Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Reasons for Bolshevik seizure - Coggle Diagram
Reasons for Bolshevik seizure
Failures of the provisional government
Dual authority
Neve ruled Russia from the start they lacked legitimacy in the fact that they weren’t elected and the soviet was
The soviet seemed to share the same ideals (ww1) as the Russian people making it much more liked than the pg
Divisions between the government resulting in a lack of clear policies and arguments preventing decisive actions
No change
Refused to tackle any of the big problems faced in Russia such as the promised peasant land reform instead choosing to leave it for when the constituent assembly would be formed
No more successful as the tsarist regime in keeping consistent levels of food, inflation rose in 1917
Reforms such as allowing political freedom and no press censorship gave Bolsheviks the freedom to attack the government
WW1
One of the main reasons the February revolution occurred was to end WW1 and the pg continued it
They felt too much loyalty to the allies and were not yet prepared to stop fighting
The failed June offensive 16th June in which thousands were killed declining morale and loyalty to the pg decreased as people followed Bolshevik propaganda
40,000 killed
Soldiers deserting their stations
Thousands of officers killed by their own troops
Actions of the bolsheviks
Lenin
April thesis distinguished the Bolsheviks from other parties, declaring there should be no support for the provisional gov and all power to the Soviets
Won mass of support through speeches and propaganda
Bolshevik party gains more adherence from being some of the only politicians not associated with the pg a failing regime
Establish themselves as the only real opponents to the pg
Played an important part in persuading the party to seize power
Persuaded followers to not cooperate with the pg instead taking on a revolutionary part
Identified the power vacuum after the Kornilov affair and was determined to fill it
Took careful steps such as fleeing to Finland to preserve his authority then returned at a personal risk to force committee ito action in October
Had a programme for political takeover essential for the takeover of power
Trotsky
Direct leadership
More experience of leadership than Lenin such as the 1905. Soviet, became chairman of Petrograd Soviets in September turning it into a tool of the Bolsheviks
Intellect and unfaulting commitment was so involved that he was arrested in the July days
Militarily
Won the loyalty off the capitals troops creating the military revolutionary committee which he personally supervised
Kornilov affair august Russian generals attempt to seize power pg helpless under Kerensky, bs under Trotsky defended city and saved Petrograd from Kornilov
Big increase in support for Bolsheviks by September gained control of Petrograd soviet
Lenin only emerged to take charged on night 25th October after Trotsky red guards had taken control
Popular aspirations
Peace bread and land
Managed to summarise all the things that the Russian people wished for that the pg hadn’t been able to provide, appealing to all aspects of society and gaining more support
Failures of the pg led a basic framework as to what the main Bolshevik policies should be in order to gain support of the people
Land
Peasants had been long oppressed under the feudal system
Peasants had the expectation that with the new regime they would get more land as the land they had currently was insufficient, pg refuses to partake in thee issue leaving it to when the constituent assembly would be formed
B promised to redistribute land to the peasants which was highly appealing
Bread
Basic necessities of life, food and economic stability
Bs promisinggg to address economic issues and improve living conditions of the people
Peace
Promise to withdraw Russia from ww1 which caused significant loss for the Russian people
Appealed to soldiers and civilians desperate to end the conflict
All power to the Soviets
Directly appealed to the working class and peasants who were majority of Russian population, Soviets referred to local councils of workers soldiers and peasants
Advocating for power given to these councils the Bolsheviks were promoting a form of government directly controlled by the masses
Clear rejection of the pg and promise for radical change for a new political order
Contrast the Bolsheviks from other political groups, other socialist factions were willing to cooperate with the pg, bs only party calling for a transfer of power to the Soviets
Clear and uncompromising stance helped attract supporters dissatisfied with the pg
Slogan powerful tool for obelising support simple catchy andd easy to understand with an effective means of communicating b message to a wide audience