which had greater impact on collapse of PG in november 1917

• kerensky:

  major misstep was continuing russias involvement in WW1 - deeply unpopular among war weary russian public
• k:

  disastrous kerensky offensive in july 1917, intended to reignite the russian war effort, instead led to massive russian casualties and desertions, further depleting russian military strength and morale
• k:

  release of bolshevik leaders after the july days uprising allowed them to regroup and gain strength
• k:

  by shutting down bolshevik press and arresting leaders in attempts to maintain control, instead hastened the revolution as it added to the governments image of desperation and authoritarianism
• k: his reliance on military was misplaced
• k:

  kornilov affair in august 1917 where general lavr kornilov attempted a coup against the government, showed the precariousness of kerensky’s position
• k:

  although he initially supported kornilov’s march on petrograd to restore order, he soon turned against him, fearing a military takeover
• trotsky:

  leadership during october revolution was instrumental
• t:

  organised insurrection that would lead to overthrow of the PG
• t:

  he was the one who planned and coordinated the red guards to seize key locations within the city, such as the telegraph office, state bank, railway stations and eventually winter palace without significant bloodshed
• t:

  his earlier return to russia in may 1917 and joining of the bolshevik party bolstered the party’s standing
• t:

  his charisma made him a leading voice in the soviet and helped spread the bolsheviks message of “peace, land and bread” which resonated with the war weary population
• t:

  by the time of the PG’s collapse, trotskys organisation of the military revolutionary committee gave the bolsheviks the means to stage the october revolution effectively
• t:

  his direction was so central that without his actions, the collapse of the PG might not have occurred when or how it did
• conclusion:

  while kerenskys indecisiveness and failure to address needs of russian people weakened the provisional government, it was trotskys decisive and strategic leadership that was ultimately more influential
• c:

  kerensky’s inability to consolidate power or deliver reforms created a vacuum that trotsky and the bolsheviks were able to exploit
• c:

  trotskys lead in the october revolution, his effective use of the petrograd soviet, and his direction of the red guards proved to be the decisive blows that ended the PG
• c:

  ultimately, both played significant roles but trotskys direct involvement in the events of november 1917 was the game changer that led to bolsheviks successful seizure of power