1.4 The Bolshevik Revolution

Why was it surprising that the Bolsheviks seized power by the end of 1917

This outcome was surprising because:

• they were just one of several revolutionary groups

• they had a fairly small number of supporters, and only 23,000 members (the total population of Russia at this time was 145 million); in early 1917, their main rivals - the Mensheviks - outnumbered them

• many Important Bolshevik figures were in exile Lenin, their overall leader, was in Switzerland

• like most revolutionary groups, the Bolsheviks had played next to no part in the February Revolution.

Why did the Germans want Lenin back in Russia

They were keen to cause as much upheaval in Russia as possible, in the hope that the Russians would pull out of the war. The German government hated Bolshevik political views, but felt that if Lenin returned to Russia it would cause trouble for the Provisional Government.

How did the Germans get Lenin back to Russia and who was he met by

The Germans arranged for Lenin, his wife Krupskava, and a small group of followers to cross Germany in a sealed train. Nobody was allowed to get on or off it. From Germany, Lenin travelled through neutral Sweden, and then Finland, to arrive by train at Petrograd's Finland Station on 3 April. There he was met by members of the Bolshevik leadership and their supporters.

Why was Lenin not pleased with the state of the Bolshevik Party

Two members of the Bolshevik leadership already in Petrograd - Kamenev and Stalin - were supporting the Provisional Government - as they thought that Russia was not yet ready for a further revolution. They were even considering reuniting with their old rivals, the Mensheviks, who had a lot more members.

What did Lenin do as soon as he arrived at the Finland Station

As soon as Lenin arrived at the Finland Station he rejected any idea of co-operation with the Provisional Government. Instead, he argued that the Bolsheviks should prepare to seize power from the Provisional Government and create what he described as a ‘workers' revolution'

What was the response to Lenin’s orders

Many of the Bolshevik leaders were shocked at what Lenin said They felt Lenin was out of touch with what was going on in Russia.

They also felt that he was ignoring one of their key communist beliefs: that a workers revolution could only happen in an advanced industrial country, and after capitalists had ruled a country for some time. In Russia, most people were still peasants and industrial growth was well behind that of Germany, France Britain and the USA. Some soldiers even muttered that they should stick their bayonets into Lenin!

Why was Lenin able to get his way

Finally though, Lenin had his way, and argued the other Bolsheviks round to his way of thinking. He was helped in this by new members who were joining the Bolsheviks. Many were workers, who were not interested in being cautious or waiting to take power instead, they wanted immediate action. By April, the membership of the Bolsheviks had risen to 75.000

What did Lenin demand for in his April Theses

• rejection of the Provisional Government

• all power to pass to the soviets

• workers to enjoy the wealth of Russia

• an end to the war

• taking over of land owned by rich landowner

What was Lenin aiming for with his April Theses

Lenin was aiming to increase support for the Bolsheviks among Russian workers, soldiers and peasants

Why did a Congress of Soviets meet in Petrograd in June 1917 and who were the representatives

In June, an All-Russian Congress of Soviets met in Petrograd. This was an attempt to set up a group to represent the many soviets that had sprung up across Russia.

There were just over 800 representatives at the meeting. Of these, 285 were SRs. 248 were Mensheviks and only 105 were Bolsheviks. This is a reminder that support for the Bolsheviks was limited at first, and the SRs were much more popular, especially with peasants.

What did Lenin announce at the congress but why was it rejected

At the congress, Lenin announced there was a party present that was ready to take control of the government - he meant the Bolsheviks. Most of those present thought his claim was absurd, and rejected it.

What started to convince more people to back Lenin

Active work by Bolsheviks - in factories, army units, and on ships of the Baltic feet at Kronstadt - began to convince many that if they backed Lenin, they could finally have a say in how Russia would be run and how its weaith would be shared.

Why did the Bolshevik ambitions fit in with the mood in Russia

Many ordinary workers, soldiers and sailors were even more radical than many of the leaders of the revolutionary parties. The suffering and turmoil of the war, and then the end of tsarism, had changed many people in Russia, Bolshevik ambitions fitted well with the new mood.

How were the Bolsheviks helped by the Germans and how ddi they use this support

The Bolsheviks were also helped by money secretly provided by Germany. With this assistance, they set up 41 newspapers across Russia by June.

What did the Congress of Soviets organise in June 1917 and what surprised people about it

The All-Russian Congress of Soviets organised a demonstration. Many were surprised to find that most of the banners workers carried at the demonstration had Bolshevik slogans on them. People had not yet realised how popular the Bolsheviks had become

How did the support for Bolsheviks in factories in June and July 1917 change

In the factories, the armed workers known as the Red Guards were becoming increasingly sympathetic to the Bolsheviks. Support for the Bolsheviks grew further after the Kornilov Revolt By July there were about 10.000 Red Guards in Petrograd.

How did army units protest against the June Offensive and who supported them

In July 1917 - in protest against the Provisional Government's June Offensive - army units in Petrograd refused to go to the front. They were supported by a large number of Petrograd factory workers, and also by sailors at the Kronstadt naval base, about 30 kilometres from Petrograd in the Gulf of Finland.

What did those protesting against the June Offensive do

On 3 July they marched on the Tauride Palace in Petrograd and demanded that the Petrograd Soviet take power. Workers, soldiers and sailors were turning out to be more revolutionary than the members of the soviet themselves.

Did the Bolsheviks organise the July Days and why did they continue the demonstration

Lenin was not in Petrograd at the time and the Bolshevik Central Committee was divided over what to do so they don’t seem to have organised it.

When they said the demonstration should continue, it was probably only because they feared disappointing the crowds if they said anything else.

Who was blamed for the July Days and what was the response from the Provisional Government

The Bolsheviks were blamed for organising the ‘July Days'.The Provisional Government brought soldiers in from the front to defend itself, and denounced the Bolsheviks as German spies. Lenin went into hiding and ended up back in Finland, Leading Bolsheviks were arrested, including Kamenev and Trotsky, who had recently left the Mensheviks to join the Bolsheviks.

Why did it seem to be the right time for the Bolsheviks to seize power

On 31 August, the Bolsheviks gained a majority in the Petrograd Soviet, and on 5 September they achieved the same position in Moscow.

What did Lenin write while hiding in Finland after the July Days, what did it say and who did this appeal to

He wrote a booklet called State and Revolution, in which he said, that once a revolution had succeeded, there would be a brief time in which the old classes and rulers would be swept away. Soon after that, there would be a classless society and the state would wither away.

This appealed to many ordinary Russians, who were tired of being controlled. It promised freedom - but said very little about the Bolshevik Party.

What did Lenin send from exile in Finland and how were the Bolsheviks doing at the time

Lenin sent messages back to Petrograd during September - demanding action.

By this time, the Bolsheviks had their headquarters in the Smolny institute in Petrograd

How convinced were the Bolsheviks that they could seize power and how convinced was Lenin

Other Bolsheviks were not convinced that they could successfully seize power and make a communist state work in such an underdeveloped country.

However, Lenin was convinced that a revolution in Russia would ignite others across Europe - particularly in Germany - this would help the revolution in Russia survive

When did Lenin return to Petrograd from his exile in Finland and what did he do in a meeting with the Bolsheviks

On 10 October, Lenin secretly returned to Petrograd.At a stormy meeting of 12 senior Bolsheviks, Lenin opposed by two leading Bolsheviks - Kamenev and Zinoviev - but finally argued a majority round to his way of thinking.

When did Lenin want to seize power but why did he leave planning to Trotsky and when did Trotsky want to seize power

Lenin wanted the Red Guards to seize power immediately. However, he was still spending much of his time in Finland, so had to leave the detailed planning to former Menshevik, Trotsky. Trotsky thought it would be better to seize power just before the second All-Russian congress of Soviets met later in October. The Congress would then be forced to accept what had been done

What was Trotsky elected as and what did this allow him to do

Trotsky had been elected the chairman of the Petrograd Soviet. This gave him an opportunity to use its Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) to seize power. The committee had been set up to defend Petrograd from a German attack, and was largely Bolshevik in its membership.

What did the MRC have by October 23, what did this mean for the Bolsheviks and what happened when Lenin returned to Petrograd again

By 23 October, the MRC had control over all soldiers in Petrograd, including those in the powerful Peter-Paul Fortress. The Bolsheviks were now in a position to make their move.

By the time that Lenin returned to Petrograd once more - on the night of 24-25 October - he found, to his relief, that the revolution had already started.

How did both Lenin and Trotsky contribute to the revolution

Trotsky organised the seizure of power and Lenin persuaded the Bolshevik leadership that it was right to take power

What were the Red Guards doing when Lenin returned to Petrograd

On the same night that Lenin returned to Petrograd (24-25 October) Red Guards occupied key positions in the city.

What was happening when the second All-Russian Congress of Soviets gathered, who protested and what was the response

As the second All-Russian Congress of Soviets gathered - on the afternoon of 25 October - fighting was still going on across the city. Mensheviks and SRs protested that the Bolsheviks were seizing power without the agreement of the other revolutionary groups. They were ignored - and so walked out of the congress in protest.

What did the Red Guards and sailors do on October 25 and what signalled their attack

On the evening of 25 October, Red Guards and sailors from Kronstadt advanced on the old tsarist Winter Palace - where the Provisional Government had its headquarters. Their attack was signalled by blank shots fired from a naval vessel, the cruiser Aurora, anchored nearby.

Who defended the palace and what did Kerensky do earlier that day

The palace was defended by officer cadets and a women's battalion - Kerensky could not persuade more experienced troops to support him anymore. Earlier that day he had driven round the city, in a car borrowed from the American Embassy, trying - and falling - to find soldiers to fight for him and the Provisional Government.

What happened at the fight for the palace and what happened to the members of the Provisional Government

The palace fell to the Bolsheviks with hardly a fight.Red Guards climbed in through the windows until they outnumbered the Inexperienced defenders. Some ministers of the Provisional Government were arrested, but Kerensky escaped and eventually fled from Russia

When did the fight for the palace end, who declared that the Bolsheviks had taken power, and when did this news spread to the rest of the country

By the early hours of 26 October, it was all over. It was declared at the Congress of Soviets that the Bolsheviks had taken power across Russia. In fact, the fighting went on for several days in Moscow, and it would be some time before news of what was going on in Petrograd spread to the rest of the country.

What were the reasons for Bolshevik success in the October Revolution

• The Provisional Government lacked support and made itself even more unpopular by continuing the war. The Kornilov Revolt further weakened it.

• The Bolsheviks were not associated with support for the Provisional Government. Lenin provided strong leadership and Trotsky was a skilled organiser. They also had financial help from the German government.

• Slogans such as “Bread. Peace. Land” summed up the popular mood and were easily understood. These promises appealed to workers, soldiers and peasants

• The Bolsheviks were more in tune with the radical demands of workers, soldiers and peasants in 1917 than the other revolutionary parties