Lenin's Emergence into Power
Overview
Bolshevik party began attracting a lot of support
became the main opposition to Provisional Government
frustrations of the workers and soldiers resulted in the July Days
partly organised by some of the middle-level members of the Bolsheviks
Bolsheviks weren't ready and the revolution attempt lost its momentum
Bolsheviks embarrassed - not as disciplined or organised as some had thought
could have worked in their favour - this failure caused the Provisional Government to underestimate them
September 1917: Kornilov Revolt Kornilov tried to gain forceful control of Petrograd
Kornilov tried to gain forceful control of Petrograd
Kerensky panicked and asked the Bolsheviks to help
raised the public profile of the Bolsheviks
after the affair, Lenin urged the other Bolshevik party leaders to start a revolution immediately
Trotsky persuaded Lenin to put off the revolution until the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
to that the Bolsheviks could claim to have seized power in the name of the soviets
24-26 October: Bolsheviks attempt to seize power - successfully realised
many people supported the idea of the Soviets having power, but not the idea of the Bolsheviks running a single-party state
Rise of the Bolsheviks
Stalin, Kamenev and Molotov were the first Bolshevik ministers to return to Russia
had been hiding in Switzerland and Siberia
initial actions were to survey the actions of the provisional government and support the actions of the soviet
April: Lenin returned to Russia in a sealed train
aided by Germany - wished to destabilise Russia (Lenin a good candidate to do so)
transporting Lenin was like 'transporting a deadly virus in a test tube' [German official]
upon his return he released his April Theses:
All Power to the Soviet
Soviet should have complete governmental power
appealed to workers and soliders
the best chance for Bolsheviks to seize power legally
All Land to the Peasants
all land given straight to the peasant for them to sort out themselves
rather than provisional government's slow ideal to form a constituent assembly
popular with the peasants
Make Peace in the War
popular with soldiers
people fed up fighting a losing battle and wanted it to end
strong patriots possibly disliked this policy, but most welcomed a surrender
Factors Which Allowed Lenin to Seize Power
The Kornilov Affair
The July Days
The June Offensive
Weakness of Political Government
Continued Impact of WWI
Social, Economic and Political Issues
Ideological Appeal of Lenin and Bolshevism
Role of Trotsky in Executing the Revolution
The October Revolution (1917)
led to more support for extremist parties
Middle class:
land and agriculture:
methods inefficient and backwards
growing number of merchants, bankers and industrialists
wanted participation in politics
even after Stolypin's reforms they were still far behind the West
Wooden ploughs still used
few animals or tools
not enough land to go around
due to high peasant population
therefore, much competition
urban workers and industry:
approx. 58% literate
therefore, could articulate their revolutionary ideas
wages low
high numbers of accidents and deaths in the workplace
industry not great, but rapid increase in production of raw materials pushed workers hard
inflation
1914-1917 increased by 400%
crisis in cities
all these led to social tensions in cities
poor housing
poor living/working conditions
overcrowded
heightened the socio-economic issues in Russia
there was less food, goods and raw materials
hundreds of factories were closing, putting people out of work
led to inflation and hostility towards the provisional government
peasants were angered by conscription and the fact that land wasn't being officially distributed to them
hadn't truly been elected by the people
it had been put in place by the February revolution itself
put together from the remnants of the fourth Duma - that only gentry and bourgeois had had a say in originally
because Nicholas II had denied voting to the proletariat
therefore, they disliked the 3rd and 4th Dumas
and as a consequence disliked the provisional government
divisions in the provisional government
made it a less effective form of government
socialists and liberals often couldn't agree on policies
this crippled their ability to enforce control over the country
provisional government only had control over government affairs
the soviet was in charge of the industry, railways and army
made the provisional government even weaker
provisional government passed a legislation that decreased censorship
allowed freedom of speech, press, political parties
dismantled the secret police
more difficult to quell uprisings
allowed parties to mobilise better and attract members more easily
an unsuccessful offensive by Russia in WWI
lasted 3 days before it fell apart
increased support towards the Bolshevik policy of peace in the war
spontaneous and leaderless
but had been organised by a few middle Bolsheviks
500,000 soldiers, workers and sailors who rebelled in Kronstadt
later marched to Petrograd to overthrow provisional government
rebellion failed because provisional government maintained control of some loyal troops
damaged the reputation of the Bolsheviks
they had failed and were blamed for the whole fiasco
Fitzpatrick: 'the whole affair damaged Bolsheviks morale and Lenin's credibility as a revolutionary leader'
additional results
Bolshevik newspaper (Pravda) shut down
Bolshevik leaders (including Trotsky and Kamenev) arrested
Lenin fled to Finland
returned in September
provisional government launched a campaign that branded Lenin and his comrades as traitors
August 1917
General Kornilov took his army and marched to Petrograd to overthrow the Provisional government
why?
Kornilov was frustrated at the way the provisional government were handling the war and politics in general
provisional government defence force small
Kerensky panicked
he armed the Bolsheviks and released them from prison so that they could help in the defence
Kornilov's army didn't reach Petrograd
some of them mutinied
railway workers were loyal to the provisional government and delayed their progress
results
made government look weak - major army generals were challenging them
made Bolsheviks look strong
seen as the defenders of Petrograd
had been armed
propaganda opportunity - relished in their increase of support from the public
developed Red Army
essential in the civil war (won)
Lenin's political ideas attracted a lot of support among Russian citizens
most notable the April Theses
theses had been designed to attract support from as many people as possible
Lenin was a talented orator
less talented at improvisation
speeches he prepared were effective
he made effective use of snappy slogans
'all power to the soviets'
'bread, peace and land'
the only party calling for an immediate end to the war
another factor which made them stand out
Lenin pushed for a revolution among the other Bolshevik leaders
Trotsky chairman of the Petrograd Soviet in 1917
gave him lots of power over the city
an excellent speaker
persuaded the Soviet that the Bolsheviks were to seize power in the name of the Soviet
recognised that this was their best chance at achieving a successful revolution
many non-Bolsheviks supported their policy of all power to the Soviet
but wouldn't support a Bolshevik single party state - which was a fear
Trotsky persuaded Lenin to wait until October for the revolution
so that the Bolsheviks had firmly grasped control over the soviets
Lenin had a tough time persuading other Bolshevik leaders to pursue a revolution (after the one in July had failed)
Trotsky organised all of the revolution
Lenin's strong character eventually persuaded them
with input from Trotsky - revolution was postponed until day before the Second Congress of All-Russian Soviets (25th October 1917)
would be easier for the Bolsheviks to claim that they were taking power in the name of the Soviets
the seizure of all power
key positions were seized by Bolsheviks and Red Guards
Stalin wrote in the Pravda in November 1918: 'all practical work in connection with the organisation of the uprising was done under the immediate direction of comrade Trotsky'
(e.g. railways, telephone exchanges, banks and post offices)
Bolsheviks seized control of the Winter Palace (remarkably easily)
when Congress of Soviets met the next day, Lenin announced that the Soviets had seized power
even though it was the Bolsheviks who had
Lenin announced that the Bolsheviks would be filling minister positions in the reformed, soviet-based government
Revolutionaries and Mensheviks walked out in protest
Trotsky: 'you have played out your role. Go where you belong to the dust heap of history'