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'