The Bolsheviks Seize PowerThe Bolsheviks Seize Power

• The failure of the June Offensive and the attemptedmutiny by Kornilov undermined people’s confidencein Kerensky, his Provisional Government and thearmy.

The October RevolutionThe October Revolution2424thth October-2 October-2ndnd November November

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In a coup d’etat (a sudden,often violent, overthrowof a government by a small group of people) Lenin’sBolshevik Party was able to overthrow Kerensky andhis Provisional Government.

This was truly a remarkable feat given This was truly a remarkable feat given thatthat

only 1 out of every 600 Russian’s only 1 out of every 600 Russian’s supportedsupported

the Bolsheviks.the Bolsheviks.

Instinctively Lenin knew it was time to act. His aim was to seize Russia’s two major cities, Petrograd and Moscow. To control these cities was to control Russia, and especially the rural areas where the Bolsheviks werenot popular.

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• Lenin, Trotsky and other Bolshevik leaders spentcountless hours visiting factories and militarybarracks drumming up support. Trotsky began organising troops, weapons and tactics for the coup.

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Lenin’s PlanLenin’s Plan

The Secret of their SuccessThe Secret of their Success

• There were at least four contributing factors tothe Bolsheviks successful revolution.

The Leadership of Leon Trotsky

Trotsky was an astute leader. Formed Military Revolutionary Committee. Formed the Red Guard militia. Planned the coup.

The Bolsheviks Preparation

Lenin’s ideas guided their planning and tactics.

They worked hard to win the trust and supportof workers in the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets.

They had secretly agreed to use that their Red Guard militia, presently defending Petrograd against the German advance, to seize power.

They were best prepared group.

The Disunity of Their Opponents

The fact that the Bolsheviks were able to gain control was in part due to fragmented aims of the parties that made up the Petrograd Soviet.

The Lack of Leadership from Kerensky

In hindsight Kerensky made some seriousmilitary and political miscalculations;

June Offensive

Appointing Kornilov to head the army

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Kerensky’s indecision is again evident in thedays of the revolution.

Consider the following.….

Kerensky sent the following soldiers to protect the Provisional Government at theWinter Palace:

Three detachments of student soldiers 140 volunteers from the women’s deathbattalion

40 war invalids led by an officer with anartificial leg

To make matters worse Kerensky left the Winter Palace in search of loyal soldiers. Kerensky did not return.

No machine guns were used to defend theWinter Palace

In his absence the Bolshevik Red Guard and some sailors entered the Palace and forced the Provisional Government to surrender. Remarkably, only five people were killed.

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Lenin becomes a DictatorLenin becomes a Dictator

It is a tribute to the leadership of Lenin and their party organization that despite being in the minority they were able to take control of the government and its agencies.

Lenin Takes the InitiativeLenin Takes the Initiative

Establishes a temporary new government calledthe Council of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom).

He chose a predominately Bolshevik government.

Appointed himself Prime Minister.

Selected a Central Executive Committee (Ispolkom)to replace the Soviet Petrograd leadership. This acted like a new parliament to monitor the Sovnarkom until the November general elections.

In reality, the political In reality, the political power remained in power remained in

the the hands of the hands of the

Bolsheviks not the Bolsheviks not the Sovnarkom or Sovnarkom or

Ispolkom.Ispolkom.

Overcoming Overcoming the the

OppositionOpposition

Given they were the minority party how did the Communists

deal with their opposition?

• For many the hope of a better Russia rested inRussia’s first democratic general elections. TheProvisional Government had set the date as25 November 1917. Lenin wanted them postponedbut was over-ruled by his colleagues who felt sucha move would be politically imprudent given theyhad just seized power.

General Election ResultsGeneral Election Results

Bolsheviks

Social Revolutionaries

Mensheviks

Kadets

Nationalist Parties

Other

Party Seats

175

410

16

17

863

Clearly there was overwhelming support Clearly there was overwhelming support for the SR’s and Lenin did not receive afor the SR’s and Lenin did not receive a

mandate to rule as he had hoped!mandate to rule as he had hoped!

The Cheka and the Red TerrorThe Cheka and the Red Terror

• On the 20th December 1917 the CHEKA was formed.

It’s function was to.….

CHEKA stands for the Extraordinary Commission

Stop counter-revolutionary activity

Stop attempts sabotage

Hunt down counter-revolutionaries

Enforce these measures without mercy

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In February Lenin announced…

‘We can achieve nothing unless we use terror’.

Defeat for Democracy Defeat for Democracy

• The Constituent Assembly met for the first, and asit turned out, only time on 18th January 1918.

From the first meeting of the assembly it was evident that it’s days were numbered. The Tauride Palace was packed with armed guards and even as Chernov made his inaugural speech he was greeted with a hostile reception.

Lenin Dissolves the Constituent AssemblyLenin Dissolves the Constituent Assembly•

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On 19th January 1918, the Soviet Executive Committee dissolved the Constituent Assembly. Lenin claimed that the Assembly threatened the Soviets and nothing more than a cover for a Bourgeois counter-revolution.

Trotsky’s Red Guards sealed off the Trotsky’s Red Guards sealed off the Palace. Russia’s experiment with Palace. Russia’s experiment with

democracy lasted one day!democracy lasted one day!

The Treaty of Brest-LitovskThe Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

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Russian ReactionRussian Reaction

All its Western lands; Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, Finland, Estonia.

26 % of its population

27% of its farmland

2% of its railways

74 % of its iron ore and coal

Reparation payment of 300 million gold roubles

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Lenin and Trotsky had their hands tied. The army was not in a position to be able to defend Russia, so they had little choice but to accept Germany’s terms. It was the worst treaty for a Russian government in 300 years.

Key ReformsKey Reforms

The Promise of Reform

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In 1918 the Bolsheviks (now renamed the Communists) committed themselves to a series of reforms….

In theory these reforms would do away with theinequalities and injustices of the Tsarist regime.

1. Equality

Irrespective of their wealth, race or gender.

Titles abolished. Everyone called ‘Comrade’.

Factories placed under control of workers.

2. Industry

Private ownership of factories forbidden.

3. Social Welfare

To cover elderly, sick, injury and unemployment.

4. Women’s Rights

Maternity leave, pensions for widows and orphans. Could own property and sign documentswithout husbands permission. Abortion legalised.

5. Religion

Russian Orthodox Church destroyed. Wealth and property of church confiscated.

Church marriages and religious teaching banned.

Priests harassed and murdered.

Other religions (Muslim) discouraged.

6. Education

Student committees ran their schools.

Students elected their teachers.

Harsh punishments and uniforms abolished.

7. Nationalism

Nations that were part of the oldRussian Empire could be independent .

Karl Marx1818-1883

A nation which oppresses another can

never be free

8. Military

Army was disbanded.