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The Bolshevik Revolution

     

Summary

Until 1990s, ‘Liberal’ historians (eg Pipes, 1995) saw Oct Rev as a quick coup w. little mass support. Modern ‘revisionists’ stress the Bolsheviks’ mass support, question the revolution’s ‘efficiency’.

   

Events of the 'October' Revolution

6 Nov

    •  Red Guards took bridges, railway stations, TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, electricity supply.

    •  Lenin forced Bolshevik Committee to declare rev.

7 Nov

    •  Red Guards took banks, govt buildings.

    •  Cruiser AURORA shelled Winter Palace.

    •  9:40pm: Red Guards took Winter Palace, arrested PG.

8 Nov

    •  Lenin announced Communist govt.

   

Why did Bolshevik Rev succeed?

1. PG Problems

Traditional:

    •  PG weak & unpopular. No one defended it.

Recent:

    •  PG had collapsed: Kerensky isolated and doomed: war, peace, elections = all were a threat.

    •  Chaos: Pre-Parliament (met 20 Oct) had no authority; Kerensky countermanded by Trotsky.

    •  Army was , German threat, 2 Nov: Kerensky sacked War Minister (who favoured surrender).

    •  2.5m workers on strike, 1, 500 uprisings Aug-Oct.

2. Slogans & Support

Traditional:

    •  Simple slogans ('Peace, Bread, Land'; 'All Power to Soviets') won public support.

Recent:

    •  Massive Bolshevik support overlooked.

    •  Menshevik/SR support for the PG pushed their supporters to Bolsheviks.

    •  Bolsheviks grew: 80k (Apr), 200k (July), 350k (Oct).

    •  Sept: Bolsheviks won Moscow election (51% votes); Trotsky became Petrograd Soviet President.

    •  Bolshevik women mobilized soldiers’ .

    •  Bolsheviks dominated Conference of ; Trotsky: "Proletariat must seize power".

3. Pravda & Propaganda

Traditional:

    •  Bolsheviks spread ideas via Pravda.

Recent:

    •  Pravda before Feb 1917 & after July 1917; also few Russians could read.

    •  Later visual propaganda ≠ relevant to Oct 1917.

    •  Real impact = in soviets, factories, unions.

4. German Money

Traditional:

    •  Germans funded Bolsheviks to remove Russia from war.

Recent:

    •  German funding real (Lenin returned via German , Pravda funded), but scale unknown.

    •  Lenin accused of being German spy → German money may have hurt him more than helped.

5. Lenin

Traditional:

    •  Brilliant leader: ruthless, single-minded, great speaker, disciplined party.

Recent:

    •  Exiled in Finland after July Days; party reforms (July) were led by Party Secretary Yakov .

    •  However, Lenin was vital at key moments

          ◦  20 Oct (convinced Committee to act despite Kamenev's opposition);

          ◦  6 Nov (forced rev declaration).

6. Armed Force

Traditional:

    •  Red Guards, trained by Trotsky, secured victory.

Recent:

    •  Red Guards weak; Trotsky: "Where is a strong army to oppose us?"

    •  Army Bolshevik recruitment soared after failed June offensive.

    •  2 Nov: Kerensky sent Petrograd garrison to front → lost key troops.

    •  Winter Palace poorly defended (cadets; Women's panicked when Aurora fired blank shell).

7. Organisation

Traditional:

    •  Centralised, disciplined Bolshevik party → effective leadership.

Recent:

    •  6 Nov: Red Guards seized key points but Central Committee delayed rev → Lenin forced decision.

    •  Oct Rev not smooth/efficient takeover = chaotic, even a farce:

          ◦  Key deadlines missed

          ◦  Baltic sailors arrived late

          ◦  Field guns turned out to be rusty

          ◦  Could not find a to signal start of attack

          ◦  Winter Palace: attackers arrested – but the Palace surrendered anyway

          ◦  Kerensky allowed to drive out by car