developments between revolution chapter 3 Russian

Lenin's Return:

• Lenin had been in exile, but the German government facilitated his return to Russia in April 1917 This was a strategic move by Germany to destabilize Russia.

• Lenin arrived in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) on April 3, 1917.

The April Theses (April 1917):

• These were Lenin’s key ideas were a radical departure from the direction that many other Bolsheviks, including Kamenev and Zinoviev, were proposing.

  • No support for the Provisional Government:

  • "Peace, Land, and Bread": Lenin’s slogan that appealed to the soldiers, the peasants and the workers

  • End of the War:

  • All power to the Soviets:

  • Socialist Revolution:

  • April 7, 1917

Impact of the April Theses:

• initially faced strong opposition from some Bolshevik leaders, like Kamenev and Zinoviev, who feared that a direct confrontation with the Provisional Government was premature.

  However, Lenin’s message resonated with the soldiers and the workers, who were disillusioned with the PG’s failure to end the war and address social issues.

the July Days (July 1917)

• The July Days (3-7 July 1917):

  • A series of demonstrations and uprisings took place in Petrograd, involving mostly soldiers, workers, and Bolshevik supporters. The protests were initially directed at the Provisional Government's war policies and demand for land reform.

    The Bolsheviks were not fully in control but blamed by the PG resulting in a setback for the Bolsheviks

Outcome:

• The Provisional Government successfully suppressed the uprising, and many Bolshevik leaders, including Trotsky, were arrested. Lenin went into hiding in Finland.

The Kornilov Coup (August 1917)

• The Coup:

  • General Kornilov attempted to march on Petrograd and overthrow the Provisional Government, believing it was too weak and ineffective in managing the crisis of war and the economy.

  • Kornilov's plan was supported by right-wing and military figures who wanted to restore a strong central authority in Russia.

Aftermath of the Coup:

• The outcome of the Kornilov Coup significantly weakened the Provisional Government and increased Bolshevik influence. Kerensky’s position was damaged, and the Bolsheviks emerged as heroes of the defense of Petrograd.

• Many soldiers and workers now looked to the Bolsheviks as a strong alternative to the Provisional Government.

The June offensive

The June Offensive (June 18–19, 1917)

• Kerensky’s Decision: Despite the poor morale and the challenges faced by the Russian Army, Kerensky, under pressure from the Allies, decided to launch a major military offensive. The goal was to seize Galicia and try to gain a strategic advantage over the Austro-Hungarian and German forces on the Eastern Front.

It was a complete disaster,leading to mass desertions and a complete breakdown of army discipline

• 400,000 Russian casualties

• Desertion rates spiked — thousands fled the front

how did lenin respond to the february revolution

Lenin returned to Russia from exile with the help of the german government ,who were hoping he would cause distraction to their war effort, and called for the overthrow of the Provisional Government, advocating for a socialist revolution led by the Soviets. He emphasized the need for immediate peace, land redistribution, and workers' control of production.

Order number one

Petrograd Soviet stated soldiers should only follow orders approved by the Soviet.

the real power lay quite clearly with the soviet undermined the pg authority

march 1 1917

The soviet controlled

-which factories stayed open

-which services such as electricity would be provided

-the pg could not move or send messages without the soviet knowing

Why didnt the soviet just take power?

many of its leaders believed the time was not right for the workers to form the government. The mensheviks and SRs had to go through a “bourgeoise” revolution before the workers could assume power

Bolshevik membership 1917

February 1917: ~10,000 Bolsheviks

• October 1917: ~250,000

PG weaknesses

• Weak, unelected, lacked legitimacy

• Continued WWI – major mistake

• Failed to deal with land reform, food shortages, or inflation

• Lost army support (Kornilov Coup)

• Could not act decisively against Bolsheviks

the detoriating eocnomic situation

food shortages,unemployemnt and high prices had sparked the feb revolution yet these still did not go away . angering workers as 568 factories closed bewteen febraury and july with the loss of 100,000 jobs

was the provisional government doomed from the start

The provisional government was a temporary body and did not have the power to enforce its decisions - arguably too much was being expected of it in a short amount of time

It would not end the war or legitimise the rights of peasants to redistribute the land and lost a lot of support

the bolsheviks capitalised on their failures and radicalised the workers