1. The Bolshevik Takeover
October 1917
The Bolshevik Takeover

3. The Provisional Government
February 1917, The Respectable Revolution
Mainly Liberals and Conservatives
Some Socialists
Kerensky
International Support
Britain and France don’t mind change of government
AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO WAGE WAR!
Eases path of USA into World War.
Tried to undo injustices of the past
Frees all political prisoners
Including many Bolsheviks!
Stalin

4. Missed the Boat
Bolsheviks had been caught by surprise by February Revolution
Lenin in Switzerland
He needs to return
How does he do it?

5. The Sealed Train? By train through Germany to Sweden
He must avoid being tainted with collaborating with the Germans!
They transported Lenin in a Sealed Train like a plague bacillus from Switzerland to Russia. —WINSTON CHURCHILL, World Crisis
Not as sealed as he claimed!
Accepted money from Germans in Sweden

6. Lenin Shakes things up! Arrives in Petrograd, April 1917
Immediately attacks Bolsheviks for their timidity (includes Stalin!)
Questions why they have not planned to overthrow the provisional government
Why were the Bolsheviks working with other Socialists and Revolutionaries “Parliamentary-Bourgeois Republic”
Issues “April Theses”

7. April Theses Will stop Capitalist War February events were just a coup
Only Revolutionary War permissible
February events were just a coup
Not a Revolution - A stepping stone to the Proletariat Revolution
No support for the Provisional Government whatsoever
Work through the Soviets
“All power to the Soviets”
Will smash all existing institutions
Army, Police and bureaucracy
Land Reform
Nationalisation - Give to Peasants and workers
Close all banks –
One national bank
Change name
From Social Democrats to Communist Party

8. The Provisional Government Staggers On
Dyarchy fatally weakening government
Soviet countermanding Duma’s laws
Eg soldiers do not have to obey officer’s orders
Just those of soldier’s councils
Government shifts leftward to try and gain some support of Soviets
Kerensky appointed War Minister

10. Kerensky’s June Offensive
Honours pledge to Allies
Low morale of troops
Bolshevik agitation
Promising to end war
Democratic nature of new army
Did not have to obey orders you did not agree with
Germans easily repulse
Widespread Mutinies
Kronstadt Naval Base set up own government
Lvov government falls
Kerensky PM
Kornilov new CinC of Army

11. Kerensky’s Unpalatable Options
Page 47 of Red book
Summarise problems facing Kerensky in 1917 then complete table below:
Course of Action
Mark out of 10
How this might help
Risks or Problems involved
Negotiate immediate peace treaty with Germany
Find a General to restore law and order
Suppress Bolsheviks
Hold elections to Constituent Assembly

13. July Days
Bolsheviks take advantage of poor condition of Army (and Russia)
At Lenin’s Insistence
July 3rd to 6th
Bolsheviks claiming to come to aid of Kronstadt Mutineers
Attempt a Coup
Provisional Troops rushed back from Front
Crush Bolsheviks easily
Bolsheviks blame Mensheviks and SRs for starting it
Soviet and Provisional Government Censure Bolsheviks
Lenin runs to Finland
Soviet and Kerensky do not fully punish Bolsheviks

14. Is the Threat from the Left or Right?
Kerensky (and most revolutionaries) were experts in the French Revolution
What happened to that Revolution?

15. Is the Threat from the Left or Right?
Kerensky (and most revolutionaries) were experts in the French Revolution
What happened to that Revolution?
The Counter Revolution
Napoleon hijacked the revolution
The Soviet was more forgiving of coups from the Left than from the Right
They thought that the Bolsheviks were wild and enthusiastic but they meant to preserve the socialist revolution
However the Soviet was hostile to any right wing counterrevolution
Most liberals in Provisional Government happy to try and rule alone
Some Conservatives already becoming disillusioned and wanted to return to the sureties of the Monarchy
However in late August/September an event happens that forces Kerensky to choose between the left and right

16. The Kornilov Affair What was it? Why was it important?
Who was involved?
What were the consequences?
Pages

18. Kerensky relies on the Left
Kerensky’s decision to rely on the Soviet rather than the Russian Army will have profound effects in October
Why?
The down and out Bolsheviks recovered from their disastrous July Days episode
They were back in the game

19. The Bolsheviks are Back
Time becomes their enemy
Why?

20. The Bolsheviks are Back
Time becomes their enemy
They do not want elections to Constituent Assembly (scheduled for Nov 12th)
They do not want world war one to end
They were popular
The Provisional Government had lost the trust of the army
They prepare for a Coup D’etat
At Lenin’s insistence
Kamenev and Zinoviev against
Trotsky and Stalin were non-committal

21. Kerensky’s Authority ebbs away
Kerensky heard rumours that Bolsheviks were going to seize power
He sent away the least reliable troops from Petrograd
To try and prevent another February situation
However, many thought he was abandoning the capital to the Germans!

22. Trotsky takes the Initiative
Bolsheviks set up a Military Revolution Committee (Milrevkom) to defend Petrograd
From internal and external threats!
Germans are closing in on capital
They ask permission of the Soviet (not of the Provisional Government)
Permission granted
Bolsheviks had recently proved that they were willing to defend the revolution from Kornilov
Why did the Bolsheviks volunteer for this onerous duty?

24. Trotsky takes the Initiative
He arranges for the Second Congress of Soviets for the end of October
However, he only invites delegations from Bolshevik dominated Soviets
Lenin liked this idea
Why?

25. Trotsky takes the Initiative
He arranges for the Second Congress of Soviets for the end of October (25th)
However, he only invites delegations from Bolshevik dominated Soviets
Lenin liked this idea
It would allow them to legitimise the coup
If it was successful

26. Kerensky accidentally starts the Bolshevik Revolution
Worried about his position he orders:
The closure of Bolshevik Newspapers
The raising of the bridges linking the central district to the working class areas

28. Kerensky accidentally starts the Bolshevik Revolution
Worried about his position he orders:
The closure of Bolshevik Newspapers
The raising of the bridges linking the central district to the working class areas
This gives the Bolsheviks the excuse that Kerensky was starting a coup against the Soviet
Trotsky’s plan falls into place during the night of October 24th/25th

30. A Classic Coup
The Milrevkom activates to save the revolution (from Kerensky)
They seize all the bridges, telephone exchange, railway stations and power stations
Peacefully
Sometimes they just relieve the government forces as if changing the guard
Next morning seems to be a normal work day
Trams running, shops open etc…

32. A Classic Coup Kerensky appeals for help from the army
Army ignores requests by radio
He escapes Petrograd in a US embassy car.
He drives to Pskov to try and get army support
Irony of ironies the only unit in range of Petrograd was Kornilov’s old unit.
They tell Kerensky to get stuffed
Eventually he convinces General Krasnov to advance towards Petrograd
Too little, too late
Troop morale was undermined by Bolshevik agitators

34. The Winter Palace
The remaining Provisional government members were holed up in the Winter Palace
With a functioning telephone line
Bolsheviks had not realised that they used a different exchange
It was not stormed
Famous Bolshevik Propaganda film
Eisenstein

38. Winter Palace
Guarded by a small collection of Cossacks, Cadets (Junkers) and the woman’s battalion
The Red army was repulsed 3 times
Usually after just a few shots fired
Some Red guards were captured by defenders
Duma members realised that help was not on its way
The telephone line
Battleship Aurora Fires
Blanks
Cossacks drifted away
Eventually the Duma members requested their own soldiers to lay down their arms.
2am 26th October
The Bolsheviks had seized control of Petrograd

39. Second Congress of Soviets
Conveniently in session from October 25th
Trotsky had made sure that there was significant Bolshevik presence
Some dissent from SRs, Mensheviks etc..,
i.e. they would cause a counterrevolutionary backlash
Or that they did not represent the working and peasant classes
SRs and Mensheviks stormed out
Remaining Bolsheviks and Left SRs voted the following:
The formation of a Bolshevik Government (Sovnarkom)
Immediate moves to end the war
Transferring all land to the Peasants
They could claim that they were taking power on behalf of the Soviets!

40. Why were the Bolsheviks successful in October 1917?
Weaknesses of Provisional Government
Page 65
Strengths of Bolsheviks
Page 66 .

41. Why were the Bolsheviks successful in October 1917?
Weaknesses of Provisional Government
Page 65
Strengths of Bolsheviks
Page 66
Essay Title:
It was the weakness of the Provisional Government that brought the October Revolution about rather than the strengths of the Bolsheviks .