how the bolsheviks gained power (7B)

• Mensheviks

  they were socialists who believed workers should have complete control of the country and all its assets. they were prepared to work with other groups to achieve their ultimate aim of a socialist state.
• bolsheviks

  they were socialists led by Lenin that believed that workers could only take power by a violent revolution, where they'd overthrow existing rulers
• provisional govt

  consisted of middle class, liberals, and the old duma. they were dominated by cadets, and had 3 issues they needed to solve

  • stay or get out of war
  • distribute land to workers or wait for elections
  • how to feed hungry workers

  they decided to carry out the war with peasants as troops, but they deserted the army as they needed to get land which was being shared out while they were gone.

  they faced the problem of many Russians not accepting them
• Petrograd Soviet

  had support of peasants, workers and soldiers. members were more radical than the PG, but was dominated by SR's who supported the idea of a new constituent assembly. they had a small amount of members who were bolsheviks. they wanted to stop the war, as the people who were going to consist of the army included peasants, who were growing crops to feed the population. they were willing to give land out with no elections. ideas were

  • revolution
  • 'peace, land and bread'
• why was the PG collapsing

  • army desertion as they were willing to proceed with WW1
  • peasants took control of countryside as they couldn't wait for land
  • made up of too many political groups so it was hard for them to agree on policies
  • they appeared weaker as they didnt do anything to try to end the power of the Soviets
• July days

  Bolshevik led protests against the war turned into a rebellion. Kerensky produced evidence that Lenin was being helped by the Germans, so support for the rebellion fell. Kerensky used troops to crush the rebellion and took over the govt. he was appointed PM of the PG after the July days had been crushed. however, in the cities, strikes and violence were increasing. Kerensky seemed unable to do anything about this deteriorating situation
• kornilovs attempted coup

  kornilov and other army leaders were fed up with the chaos, therefore they wanted to restore order by crushing PG, PS and the bolsheviks. Kerensky knew that his army was no match to kornilovs, so he turned to the soviets for help , and even released Trotsky who was arrested in July days. bolsheviks organised themselves into units called Red Guards, and were given weapons by Kerensky to defend Petrograd. when kornilovs army approached, his soldiers deserted as they didnt want to fight the soviets. kornilova attempted coup had failed.
• Kerensky govt doomed

  • govt had tried to carry out the war and failed, so they lost the army's support
  • they tried to stop peasants from taking over the land so they lost their support
  • no peasant support = no food into towns, so prices rose. this caused the govt to lose support from urban workers
• how did the bolsheviks get to power

  • Red Guards led by Trotsky took control of the state bank
  • next day, Kerensky found the Bolsheviks were in control of most of Petrograd.
  • with almost no opposition, Red Guards continued to take over important targets
  • a cruiser aurora fired a signal for the Red Guards to storm winter palace and arrest ministers of the PG
• how did the Bolsheviks succeed

  • PG was unpopular, and there wasn't much demand for kerenskys return
  • they were a disciplined party with dedication to revolution
  • they had 800,000 members who were all in the right places, such as soldiers and sailors.
  • only party demanding Russia to pull out of war
  • major industrial centres like Moscow and Petrograd were pro-bolsheviks
• strengths of provisional govt

  • introduced liberal reforms like freedom of speech and elections for local govt officials
  • willing to align with the rest of the world and followed policies before taking any actions
• strengths bolsheviks

  • lenin was a brilliant and desperate leader who had one consistent aim, to overthrow the govt
  • they were brilliantly organised and demanded total discipline from fellow members
  • they were financed by the germans, which helped Trotsky
  • they stuck with their slogan 'peace, land and bread' and believed in making it true
• Bolshevik support

  • peasants were given the nobles land
  • factories and industries were put into the hands of the workers
  • lenin promised free elections to the new constituent assembly
  • lenin set up the sovnakrom which announced peace with germany
• bolshevik opposition

  • the free elections caused the bolsheviks to not gain a majority, but the SR's did
  • lenin accepted Germany's treaty of Brest-litvosk, which lost Russia 34% pop., 32% agricultural land, 89% coalmines and they got a fine of 300million gold roubles
  • used Red Guards to silence protests, and Cheka to defeat opponents
• how did bolshevik red terror help them fight the civil war

  Trotsky created the red army of over 300,000 men, and ensured their loyalty by holding theyre families hostage. the Cheka terrorised the populations of bolshevik territories, so no-one cooperated. Trotsky's red army began fighting the whites. the whites weren't that strong and their armies were unable to work together so Trotsky defeated them.
• bolsheviks win civil war

  • red army was united and disciplined amazingly by Trotsky
  • they made Sure towns and armies were fed and seized the grain
  • red terror imposed strict control
  • they took over factories of Moscow and Petrograd so they were able to supply armies with ammunition
  • used propaganda to spread communist ideas
  • reds had territorial advantages which controlled the centre and all important systems
• whites 


  a group of anticommunist forces who were made up of SR's, Mensheviks and supporters of the tsar. they opposed them in the civil war and were sent by their govts to try force Russia to rejoin the war against Germany.
• why the whites lost the civil war

  • were made up of different groups with different aims
  • widely spread and unable to coordinate campaigns against the reds
  • had limited support from the people
  • peasants did not prefer them because if they won landlords would return
• war communism and aims

  it was the name for the harsh econ policies the Bolsheviks adopted in th civil war. aims:

  • put communist theories into practice by redistributing wealth among Russians
  • help with the civil war by keeping towns and red army supplied with food and weapons

  all large factories were being taken over by the govt, peasants had to hand over surplus food to the govt and if they didnt they could be shot, discipline for workers was strict and strikers could be shot
• effects of war communism

  it caused terrible hardships, such as food shortages, as it was rationed, and the peasants refused to make more because the govt took it away. econ disorganisation, currency collapsed, and 7 million died because of famine
• war communism


  a name adopted for the harsh economic policies the bolsheviks adopted during the civil war
• what led lenin to change war communism

  the Kronstadt were concerned at the impact of this policy on people. they passed a revolution to end it and made 15 demands. Lenin wanted rebels to surrender, and the refused, so, Trotsky's forces stormed into the Kronstadt base and fought. the rebellion affected lenin, so he changed it.
• new economic policy

  this effectively brought back capitalism for some sections of Russian society. this enables peasants to sell surplus grain for profit and would pay tax on what they produced rather than give it to the govt
• how far was the NEP a success

  • peasants were allowed to sell surplus grain on the open market, and small businesses were permitted, promoting econ growth and incentivising agricultural production
  • it allowed for a period of econ recovery and stability after the civil war, giving time to rebuild the economy, stabilise living conditions and encourage trade
• how far was the NEP a failure

  some ppl from the communist party felt that it was betrayal of communism (bolsheviks). they were concerned that it created inequalities, and concerns for the potential for capitalist exploitation and re emergence of socialist classes
• why lenin brought war communism to an end

  the policy resulted in food shortages (forced requisitioning of grain from peasants and a decline in agricultural production, lessening demand to work), economic disorganisation and currency drop. lenin recognised the need for a new approach that would restore economic stability (NEP), which allowed some elements of a market economy which helped the living conditions, lessening hatred to lenin.