October 1917

• Actions of the Bolsheviks KP

  To a great extent, the actions of the Bolsheviks were the most important cause of the October Revolution, as the actions of the Bolsheviks exploited dissatisfaction of the Provisional Government, leading to the organised revolution, representing the people, in October 1917
• Actions of the Bolsheviks - Lenin - Evidence

  • Return of Lenin on April 3rd 1917 allowed the Bolsheviks to appeal to the masses
  • The April Theses represented the proletariat with 'Peace, Bread and Land' and clearly called for the end of the Provisional Government with 'All Power to the Soviets'
  • This allowed membership to grow from 23,000 in February 1917 to 200,000 by October
  • Lenin clearly set out the aims and ideology for the Bolsheviks which could be echoed through propaganda in the party's 41 newspapers
  • Took credit for the peasant seizure of land
  • Harangued the Bolshevik Central Committee on the 10th of October 1917 to pass a vote of 10-2 in favour of the revolution
• Actions of the Bolsheviks - Trotsky - Evidence

  • Exploited his position as Chairman (from 26 September 1917) of the Petrograd Soviet to pass a resolution to form the Military Revolutionary Committee on October 9th
  • Formation of the MRC with Felix Dzherzhinsky on October 16th, comprising of 66 members 48 of which were Bolsheviks
  • 15/18 Petrograd garrison units declared allegiance to the Soviet- armed revolution
  • MRC came to control 200,000 Red Guards, 60,000 Baltic Sailors, and 150,000 Petrograd garrison troops- allowing for the swift seizure of power on the night of 25 October 1917 at the Winter Palace
  • Failure of the July Days in comparison, Trotsky ensured the revolution was ORGANISED
• War and economic distress KP

  War and economic distress was certainly a key cause of the October Revolution as it created the conditions for mass dissatisfaction with the Provisional Government, that the Bolsheviks were ultimately able to exploit
• War and economic distress evidence

  • Between February and June 1917, grain prices had doubled
  • Shortages of fuel and raw materials had forced the closure of 586 factories with the loss of 100,000 jobs
  • By October 1917, prices were 755% above pre war levels
  • Economic discontent and desperation exemplified by 20,000 Kronstadt sailors doing a demonstration, leading to the July Days
  • Over the summer, food supplies in towns were chaotic, and even though the government enforced an 8 hour work day, real wages fell
  • The Milyukov telegram of 21st April 1917 and the decision to take an offensive war, even though they had promised to fight a defensive war
  • The summer offensive of June 1917 leading to 200k casualties
  • Kornilov's use of the death penalty disincentivised soldiers
• Failings of the Provisional Government KP

  The failures of the Provisional Government were a key cause of the October 1917 Revolution as its mistakes directly contributed to the atmosphere of discontent with the government, that the Bolsheviks were ultimately able to exploit
• Failings of the Provisional Government - Inherent Weaknesses- Evidence

  • Dual Authority and Order Number One on March 1st inhibited the PG and limited its authority, didn't have direct control of the military which Trotsky was able to exploit as Chairman of the Soviet to form the MRC
  • TEMPORARY so unable to make effective reforms
  • Delaying of the Constituent Assembly elections until November 1917 led to frustration with the government
  • Perceived as unelected officials who represented the middle classes, liberals and intelligentsia, practically playing the Proletariat into the hands of the Bolsheviks
• Failings of the Provisional Government - Kerensky - Evidence

  • Hostile to workers: In August, the right of factory owners to dismiss striking workers was confirmed and meetings of Soviets during working hours were banned
  • The Kornilov Affair (27-30 August) not only increased distrust in the PG and Kerensky, but lead to the release of the Bolsheviks and ARMED WORKERS, allowing the Bolsheviks to form the Red Guard, practically INSTIGATING revolution
  • Kerensky sent more radical units out of petrograd to prepare for front line service on 5 October 1917, they refuse and claim Kerensky is acting against the principles of the Feb Rev
  • Kerensky ordering printers of Izvestia and Pravda to cease activities and trying to raise the bridges of Petrograd so workers could not access the city centre on 23 October gave the Bolsheviks an excuse to act