October Revolution

• Name 5 causes of the October Revolution:

  1. Anger amongst peasants and workers
  2. Failure of Provisional Government
  3. Return of Lenin
  4. The Kornilov Affair
  5. Planning of Trotsky
• Anger amongst peasants and workers

  • Angry with involvement in WW1, 365K troops desert in 1917.
  • Workers angry at poor living and working conditions, 175K strikes in June 1917.
  • Anger about lack of land reform.
• Failure of Provisional Government

  • Continued involvement in WW1, disastrous June Offensive led to 12K defections in one night.
  • Failed to tackle food shortages and inflation.
  • Failed to implement land reform, 700 complaints of property damage.
  • Rise of Nationalism, 1917 Ukraine declares independence.
• The Return of Lenin

  • Lenin differentiates Bolsheviks from Provisional Government.
  • Lenin promotes slogan 'Peace, Land, and Bread'.
  • Lenin was a very charismatic person.
• The Kornilov Affair

  • July 1917, Kerensky appoints Kornilov as Commander of Army.
  • Kornilov unpopular, wanted to win WW1, planned to execute deserters, break up Zemstvos, and crush revolutionaries.
  • Kornilov invades Petrograd, Kerensky changes mind, workers rise up and force Kornilov to surrender.
  • Kornilov Affair discredits Kerensky, won support for Bolsheviks, workers now armed.
• Planning of Trotsky

  • Leader of Red Guard, took control of strategic points in Petrograd.
  • Organiser of October Revolution, set up Military Revolutionary Council, gave Bolsheviks control of Petrograd.
  • Trotsky was a brilliant public orator, Pravda said 'All practical work in connection with the organisation of the uprising was indebted...to Comrade Trotsky'