Why was there a Bolshevik revolution in Oct 1917? (c)

problems inherited by the Provisional Government

- Political instability
e.g Tsar abdication +
--> The 'Dual control' = shared power w the Petrograd soviet
- key areas of gov that the PG had no control over because it answered to the PS e.g. the railways system + post service
- made it hard for the gov to ^ transportation off oof to the cities for example
--> The PS had a rule called 'Order Number 1' = they had the final say on military matters
- damaged PG authority
- gov could not work effectively if its orders were only followed if another organisation gave its permission
--> PS = elected but PG = not
- weakened authority

- war
--> Food shortages, unemployment, trade, fuel shortages

Mistakes made by the PG 1

DELAYING ELECTIONS
- although they intended to call elections for the Constituent Assembly, delaying them made them look like they were trying to stay in power without being elected
DELAYING REFORMS
- the peasants wanted more land, taken from the landlords. The PG did not act on this, believing that whatever land reform was carried out should be decided by the CA.
ALLOWING MORE FREEDOM
- introduced greater freedom of speech (now legal to hold meetings + set up political parties)
- although it may have reduced the autocracy of the tsar's rule
- allowed people to openly criticise the pG
- June offensive
CONTINUING THE WAR
- most people want Russia out of the war as soon as possible
lost authority/control

Mistakes made by the PG 2

- Kornilov revolt - weakened support for PG + Kerensky
--> ordinary people increasingly gave their support to the Bs (and in the countryside, to the socialist revolutionary party)

- Army + navy had lost all discipline and the PG could no longer count on the armed forces to maintain law + order in the cities

- peasant were seizing land all over Russia
--> could not be stopped -= lost support from landowners

- The German army was advancing into Russia
--> Petrograd = in real danger of being attacked + captured by the enemy, and plans were made to move the capital to Moscow
--> B's used this opportunity to claim that Keresky was planning to surrender Petrograd to the Germans

- Kerensky could have acted more decisively to crush the B's after the July days but underestimated how quickly their support would grow

Lenin's leadership and actions

- organized the B takeover of power in Petrograd, following Lenin's strategy
--> Trotsky's clever tactics meant the troops were used very effectively and there was very little opposition
- His brilliant speeches were very important in the increase of support for the B's
- Trotsky's role as president of the PS gave the Bs control of the Military Revolutionary Committee, which made it easier to control the military in Petrograd to support the takeover of power
- There could have been a negative reaction against Bs because it could have been seen as though Lenin was simply seizing power for himself
--> Trosky set up the takeover so it looked as if the soviets were taking control of Russia, not just the Bs