verge of being
overthrown - Kerensky misunderstood Kornilovs aims and in suspicion
feared he was threatening an uprising. He called on all
Citizens to take up arms and released Bolsheviks
from the prisons. They were provided with arms from the
Provisional Government - In a strange twist of the story of 1917, the Bolsheviks
were being given given arms by the very government
they pledged to overthrow - The Bolsheviks benefited extraordinarily from the
Kornilov coup. They had been able to present
themselves as the defenders of Petrograd and the
revolution, and thereby, diverting attention away from
the failures of the July Days - It also gave Lenin the confidence that the Provisional
government was in a state of absolute chaos and
showed how vulnerable they were - The affair undermined any gains of the Provisional
Government in the July days
How did the great chaos ensuing Russia contribute to the October revolution
Peasant land war-
With the fall of the Tsar in February 1917, the peasants were desperate for a share of the land and many were eager to take revenge on the wealthy land-owners who had caused them so much misery. Manor houses were looted and burned. Grain was seized and livestock driven off. Farm machines and tools were carried away. Whatever could not be taken away was destroyed.
100 million villagers, biggest in history
Army Mutiny- on the eastern front it was also experiencing the biggest military mutiny in history – a revolt of 10 million soldiers. Trenches were decorated with white flags to show that no aggressive action would be taken. Officers who attempted to enforce discipline were ignored and sometimes killed.
What occurred after the February 1917 revolution
- Two groups formed in a dual authority: the Provisional
Committee and the Petrograd Soviet. - Provisional Committee: represented reformist elements
of the old duma - Petrograd Soviet: represented the workers and
rebellious troops
What improvements did the Provisional bring to Russian society? what were there significance
- amnesty for political prisoners
- legal recognition of trade unions
- an eight hour day for industrial workers
- replacement of the tsarist police with a peoples militia
These progressive measures were responsible for the harmonious relationship between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet between February and April. However, noticeably these changes did not touch upon the critical issues of the war and the land. It was these that would destroy the partnership of Dual Authority and it was Lenin who would begin the process of destruction.
