1917 Bolshevik Party 1c

• The Bolsheviks were a small part, only around 23000 members
• Kamenev and stalin took over the Pravda Newspaper
• Lenin had been in exile before 1917 in Switzerland, the PG allowed him back. His journey was assisted by the germans, who were hoping the Bolshevik party would disrupt russia, benefitting them
• April Thesis

  a series of directives written by Vladmir Lenin, which boiled down to we need a 2nd revolution, Peace Bread Land, all power to the soviets and end war.

  • lenin didnt have tight control over the party and these measures caused opposition they were unrealistic or would cause more harm than good, some thought lenin out of touch after being gone so long, or that he was on the german payrole.
  • lenin used persuasion, compromise, threats of resignation and appeals to the workers to ensure he got support
• between February and June grain price doubled and 586 factories closed
• June Offensive

  a military attack which failed to drive German forces back, Kerenky appoints Kornilov to restore discipline
• July Days

  July 3rd- the Krondstadt sailors, supporters of the Bolshevik cause, begin protests to try begin the second revolution, Lenin does not support it as he wanted to wait for the right time

  • it was crushed by troops, the intervention supported by the pg an ps. many sailors were arrested an the bolsheviks were blamed, their press closed and warrents issued for their arrest. trotsky (after only just joining the party from being a menshevik) and kamenev both found and imprisoned, lenin went into hiding
• Bolsheviks were blamed for the July Days and warrants for arrest were issued, Trotsky joined and Lenin goes into hiding
• Kornilov Coup / Affair- august 1917

  
  

  • general kornilov had 6 regiments of troops move in on petrograd to restore order by wiping out the soviet and getting rid of solider/worker power, ignoring kerensky's orders to halt. k had imprisoned Bolsheviks released and provided them with weapons to defend petrograd.
  • this led to Bolsheviks regaining support as they opposed the pg who had lost a lot of support over the summer due to inflation, chaotic food supply, them trying to limit wokrer power giving factory owners the right to dismiss strikers and peasants seizing land in the countryside.
• Bolshevik membership reached 200000, Trotsky became chairman of the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet
• Trotsky persuades the Petrograd Soviet to set up the Military Revolutionary Committee to defend Petrograd after more army units were sent to the front
• PG Failures


  • wanted an offensive war effort and began the june offensive which failure led to the july days
  • soldiers defected to claim land as the militia was made up of peasants who were beginning to illegitimately seize land due to the pg putting off legitimising it
  • natinoal minorites wanted independence but the pg didnt want to break up russia
  • deteriorating economic situation, food shortages high prices and unemployment and no resources due to lack of workers and resources being distributed to the army
• Problems PG faced

  • the war
  • the land
  • national minorities
  • deteriorating economic situation
• Problems PG faced- the war

  • the minister of war Milyukov wanted an offensive war but socialists in the soiviet wanted a defensive one. M resigned and the pg was in crisis, when it reformed SRs and Mensheviks had joined
  • the june offensive done to support the allies and take pressure of the west and also because patriotism meant they didnt want to withdrawer from war was a disaster with hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed and territyory lost
  • started an armed uprising in petrograd calle dthe july days, the PG lost much credibility especially with soldiers and workers
• Problems PG faced- the land

  • by may unrest in the countryside became significant
  • peasants wanted their land and the pg had no means by which to stop them. peasants believed the land was theirs and still felt betrayed by the emancipation of the serfs. they wanted government to legitimise their land seizure
  • but the PGs liberals wanted land distributed within a framework after the CA is elected and are concerned the army might disintegrate as peasants soldiers rush back to stake their claim
• Problems PG faced- national minorities

  • when the centralised tsarist state colapself the finns and poles called for independence
  • other areas also wanted more autonomy like georgia
  • ukraine demanded self governance and the moderate socialists made concessions. but ukraine held immense value as farmland near the front and their independence outraged liberals who thought it was the first step in breaking up russia which weakened it
• Problems PG faced- deteriorating economic situation


  • food shortages high unemployment and high prices, causes of the first revolution, had not gone away
  • factories closed because of fuel and raw material shortages, prices rose as a result since less goods were manufactured. food shortages spiked as a poor harvest took place, grain doubled and peasants hoarded as there wasnt anything to buy for it. the pg tried to requisition grain which just worsened peasant city relations
  • the war also worsened this