What was the main factor that allowed the Bolsheviks to rise to power in 1917 and why?

War Effect

Provisional Govt.

Bolshevik Strength

P. lack of strength in the Tsar/his abdication

P. Home Front

P. October Revolution

P. Lenin

N. July Days

backfired

led to chaos and Pravda was closed

N. democracy

meant that the Bolsheviks may not have been voted in

Lenin fled

P. Kerensky

on both sides of the party

unable to make firm decisions

poor decisions after the Kornilov coup

P. Dual Authority

no clear answers in Govt

P. Peace, Bread and All Power to the Soviets

April Theses

arguments over leaving the war

inflation

P. Order No 1

storming the Winter Palace

Feb Revolution

250,000 workers went on strike 25 Feb

gained a lot of support

able to lead the Bolsheviks from Finland

lack of communnication

P. Didn't improve policies

never redistributed land to the peasants

left decisions to the new elected government later on

socialist party has one million members

seized the capital (Petrograd)

food shortages

decreased wages

300% rise in the cost of living

took charge of the army himself, too nervous ad not commanding enough

abdicated in March

all decisions in the war had to be authorised by the Soviet

gave the Soviet more power in the war than the Prov Govt

N. Lenin connections to Germany

travelled in a sealed carriage through Germany to Russia

less trusting of him