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Key facts to support detailed appraisal of the roles of Lenin &…
Key facts to support detailed appraisal of the roles of Lenin & Trotsky in the events of 1917
Trotsky
Contributed the military brain
Shared Lenin's ideas on permanent revolution
Quickly established his influence, joining the Executive committee of the All-Russian congress of Soviets
After prison he became a committed Bolshevik
Was elected chairman of the Petrograd Soviet
Was an expert strategist and he immediately set about turning the Soviet into an arm of the Bolshevik party
He called for the creation of "military revolutionary centre"
It was largely left to Trotsky to organise the revolution
He took personal chrage of the new Military revolutionary committee of the soviet
began to gather troops at the Bolshevik headquarters
(Mensheviks and social revolitonaries refused to join) - the military revolutionary committee appointed commissars who were sent to all the city's troop units to win their loyalty
15 / 18 for the soviets
As chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, he played an important role in the October Revolution that overthrew the Provisional Government.
Lenin
provided leadership & fire
in exile; returned when the autocracy crumbled
Lived outside of Russia since 1900 (brief return in 1905 revolution); lived in Switzerland after
gained re-entry by negotiating with Germans
Germans believed his return would cause chaos & so undermine Russian war effort
came by a 'sealed' train through Frankfurt, Berlin, Stockholm, & arrived to Petrograd on 3 April
uncertain of what reception was awaiting him, half-expected to be arrested on leaving the train
was greeted by a cheering band of soldiers & workers who were convinced Lenin could ensure that their needs were met
Absolute confidence that a proletarian revolution would soon be achieved
stood out from other socialist leaders
others argued that Russia would have to go through a bourgeois/liberal phase before establishing a working man's government
/
Both
educated men from relatively wealthy backgrounds; spent most of their lives abroad
shared a deep hatred of the old regime & a commitment to Marxism & political activism