Why Were The Bolsheviks Successful In Seizing Power

Why Were The Bolsheviks Successful In Seizing Power
Why were the Bolsheviks successful in seizing power? What were the forces and actions that made them successful in seizing power in October
/November 1917?
Prior to the 1917 Revolutions, there was constant unsettlement within Russia; there was a struggle for food, a struggle for economic control and a
struggle for a stable government. The February Revolution brought an end to Tsar Nicholas II reign and emerged was a Provisional Government based
on democratic ideals. Despite the Provisional Government's success' in implementing civil liberties, the Duma kept Russia in the First World War which
not only continued the depletion of natural resources, but also heightened the discontent from citizens among all social classes. The Kulaks fought for
land ownership and fought against conscription while the nobles and aristocracy desired to re–establish the Monarchy. In October to November, the
Bolsheviks Communist Party, led by Lenin, overthrew the failing Provisional Government with the hope of ridding Russia of the ... Show more content
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In August of 1917 General Kornilov, a supporter of the monarchy, attempted a coup d'Г©tat of the Provisional government to establish a military
based government. In response to the attempted revolution, Alexander Kerensky, the leader of the Provisional Government, armed 25,000 Bolsheviks
to defend Petrograd and its democracy. As a result from the affair, Russian citizens, especially those from the working and middle classes, did not see
a red army, but rather, they decided to put their faith in a political party with the ability to fight against injustice. By October 1917, the Bolsheviks
under Lenin's leadership, saw that they had enough support from Russia's displeased citizens to bring upon a quiet yet powerful revolution by taking
over key places in Petrograd and capturing
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How Far Do You Agree That Trotskyв
Ђ™s Leadership of the Red...
How far do you agree that Trotsky's leadership of the Red Army was responsible for the survival of the Bolshevik government? (30 marks)
There were many factors that contributed to the survival of the Bolshevik Government, ranging from Trotsky's leadership of the Red Army to the
failings of the Bolsheviks' rivals for power. This essay shows that the main reason for the Bolsheviks' continued survival through the period was not
Trotsky's great leadership of the Red Army, but the opposition's mistakes and failings. This will be demonstrated by analysing the key factors leading
to the survival of the Bolshevik Government: Trotsky's leadership; Lenin's leadership; The Bolsheviks' geographical advantage; and finally the
Bolsheviks' enemies' ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Much of the strategy employed by Trotsky and his generals was designed to weaken the enemies transport system so that they could not effectively
organise and coordinate troop movements. Therefore many battles took place near sections of train track and stations, which crippled many enemy
attacks and allowed the Bolsheviks to crush each attack and then move on, rather than fighting on several fronts. This great strategy employed by
Trotsky helped the Bolshevik Government survive, and without Trotsky and his control of the Red Army, the Bolshevik Government would most
likely not have survived.
A further factor that contributed to the survival of the Bolshevik Government was Lenin's great leadership of the whole Bolshevik party. At first
glance, it appears as though Lenin played only a small role during the Civil War because he remained in Moscow throughout, however, when looked
at more closely it can be seen that Lenin was a key decision maker. Lenin forced through the Treaty of Brest–Litovsk when many opposed it; he did this
because he had promised peace to the public and he needed their support to have any chance of winning the Civil War, and therefore helping the
Bolshevik Government survive.
Lenin also instigated the policy of War Communism, in which industry was

The Bolshevik Tactics that Allowed the October Revolution
Assess the view that it was mainly the tactics of the Bolshevik leadership that made possible the October Revolution.
INTRO:
It was undoubtedly the Bolshevik leadership that made possible the revolution. It was the excellent combination of Trotsky's rhetoric, rallying and
inspiring personality, Lenin's astute ability to judge the political mien and the whole party's force and power within the country that led to superb
tactics that would eventually make possible the October Revolution.
Most modern historians agree that the peasants, workers and soldiers played a major part in the revolution and therefore it was the job of the
Bolsheviks to capture this power and manipulate and use it for their own ends. This was made much easier as a result of Trotsky's excellent rhetoric
and Victor Serge, in 'Memoirs of a Revolutionary' (1945), recalled that 'Trotsky was all tension and energy [...] an orator of unique quality [whose
voice] always infused with a truly spontaneous passion. He outshone Lenin through his great oratorical talent, through his organising ability, first with
the army, then on the railways, and by his brilliant gifts as a theoretician. ' Naturally, as aBolshevik it was easier for Serge to agree with Trotsky and
therefore, find his words inspiring and interesting. However, to make special note of his rhetoric suggests an unusually good quality to his work and
this is further demonstrated by the number of people he managed to rally around his cause. Wood writes

The Measures of the Bolsheviks to Maintain Power and...
The Measures of the Bolsheviks to Maintain Power and Address the Problems of Russia Before the Outbreak of Civil War
After the Bolsheviks seizure of power in November 1917, Lenin needed to ensure all previously made promises were kept and that Russia's increasing
problems were resolved. The Bolsheviks were a relatively small party with big plans for Russia – a communist state. Is this were to be possible Lenin
would need to gain greater support.
Lenin made several crucial decisions in the early days of 'peace, bread, land and all power to the soviet'. One his first major changes was the Decree on
Land, by making decrees Lenin was being hugely hypocritical as he was ruling in a very similar way to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This, however, did not have the desired effect as workers began to flee, as food shortages increased, to the countryside in search of bread. 'Bag–men', or
town traders, took machinery, scrap machinery and timber from their workplaces to trade for grain in the country. The population of Petrograd fell
by a third in the build up to the civil war. The workers did not want to stay in towns and cities when money was slowly becoming worthless.
Bolshevism was more or less unknown outside of Petrograd, Moscow and the other main towns and cities, ad so Lenin needed as much support here as
possible.
Lenin finally pulled out of World War 1 in March 1918, signing the Treaty of Brest
–Litovsk. The treaty lost Russia 26% of its population, 27% of its
arable land as well as significant chunks of the iron and coal industry, national minorities' etc. Despite meeting the promises of the Bolsheviks for peace,
the treaty created yet more opposition within Russia.
Lenin's methods for dealing with opposition were ruthless, repression and dictatorship. As Russia moved closer to a civil war, Lenin became
increasingly like the Tsar in his way of rule. Non–Bolshevik

The Bolshevik Consolidation of Power 1918-21 Essay
The Bolshevik Consolidation of Power 1918–21
The Bolsheviks under Lenin, when they came into power in October 1917, faced immense problems in trying to consolidate their hold over the
ex–tsarist empire. Firstly, how were the Bolsheviks, in view of their military resources, to extend their hold over the nation at large? The second, was
how could they achieve a speedy end to the war and effect a rapid withdrawal of the German army, which was currently occupying the western part of
Russia. Thirdly, how quickly would they be able to stage an economic recovery?
Beset by internal and external enemies, the Bolsheviks were engaged in a desperate struggle for survival. Pre–1917, they had been spent in ... Show
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His objective was not to win mass support, but to create a party capable of seizing power when political circumstances permitted. After the successful
October coup in 1917, he was even more determined not to jeopardise the Bolshevik's newly–won power by allowing elections to dictate the pace of
revolutionary change. The November election, therefore presented him with a problem; the Bolshevik party had won barely a quarter of the seats.
Results of the Constituent Assembly: November 1917
Votes
Seats
SRs
17,490,000
370
Bolsheviks

9,844,000
175
National minority groups
8,257,000
99
Left SRs (pro–Bolshevik)
2,861,000
40
Kadets (Constitutional Democrats)
1,986,000
17
Mensheviks
1,248,000
16
41,686,000
717
Lenin's response to this was simple and unscrupulous. In January 1918, after only one day's session, the Constituent Assembly was dissolved at
gun–point by the Red Guards. Without this course of action, the prospects of the Bolshevik's survival seemed slim. There was strong opposition to
them both inside and outside the country. Lenin justified his action with the following speech:

'To hand over power to the Constituent Assembly would again be compromising with the malignant bourgeoisie. The Russian

Lenin's Role in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 Essay
Lenin's Role in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917
After March 1917, the Russian revolution was yet to be completed. The Tsar had been overthrown, the power and responsibility of the government of
Russia had been passed on 'duelly' to the Provincial Government and the workers Soviet, the most powerful Soviet in Petrograd. In November 1917,
the second revolution was planned, a Bolshevik revolution. Evidence around the Bolshevik revolution is not completely reliable, but it is widely
agreed that events in November 1917 were not as the Bolsheviks later described and boasted.
Soviet censored films, art and literature after 1917 record an incredibly contradictory image of the November revolution than ... Show more content on
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When Lenin returned from exile in April 1917 and gave his April Theses, his party was stunned. He was accused of anarchism and madness by the
members, even by his wife as she later wrote, "It seems that Ilyich is out of his mind". The April Theses consisted of four main arguments; that the
Provincial Government should not be supported, anti–war propaganda should be carried on in the army, capitalism should be wiped out in Russia and
that the land of Russia should be nationalised. His party's reaction suggests they did not have complete faith in him as a leader. However, Potresov,
one of Lenin's contemporaries states differently when describing Lenin. " A man of iron will and indomitable energy, capable of instilling fanatical
faith in the movement and the cause, and possessed of equal faith in himself." By November, Lenin had convinced the Bolsheviks that the time for
action had come, a reflection that he had a party he could still push, inspire and control. But Harrison E. Sailsbury a correspondent form Moscow for
the New York Times argues that Lenin only had the firm support of 15 of 25 members on the 15th of October. These two men give different pictures
of the state of the belief the Bolsheviks had in their leader and therefore the importance of Lenin in his party. Potresov can not be treated as a completely

The Success of the Bolsheviks in Gaining Power in Russia...
The Success of the Bolsheviks in Gaining Power in Russia by 1922
In February 1917, the Bolshevik party was small and irrelevant. The leadership was abroad and there was little consistency of purpose among the party
in Russia. However, by the summer of 1922, the Bolsheviks had become the dominant force, and a new communist state had emerged from their
success. The purpose of this essay is to explain this transformation.
The abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the collapse of the Romanov dynasty threwRussia into a state of turmoil. The elites had withdrawn their
support for the Tsar after a series of disastrous defeats in the war and continued social and economic problems. In the wake of the ... Show more content
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Despite the financial considerations, the Provisional Government felt obliged to continue the war out of a sense of loyalty to Britain and France. In
addition, they were reluctant to leave the war without salvaging some prestige and pride from the current situation. They were still hopeful of an allied
victory. However, the decision to continue with the war was to prove extremely unfortunate. It was unpopular, as there appeared to be few aims to the
continued fighting. The government quickly lost the support of a large proportion of the troops. These disillusioned peasants in uniform provided
excellent targets for Bolshevik propaganda. What is more, the Russian situation in the war worsened and humiliating defeat began to loom large on the
horizon.
Russia was a poverty stricken, backward power in 1917. It also had a majority peasant population. The continuation of the war meant that the key
issues of 'peace, bread and land' that Lenin so aptly highlighted could not be addressed. Reforms and visible improvement in the peasant way of life
were vital if the government wished to gain their support and maintain its power.
However, revolutionary forces, suppressed under Tsarist Russia came to the surface under the new, weaker and less repressive Provisional
Government to create a body known as the Soviet. This body created a

What Is The Relationship Between The Bolshevik And Mensheviks
The Bolsheviks (lit. "one for the majority") were a Russian political party that was founded in 1903 by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov,
when they split away from the Menshevik (lit. "one for the minority") faction under the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. By 1905,
the Bolsheviks were no longer a minor faction, but one that had over 8,400 members. This number increased to 46,000 by 1910, a time where the
Mensheviks had only 38,000. The Bolsheviks and Mensheviks continued to both gain and lose the majority in their parent party, and in 1910, they
were forced to band together due to their loss of numbers and pressure from the Tzar, even though Lenin was strongly against the idea. Then, in 1912,
the Bolsheviks broke away

Reasons for Russia's October Revolution
What were the reasons for the October revolution?
The revolution in Russia started spontaneously in February 1917 when the Bolsheviks leader Vladimir Lenin plotted to overthrow the government and
take power. The Tsar in Russia Nicholas II was abdicated in March 1917 and the provisional committee of the Duma formed the provisional
government. The "duel power" interrupted the government authority and the soviets were in control. Now the provisional government decided to
continue with the war because western allies were needed. That was a mistake along other major mistakes such as putting off the promised reforms
which of course did upset the peasants and the government also postponed the election. After the fail of the February revolution Lenin returned to Russia
in April and he released his new thesis that stated that the Bolsheviks supports the Soviets. With the Bolsheviks representing only 10% Lenin attempt
to advocate a break with the provisional government failed. The July days between the 3rd and the 6th were a disaster for the Bolsheviks. The
demonstrations were easily crushed by the government and members of the Bolsheviks were arrested. In August, general Kornilov who hated the
left–wing including Lenin and the soviets plotted for a right–wing revolt he wanted to protect Petrograd from the Germans. His attempt was not
successful. The Kornilov arrest influenced Kerensky and he feared the worst and released the Bolsheviks prisoners. In September with the Bolsheviks

Why Was The Bolshevik Revolution Successful
There are numerous reasons why the Bolshevik revolution was successful, the most important reason to why the revolution of October 1917 was
successful was due to the role of Lenin, this is not to say however that he was the only cause, this essay will explain why the Bolshevik takeover
succeeded.
A predominant factor in the Bolshevik takeover's victory was the weakness and poor decisions of the provisional government (PG), the provisional
government was weak due to numerous defeats in the war and the fact that they did not change how the country was run after the February Revolution
which removed the Tsar from power, this meant that the Provisional Government was merely seen as the Tsar with a different face. This created
discontent towards ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is firstly because he was the one to decide that the Bolsheviks would try to stop the war, which was their most popular policy, especially after
the brutal failure of the June Offensive. If it was not for this then the Bolsheviks would have not had the support of as many soldiers or workers.
The second reason why Lenin was the most important cause was due to the fact that he turned the Bolsheviks into a brand with him as a
figurehead and with simple, easy to understand slogans such as 'Peace, Land and Bread' appealed to the masses as they could easily identify what
the Bolsheviks supported and why it appealed to them which in turn gained their support. Lenin also created the Red Guard which was very
important to the victory as they were the well trained army that fought for the Bolsheviks and it was only with them that they could overcome the
PG. Lenin is also important as he was the person who convinced the Bolshevik central committee (controlled by Trotsky) to vote for a revolution , if
it was not for this there would have been no Bolshevik revolution in October 1917. Therefore Lenin is more important because he created the
resources and gathered the support needed to overthrow the PG by exploiting the PG's weakness , like keeping the war, and Lenin is more important
than Trotsky because without the resources and support which Lenin had gained, he would have not been able to pull of his master

How Far Did Kerensky's Government Make A Mistake?
For a brief eight months, Alexander Kerensky was the central figure in a doomed effort to bring democracy to Russia. What went wrong? Did
Russia's most significant national leader Kerensky's government make a mistake when it tried to keep Russia in the war? Kerensky who was in
charge was exiled by Lenin and the Bolsheviks and ended up seeking safety abroad in Paris and America.
Alexander Kerensky had a remarkable career. He was born in Simbirsk on the Volga River on May 2, 1881. His father was a head schoolmaster.
Kerensky trained and graduated as a lawyer. He went on to a legal practice in St. Petersburg where he specialized in defending cases that involved
political offenses.
Kerensky became a moderate socialist and joined the Socialist ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When it came time to protect the Provisional Government from the Bolsheviks, he had no military to call on. When the National Soviet joined with
the Left SR, and both sat out on the sidelines, what was left of the Army either backed the Reactionary Generals or went over to the Bolsheviks.
Kerensky tried to lead but no one followed. In late October 1917, Kerensky was toppled from power and forced to flee Russia, an impotent and
defeated figure who had failed to capitalize on the great opportunity passed to him.
The Bolshevik October Revolution brought Vladimir Lenin to power. Lenin's vow to end the war and open negotiations with the Germans provoked the
Allies and led to the detachment of a military excursion to oppose the newly established government and aid rebels who had begun a civil war to oust
the Bolsheviks.
On November 7, 1917, Lenin ordered a coup d'etat that was brilliantly successful and the November Revolution ended the Provisional Government.
Kerensky was toppled from power and forced to flee Russia, an impotent and defeated figure who had failed to capitalise on the great opportunity
passed to

What Was The Cause And Impact Of The Octhevik Revolution
The October Revolution more precisely known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. Generally designated, as the October Uprising, Bolshevik
Revolution or The Red October was a seizure of state power instrumental in the larger Russian Revolution of 1917. It occurred with an armed coup
traditionally dated to 25 October 1917. It followed and capitalized on the February Revolution of the same year, which eradicated the Tsarist injustice
and ingrained a provisional government built predominantly of former nobles and aristocrats. The urban workers began to organize into councils
wherein revolutionaries criticized the provisional government and its actions. The Bolshevik party was heavily supported by the soviets. After the
Congress of Soviets, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Firstly the Provisional Government took major decisions, such as remaining in WWI and adjourned land reforms. This affected the citizens of Russia
greatly. This shaped the Provisional Government progressively abhorred and acquiesced Lenin to aggression it for the reasons stated above and never
had been given the capability to be elected. The Soviets were councils. Their usual behavior was: chaotic, rebellious, uproarious and unsystematic,
nevertheless they were voted for. "Lenin caught on to this and declared that the Soviets should be given the power to dominate Russia. "All power to
the Soviets!" developed an exceedingly effective Bolshevik–rallying broadcast." (BBC) However the reason behind Lenin' leniency towards the Soviets
was that they should dominate Russia under the control of the Bolsheviks. Economic problems advanced into a major issue in Nicholas II's diminution.
The Provisional Government clearly weren't given much power to handle the issues emerging. Compensations were increasing at an extremely rapid
speed, which resulted in shortage of food, land for the peasants. However, on the positive side for the Bolsheviks the economic issue sustained the
demand and degraded the Provisional

Leon Trotsky's Contribution to the Success of the...
Leon Trotsky's Contribution to the Success of the Bolsheviks Up To 1922
In this essay I will explain Leon Trotsky's contribution to the success of the Bolsheviks. I will consider a number of reasons including his organisation
of the revolution, his actions on the 6th – 8th November 1917, public speaking, The Red Army & civil war, and the Kronstadt uprising. I will finish with
a clear, concise, conclusion.
Leon Trotsky was born in 1879 in a remote part of southern Ukraine. He was the son of a Jewish farmer and was educated ant Odessa University. He
became very interested in the writings of Karl Marx, as a result he spent long times in exile. Trotsky was a first a Menshevik and did not join the ...
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On the evening of 6th November 1917, Trotsky went to the Peter and Paul Fortress, this housed the majority of Russian arms, it is located on an island
in the middle of the river Neva in Petrograd, he bribed the troops guarding the fortress and his troops were given access to powerful munitions. Later
that night the Revolution began. The primary objectives were to take command of railway stations, post offices, telephone centres, banks, bridges, and
the Engineers' Palace (the military headquarters). This objective continued into the morning of the 7th, and on the evening of the 7th November 1917
Trotsky and his Red Guard stormed the Winter Palace and arrested the ministers of the provisional government. On the 8th November, an
announcement was made that the provisional government had been overthrown. This helped the Bolsheviks because the organisation skills Trotsky
supplied meant the Bolsheviks had support and weapons, if it hadn't been for him, the Bolsheviks may never have overthrown the government. It also
meant everything was perfectly set up for the Revolution
Trotsky was a skilled public speaker who managed to inspire his listeners to support him and his party. His speeches were inspirational to everyone
who listened and it made many change their ideas about how Russia should be governed. He made his speeches with "skill and brilliance". An
eyewitness to

Bolsheviks Siezing power in Petrograd in 1917
Bolsheviks Siezing power in Petrograd in 1917
There are a number of factors that led to the Bolsheviks being able to seize power in Petrograd. There wasn't one incident that can be attributed to
causing the revolution by it's self. To understand how the revolution was able to take place we must understand the structure of Russia's society from the
late 1800's until when the revolutions took place in 1917.
Before the year 1917 Russia had been an autocracy, this means that one man alone had complete power over the whole of Russia. This man was
known as the Tsar. His family, the Romanov's had ruled Russia since the 17th century. He had complete power over all of the people in Russia. To pass a
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this thesis he stated that he wanted all of the land and wealth in Russia to be re–distributed evenly amongst all of the people. He states that a highly
organised party will be needed to bring about the revolutions that will achieve a socialist state. In short Lenin wanted a radical shake up in Russia with
a communist system in place, resulting in a socialist state where everyone is equal and has equal land. Again this is quite a major factor in contributing
to the revolution because of the effect that it has on the party.
These radical ideas that Lenin has caused a split in the Russian Social Democratic party. In 1903 it split into the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks, the
Bolsheviks being led by Lenin and the Mensheviks being led by Martov. Stalin went with the Bolsheviks and Trotsky went with the Mensheviks. The
Bolshevik party that was formed was the main contributor to the revolution in 1917 as they were the ones that would eventually overthrow the
provisional government. However that revolution would never have been able to take place without the social and political factors in Russia at the
time, as well as the contribution of the First World War.
In the year 1905 the Tsar faced two very tough tests in order to remain in control of Russia. First of all there was an attempted revolution by the

Failure of the Russian Provisional Government
To a large extent the political predicament in Russia was unsuccessful due to the provisional government holding power. The provisional government
set policies that weren't under the autocratic government which lead them to be favoured by the people of Russian, an example of these policies
included; "freedom of speech, freedom of the press, Immediate preparations for a vote to elect a constituent assembly consisting of representatives from
the whole nation; when formed, the provisional government will cease to exist" and many others (Malone, 2009,P.108). However the provisional
government went back on to their policies and this manifested into the July days. Thru the July days from 16th to the 19th over "568 factories closed
down" with the factories closing down this made a huge impact on the economy as over "104000 workers loss their jobs" (Malone, 2009,P.116) which
increased the unemployment dispute dramatically. The soldiers and industrial worker engages in spontaneous demonstrations against the Russian
Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks tried to provide leadership to the demonstrations. However the military attacked the peaceful demonstrations
and engaged in repression against the Bolsheviks. During this repression Lenin went into hiding, whilst other Bolshevik leaders were arrested (Malone,
2009,P, 115. P, 116). The aftermath of the July Days signified a temporary deterioration of growth, power and influence to the Bolsheviks. By the end
of April and Russia still

The Success of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 Essay
The Success of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 Part 1 Karl Marks was not Russian and he died 34 years before the Russian revolution, he was a
German who spent most his life in England. He worked as a journalist but wrote books on history, religion, economics, society, and philosophy. Marx
hated the system of capitalism because he thought that it was capitalism that had produced the problems of industry, poor living conditions and the
social gap of the rich and poor. He thought that the system destroyed people and made them greedy and that people only wanted something if it was
worth money. Karl Marx realised that there was not enough money to make everyone rich but he did thin k the world... Show more content on
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His third and final solution was if people are working for the good of everyone else then there will be no problems and everyone will trust each
other. These are Karl Marx's views and how they could be achieved. Vladimir Ilch Ulyanov, also known as Lenin which was a secret codename he
had adapted so he could not be caught by the government on plots to overthrow them, was brought up in a well educated middle class home and he
was the third out of six children. He left school first in his class and looked to become a scholar. He looked set to become a well educated and
mature young man at the age of sixteen but things were soon to change. As a teenager he took two harsh blows which led him on to become a
revolutionist. The first was of his fathers death when he was threatened with early retirement because of the government's fear of public school
education and had soon died after. The second was the death of his eldest brother; he had been hanged for conspiring with a revolutionary terrorist
group which had plotted the assassination of Emperor Alexander 3rd. this made Lenin feel very bitter toward the government and he felt as if he
could change the country for the better. Lenin enrolled in Kazan University, but he was quickly expelled as a radical troublemaker and after being
accused of joining an illegal secret student meeting he was

How Did Lenin Get Wrong About The Bolshevik Revolution
There are things that people get wrong about the Bolshevik revolution like who was in it, and what it was, and how it happened. First order of
business is the who. Who was in it you might know. I am going to talk about the parties involved like the government and the factory workers and the
peasants. There is one person in particular that may come to mind Lenin. The government was the main issue in this revolution. Russia at the time had a
Provisional Government. But after the revolution they had changed to the Soviet Union Socialist Republic. Now onto Vladimir Lenin. Who was he? He
was the leader of the the the Government of Soviet Russia and Soviet Union. Let's get onto the second order of business. We have talked about the,
who so,

The Bolsheviks
Lawyers would say that Europe, Asia, and the United States of America are completely different. However, from the point of view of the citizens, the
similarities in their daily lives are numerous, even if some fundamental differences remain. To begin with the most obvious similarity and example: in
the USA, as well as in parts of Europe, citizens use a single currency, identical to the currency of their neighboring States. Just as in Europe, in the
USA, several decisions remain the responsibility of the states, such as highway code, certain taxes, social welfare, minimum wages, and certain areas
of justice. At the political level, some plea for further independence of the States in relation to the federal government, while others are bidding... Show
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It should not be unforeseen that the Bolsheviks worked hard to safeguard that any person potentially antagonistic to them did not retain arms. The first
Soviet gun controls were enacted during the Russian Civil War, as Czarists, Western troops, and national independence movements fought the central
Red regime. Firearm registration was instituted on April 1, 1918. In October 1918, the Council of People's Commissars (the government) ordered the
renunciation of all firearms, ammunition, and sabers. As has been the case in nearly every nation where firearms registration has been introduced,
registration proved a preamble to confiscation. Excused from the confiscation order, however, were affiliates of the Communist Party. A 1920 decree
imposed a obligatory minimum penalty of six months in prison for non–Communist possession of a firearm, even where there was no felonious intent.
After the Red triumph in the Civil War, the firearm laws were consolidated in a Criminal Code, which if broken, unauthorized possession of a
firearm would be punishable by rigid labor. A 1925 law made unauthorized possession of a firearm punishable by three months of hard labor, plus a
fine of 300 rubles (equal to about four months' wages for a highly–paid construction worker). Stalin apparently found little need to alternate the
weapons control structure he had inherited. This chapter of Lethal Laws summarizes the genocide perpetrated by Stalin from 1929 to 1953, starting
with his efforts to collectivize farming by destroying the class of property–owning farmers. Altogether, about twenty million people were murdered,
worked to death in slave labor camps, or deliberately starved to death by Stalin's government. Stalin's successful campaign of genocide against the
Kulaks and against dissident Communists served as a model for

The Failure Of The Bolshevik Revolution
establishing legitimacy, and caused mass desertion. Every day thousands of peasants abandoned the war front, though some historians believe less.
The May 11 Declaration of Soldier's Rights, and July 12 desertion death penalty were ineffective as well. The Government's war, built dissent and
disloyalty, which were key to the Revolution. The Government also failed to address issues of land distribution and food shortages, and the people
were unsatisfied by empty promises. This created a platform for the revolutionary slogan: "Peace, Land, and Bread". Inaction was blamed upon the
absence of a Constituent Assembly, and thus the Government appeared powerless. Kerensky also opted for non–militant governing, met ironically with
Lenin's claim... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Bolshevik political prominence was caused by the joining of peasants and the proletariat. Following the fall of the Czar, a capitalist economic system
easily exploited peasants, building a favorable view of socialism; in 1917 30,000 landowners owned as much land as 10 million peasants combined,
spurring agrarian revolts. The ideology of peasants aligned with Bolshevism, which led to the formation of Peasant Soviets, a sign of insurrection.
Lenin emphasized only Soviets had power to reclaim land at the expense of landowners, as landowners sided with Government bureaucracy. From the
Bolshevik perspective, the proletariat's cooperation was more significant. The February reformation of trade–unions and shrinking economy drove
unions to form Soviets and committees. Factory–committees were prominent causes of the Revolution because they held the strongest political power
in the proletariat. Committees referred to the Bolsheviks as it mutually strengthened their political power and would end the oppression of capitalism
on the working–class. Trotsky agreed: the proletariat was victim to the Law of Uneven Development and held the right to rebel. Bolsheviks
emphasized to workers that the bourgeoisie had no roots in the masses, rendering them politically weak. This caused ideology that the Revolution was
politically

The Bolshevik Revolution, By Edward Carr
In his work The Bolshevik Revolution, Edward Carr expands through a detailed historical account how exactly it was that the Russian councils took
power in October 1917. Sociological frameworks will also allow for a deeper understanding of the social unrest that led to the culmination of the
October Revolution of 1917 and the unintended consequence of the bureaucratization of the state. To fully comprehend the events that led the council
to take power, it is necessary to acknowledge both the institutional breakdown that is derived from an institutional lens while at the same time
challenging its limits through a Neo–Marxist dialogue. Therefore, the focus of the institutional structures that are discussed by Theda Skocpol will best
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
From February to July, there were protests and constant debate, in hopes of change. However, Lenin's theses are rejected and the councils continue to
support the provisional government because they're following the orthodox Marxist"stages" model.
The councils, who were mostly orthodox Marxists, first resisted Lenin's theses because it was difficult to take this anti–Marxist articulation seriously. In
other words, they only saw it tangible for Russia to go through a preliminary stage in order to reach a fully capitalist society, then only through Marxian
revolution get to socialism. Lenin did, however, articulate in his Theses the need to bring rise to both capitalism and socialism simultaneously. Even
though the council 's shut down his view, after the Kornilov affair and the breakdown of the institution, the councils begin to lean on Lenin. Which
results in the successful takeover of the councils. It too can be argued that as a great leader Lenin won the people and a shift of sympathy towards the
Bolsheviks, who promised everything. The conditions which Lenin had foreseen in his April theses as justifying the transition to the second stage of
the revolution were maturing fast (Carr, 1985: 93).
After the Tsar Voluntarily abdicated in February 1917, due to vast discontent across all the social classes, it brought up the emergence of "dual power".
This

Bolsheviks' Seizure of Power in 1917
Bolsheviks' Seizure of Power in 1917
There are many factors that help explain how and why the Bolsheviks managed to seize power in 1917. It was a combination of long and short term
causes that together, created a revolution. The political system itself was long overdue for reform, but with a weak Tsar, the economic and social
conditions became worse and worse. In 23 years, Nicholas II dropped from the glorious 'Little Father of Russia' to prisoners of his own country, hatred
and despised by the majority, for the suffering and unhappiness he had helped create.
There were many long–term causes that gradually led up to the revolution in 1917. The political system installed in Russia under the ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Overcrowding, terrible food, disease and alcoholism were everyday happenings. Peasants began to realise that working in the factories was no better
than working on the land.
As a result of this industrialisation, a new class of people called the Capitalists began to emerge in Russia. These were the new middle class, which
Russia had only seen as shopkeepers and university lecturers, but landowners, bankers, industrialists and businessmen flourished. The capitalist's main
concern was the management of the economy and controlling their workforce. The clashes between the workers and the capitalists are another huge
factor that lead up to the revolution in 1917.
Not everyone however was readily loyal to the Tsar as explained earlier. Many middle–class people wanted greater democracy in Russia and wanted,
like Britain, a monarch but also a powerful parliament. These were called liberals or 'Cadets.'
The two other groups were more passionately opposed to the Tsar and believed revolution was the key to Russia's problems. The Socialist
Revolutionaries were a radical movement that believed violence was the only way to revolution, and support for them was wide spread. Their aims
were to divide the huge estates from the nobility and hand them over to the peasants. The socialist democratic party

The Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917-Essay Review
In 1917, in the midst of the Great War, Russia faced one of the biggest political shifts that the Tsarist
–ruled country had ever known–the Bolshevik
Revolution. There are two significant time frames associated with the Bolshevik Revolution. In the February revolution Tsar Nicholas II abdicated his
throne and a Provisional Government took control. In the October revolution the Bolsheviks took power by overthrowing the Provisional Government.
How did the October revolution become a reality? What factors facilitated the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917? Two important factors were the
July event at Taurida Palace, and the Kornilov Affair. Richard Pipes describes in detail how Lenin influenced the Bolshevik party throughout the...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After the July event, Lvov's resignation, Kerensky took control as the new Prime Minister.
Richard Pipes gives a detailed account of the events that led up to the July event and the Bolsheviks' preparedness. The Bolsheviks were opportunists
and used propaganda to influence and agitate, gives credit to their political strategy. The Bolsheviks saw an opportunity and used it. They also
understood that their timing had to be flawless. They did not want to quell the frenzy they had created among the mutineers; however, a premature
large–scale uprising would give the Provisional Government an excuse to crush them. Although the July event was a setback for the Bolsheviks, it did
create a growing dissatisfaction among the soldiers. Many had no more will to fight, and lost their faith in the government. This would prove crucial
when Kerensky would, with failed attempts, call on them to defend the Winter Palace against insurgents in the October Revolution.
An important factor that facilitated the Bolshevik Revolution was the Kornilov Affair. Pipes and Fitzpatrick disagree in that Fitzpatrick refers to the
Kornilov Affair as a coup based on national interest. Pipes refers to the Kornilov Affair as a coup in response to deception. Fitzpatrick writes the coup
attempt by Kornilov was of his own design and without provocation. Pipes however, establishes the Kornilov Affair was a result of Kerensky's
misperceptions. Kerensky felt that as head

How Far Had the Bolsheviks Created a 'Totalitarian State'...
A totalitarian state, is a where the central government of a state does not tolerate any parties with opposing views and exercises complete dictatorial
rule over all or most aspects of life. Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks, took many measures in an attempt to create a totalitarian state, including the
dissolution of Constituent Assembly, the use of decrees and the establishment of a secret police group called the Cheka. However there were also
some ways in which he failed to achieve full totalitarianism. The most basic characteristics of a Totalitarian state, are lack of free speech and state
control over the media. This is important to establish social control over the state. Lenin's described free speech as 'bourgeois prejudice',... Show more
The creation of the secret police and the establishment of the gulags and labour camps, are signs that Lenin had created a successful totalitarian state,
and could assert physical control over the people. The introduction of War Communism during the Russian Civil War, is evidence of Russian moving
towards a Totalitarian State. Many aspects of War communism were totalitarian in nature. For instance the creation of a Supreme Economic Council,
formed to take complete control over the Russian highlights the central control over the most vital aspect of the state, that the Bolsheviks enforced.
Other measures include the requisitioning of excess grain from the Peasants. Many of these policies were met with opposition, particularly among the
agricultural peasants. This opposition was in turn met with brutal force, which was another example of the nature of complete state authority. War
communism continued on until the end of the Civil war, by which time the Bolshevik forces had succeeded in crushing all opposition. The success of
the red forces meant that Russia was a step closer in becoming a Totalitarian state, as they were now the most powerful party in Russia, with complete
control over all its territory. Upon the creation of the USSR, Lenin introduced new rule that would ensure greater totalitarian control. Only communists
would be able to stand for the soviets, and so this meant that the communist party had the true control over the

Why Was Vladimir Lenin And The Bolshevik Revolution Impact...
Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution impacted the Romanov dynasty in countless ways. Lenin was physically incapable of
leading the masses already controlled by a powerful monarch. Therefore, when the war led to Nicholas II stepping down from his throne, Lenin was
finally given a shot at controlling Russia. Hence, the Russo–Japanese war was incredibly significant to Lenin because it was the beginning of his soon
to be domination of Russia. This was a significant event in Lenin's history because it showed how Russia began to fall and Lenin began gaining
supporters. Bloody Sunday was also a major event for the Romanov Family because this was when his people turned against him and started rebelling,
leading up to his murder. Lenin an inspirational leader of both Russia and the Bolshevik Party, was in control of countless aspects of Russia and was
prominent political figure.
Russo–Japanese War The Russo–Japanese War lasted from 1904 until 1905, beginning with the Japanese initiating a surprise ambush on the Russians.
This led to Nicholas II and his people growing apart (Trueman, 2016, para. 2). Many of his people were living in poverty and were anything but
prepared to fight. Unfortunately, old men and young children were recruited to fight in the front line. Soon, the people realized how little power they
had and the country began to collapse. Surprisingly, many of the citizens actually started asking for a

Poor Living and Working Conditions as the Reason for...
Poor Living and Working Conditions as the Reason for Bolsheviks' Seizure of Power in 1917
Around eighty percent of Russia's population were peasants who lived in communities. Living and working conditions for most peasants were
dreadful, famine and starvation were common. People worked for long hours, their wages were low and rent was high. In factory towns people lived
in overcrowded slums and there were very few sanitary facilities. Poor living and working conditions existed all the way, while other causes of the
Bolshevik seizure of power came in later on. Peasants wanted change, but they were not getting it. The peasants became furious and more issues got
worse for them. Everything added up ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 1911 Stolypin was assassinated and, in the years 1911–1914, protests and strikes began to increase. Nicholas II took Russia into the First World War.
The First World War had created conditions in Russia that favoured the revolution. The war worsened Russian conditions, food and fuel shortages in
the town led to protests and strikes, the agricultural system crumbled due to lack of workers, the railway system began to collapse, it was increasingly
difficult to get food and fuel supplies to the city. Bad leadership in the front and lack of equipment and clothing led to mutinies in the army. The war
speeded up the process of change–people had soon had enough with the Tsar and of what they thought was a pointless war. Most people wanted a
short victorious war, but there was a shortage of rifles and other munitions equipment, military leadership was bad. In cities like Petrograd many
strikes and demonstrations took place. By 1917, the army was no longer supporting the Tsar. He now had no effective means of suppressing the
revolt, so this led to the Tsar's abdication. However this is not the most important cause for the Bolsheviks' seizure of power in 1917 because Lenin
persuaded people to join his party and go against the government by using Marxist views.
Lenin was the

The Reasons For The Success Of The Bolsheviks And The...
Sahmoud 1
Mahmoud Sahmoud
Mr. Steven Negrete
November 27th 2015
Class Moe The Reasons for the Success of the Bolsheviks and the Outcomes for Their Success
The Bolsheviks played quite a successful role in the October Revolution. There were many reasons that helped the Bolsheviks seize power and
transform Russia into a modern socialist society namely, the weakness of the provisional government, Lenin's great leadership, Trotsky's control, and
finally, the Bolsheviks' successful propaganda. These acts shaped the Bolshevik Party and gained it social, political, and economic support from the
lower classes. This all resulted in both the creation of the Soviet Union and the Civil War. The Bolsheviks went from being an insignificant radical party
to a political ruling majority.
Firstly, The Provisional Government was a temporary government for Russia... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In addition to that, the Petrograd Soviet released many orders refusing workers and soldiers to obey the Provisional Government unless the Soviet
agreed. This weakened the Provisional Government's power as it did absolutely nothing in trying to end the Soviets' power.
The Provisional Government harmed itself with many bad decisions and not having the ability to control the numerous problems in Russia. The
Provisional Government's bad decision of continuing the war led to inflation in the economy, bad living conditions for the lower classes. The great
demand of food for the soldiers led to extreme hunger issues for the peasants and workers. Therefore, the peasants' anger made them attack and capture
nobles' lands. The Provisional Government couldn't manage to end the issues, as it sent troops to take back the lands from the peasants and set up
Death Squads to execute the deserting soldiers. These acts lost the people's support and faith in the

How Did Lenin Win The Bolsheviks
One of the first problems faced by the Bolshevik party was the upcoming election to the All Russian Constituent Assembly in November. Lenin was
highly opposed to this as he thought any democratic elections were tricks played by the bourgeoisie to keep itself in power and unlike other political
parties Lenin's ideas for the Bolsheviks were different, he did not want to win mass support but to create a party capable of seizing power , the
Bolsheviks ruled by de facto not de jure. This led to the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, January 1918. This aided theBolshevik
consolidation of power as this action is considered to be the onset of the Bolshevik dictatorship as all political opposition had been removed, from
this moment onwards any legal opposition was essentially impossible. Furthermore this revealed the lack of support for the Bolsheviks in Russia as
they had lost the election by only won 24% of the vote, (175 of 707 seats) in the Constituent Assembly. Whereas their opposition the social
revolutionaries (SRs) won a majority, with 370 of 707 seats. The SRs had a clear majority with the peasant vote. The Bolsheviks considered the
winning of the urban votes was more significant than winning the rural vote . Lenin saw how vulnerable the Bolsheviks would be if the Constituent
Assembly were to remain open. The Bolsheviks, a minority party, could not lead Russia surrounded by opposition or alternative socialist parties such
as the SRs who also disagreed with how the

How successful was Lenin in solving the Problems he faced?...
Jin–Ho Lee
IB History – Mr. Wade
28/01/14
How successful was Lenin (1917–1924) in solving the problems he faced?
With the October revolution in 1917, Lenin managed to execute a successful coup d'Г©tat against the provisional government of Russia and with the
death of the constituent assembly early 1918; Lenin and his Bolsheviks had finally control over Russia. However this was just the beginning of various
problems he would be facing. This raised the debate on whether Lenin could deal with these problems or not. Many of the quarrels originated from the
Tsar's regime and the provisional government such as Russia's participation in WW1 as well as economic underdevelopment. Immediate problems such
as the raging civil war existed as ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lenin, knowing Russia's economic status quo and having to get ready for an upcoming civil war, had to stop the war against Germany no matter the
cost. Thus having persuaded Trotsky and Kamanev, supporters of the war, in 1918, the treaty of Brest–Litovsk was accepted. However this came with
high sacrificial value. Due to the treaty, Russia lost Riga, Lithuania, Estonia and parts of White Russia. This was a heavy blow to the already
weakened economy as these areas were of major importance since they were some of the most fertile farming lands in Russia, while additionally
losing 75% of their iron ore and coal deposit. Thus one could see the Brest–Litovsk treaty as an unsuccessful move by Lenin as the loss of economical
important lands was a major downfall. However it has to be taken into account that the people of Russia wanted an end to the war and despite the
loss, it did help Lenin in winning the civil war in Russia. Thus, Lenin was successful to a large extent in stopping the war but yet again, this was not
the only war he would be fighting.
As mentioned previously, Lenin won the civil war in 1918. This was crucial for the Bolsheviks to secure their power over Russia. However this did
come with a price as well. Lenin essentially came to power through a coup d'Г©tat so it was only natural for there to be political opposition, ranging
from monarchists to even foreign nations, collectively named the whites. However a

Leon Trotsky, a Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and...
Most historians agree that throughout his political career Trotsky displayed various talents and abilities. However, these skills alone were not enough
to enable him to become the supreme leader of the USSR. In the context of the workings of the Bolshevik party to rise to the highest office of the
politburo required certain traits and qualities as well as an ability to utilise the party machine and exploit its members–talents, traits and qualities
Trotsky clearly lacked. For these reasons the statement is highly accurate because in spite of his ability, Trotsky's failure to rise to the 'highest office in
the land' was a consequence of his arrogance, political naivety and inability to turn success into political capital.
This statement is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore, the many roles that Trotsky undertook in his political career, notably Commissar for War prove that Trotsky was most definitely 'the
most able of men'. According to Service, Trotsky as Commissar for War 'surprised everyone with his organisational capacity and ruthlessness as he
transformed the Red Army into a fighting force'. During his role as commissar Trotsky was able to increase the size of the Red army to three million,
introduced conscription, maintained obedience and discipline by enforcing the oath of the red warrior and the death penalty for deserters and used
ex–Tsarist officers to assist in the organisation of the army. Trotsky's ability to successfully transform the Red Army and the significant role he played
in Civil War are largely the reason for theBolshevik victory and further highlight that Trotsky 'was the most able of men'.
However, despite his ability Trotsky was not able to rise to the highest office in the Land, as he lack political motivation, the personality traits required
and a utilisation of the party apparatus.
Trotsky despite his talents and status as a communist leader was disliked by his peers. His arrogance, condescension and perceived intellectual
superiority alienated many of members of the politburo. If in an address that bored Trotsky he was known to have openly read a novel instead. Lenin
himself raised concerns regarding the assured arrogance of Trotsky in his last testament writing that "he is perhaps the most capable

Trotsky 's Assessment Of The Continuity Between Stalinism...
Trotsky's assessment of the continuity between Stalinism and Leninism–Bolshevism is valid to a certain extent. It is axiomatic that there is a
multiplicity of factors that seem to correlate Stalinism to Leninism, thus adding validity to Trotsky's assessment of the continuity. However the
"straight–line" theory of the continuity between the two ideological phenomena, implied by Trotsky, undermines the divergence between them. Both
phenomenons rose up in the Soviet Russia during the times of civil unrest, but Stalinism can be seen as more of a "revolution from above" whilst the
Bolsheviks–Leninism can be seen as more of a "revolution from below".
The historical development of Stalinism can be traced and analyzed through its several stages. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, elements of discontinuity are also present as the revolution was perverted by the Stalinist structure as the 'dictatorship of the proletariat" soon
became the dictatorship of Stalin. Furthermore Stalin's theory of "Socialism in One Country" betrayed that of the Marxist–Leninist theory of
propagating socialism to other countries.
In order to fully assess the validity of the statement, two fundamental factors must we must firstly look at. Firstly the aspects of continuity that may
have lead to the the statement.Secondly, factors within the Stalinist regime that illustrate aspects of discontinuity from the Bolshevik regime. Lastly, the
reason for the characterization, on behalf of Trotsky to possibility to give validity to the Stalinist regime, likening that to the popularized
Leninist–Bolshevik regime.
Why does Trotsky legitimize the Stalinist regime as being linked to the Bolsheviks? Trotsky's assessment of the of the Stalinist phenomenon certainly
seems unexpected considering that any link between the two systems would certainly seem to undermine Trotsky's creditably as the appropriate
successor of Lenin.
Trotsky was a renowned revolutionary who played a pivotal role during the Bolshevik Revolutionary. He was born on November 7th, 1879 in
Yanovka, Ukraine, to Jewish parents. In many regards, Trotsky

Vladimir Lenin And The Bolshevik Revolution
According to the History.com Staff, "The October Revolution began on November 6 and 7, 1917 (or October 24 and 25 on the Julian calendar)."
(Russian Revolution"). The October Revolution has also been called the Bolshevik Revolution since the Bolshevik Party played a crucial role in the
revolution. The leader of the Bolshevik Party, Vladimir Lenin was a big supporter of Karl Marx. Another Marxist who leads this revolution was Leon
Trotsky. In an article by the History.com Staff, "Lenin had created an, almost, bloodless coup d'Г©tat against the provisional government." ("Russian
Revolution"). The Bolshevik revolution started when, Alexander Kerensky, rather than follow an order. On October 24th, Kerensky ordered troops that
were loyal, to act against the Bolshevik. EncyclopГ¦dia Britannica tells us that, "Kerensky was a socialist revolutionary who served as head of the
Russian Provisional Government." ("Aleksandr Kerensky").
According to History.com Staff, "The provisional government had created a group of leaders from Russia's bourgeois capitalist class. Lenin would
alternatively call for a Soviet state that would be controlled directly by councils of workers, peasants, and soldiers." ("Russian Revolution"). Both
decided that the Soviets was going to be a useful instrument in the next revolution. They didn't want the Soviets to have all the power until they could
control them. In the book, Rise and fall of Communism 2009, Archie Brown shows us that, "On 12 October, according to the old calendar, Trotsky
took command of the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet and on 25 October...the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd"
(Brown 51). Insurrection was to start, but there were complications with the date set. In the book, The History of the Russian Revolution 1960, Leon
Trotsky says, "At a session of the Petrograd Soviet on the 18th, Trotsky, in answer to a question raised by the enemy, declared that the Soviet had not
set a date for an insurrection, in the coming days, but that if it became necessary to set one, the workers and soldiers would come out as one man"
(Trotsky 162). There were forty thousand workers in the army of Petrograd.
On the 22nd of October, there was a meeting of the Red

Soviet historians hold the view that the period ranging...
Discuss the reasons why the Bolsheviks had achieved so little by 1914
Despite being the main opposition to the Tsar in Russia at the time, the Bolsheviks failed to make any significant progress in their aims to overthrow
the Tsarist autocracy, due to many problems throwing the party in to crisis, with their efforts to influence the proletariat to revolt against the Tsar
proved to be failed attempts. In order to come out with a fair and balanced conclusion, it is necessary to look at the opinions of historians from both
ends of the spectrum: from the sympathetic Soviet historians, to the more critical opinions of the Western historians, and then lastly looking at the
more balanced and neutral views ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the light of this, the tsar brought out a law stating that no law could be passed without his permission. The Okhrana, the Tsar's secret police, were
another obstacle for the Bolsheviks, as due to the large scale membership of the Mensheviks, Lenin became wary of a large party due to suspicion
from the Okhrana, as the Tsar was clamping down on any form of revolutionary party. It was this that made Lenin think that the best way to move
forward was with a small, tight–knit party of professional revolutionaries. However this still did not help as Lenin and his party were forced into
exile during the early 1900's due to scares from the Okhrana and the autocracy. The newest problem the Bolsheviks would have to overcome was how
would they be able to dictate affairs in Russia while in exile? The Soviets argue the answer by stating that Lenin was relaying messages back to
Russia in hope of stirring up revolution. Another reason for the lack of achievement was Stolypin's land reforms which they allowed the peasants to
opt out of the Mir, thus, in a way, diminishing the need for an uprising. The land bank was then established so they could buy their own land, and this
encouraged resettlement and Stolypin hoped to create a class of Kulaks. This

Bolshevik Party Essay
The Bolshevik party was based on Marxist ideals, ideals which sought to rid society of class conflict and create an egalitarian society. After the fall of
the provisional government, the Bolsheviks were now able to implement an economic policy of their own, introducing a form of communism called
'War Communism'. It was a form of strict communism that, amongst many things, took money out of circulation and banned private enterprise. It
should, therefore, seem surprising that the Bolshevik government got rid of this policy, a policy which espoused many Marxist principles of destroying
interclass conflict through the abolition of private enterprise, and replacing it with the NEP, a policy which at first glance, may resemble something
much more capitalist orientated than would one expect of a party based on communist ideals. The NEP was a policy that reintroduced "a free market
and capitalism, both subject to state control" . This may have therefore have been a step back from achieving a Marxist utopia in the Russian State but
it can be argued that the continuance of war communism would have ultimately led to the utter economic collapse of the Russian state and the NEP
prevented this from occurring.
A major criticism of the NEP was that it simply was not a policy ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Peasants wished to be able to enjoy the fruits of hard labour, to be able to stockpile or sell excess grain and buy consumer goods with money. With
the end of prodrazvyorstka and with the introduction of Prodnalog and money, the peasants were able to do so. Agricultural production increased
drastically as peasants were eager to trade their surplus grain; a kulak class reemerged in the countryside and many villages who had prior been
suffering were now thriving. The cities, that had seen massive decreases in population, saw people returning and setting up thriving businesses such as
restaurants and

The Bolshevik Of The Soviet Revolution
The Bolsheviks success in the 1917 October revolution, gave them full power under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin. Their aim after successfully
overthrowing the Russian autocracy was to create a socialist state. "His[Lenin's] view was that socialism should be a society where the working
people control their own fate, a society organized to benefit the vast majority. This view was the foundation for Lenin's efforts in socialist
construction." In order to create this society they; formed a new socialist government; introduced the 'first stage' of communism– state capitalism;
issued a decree on land as promised in their manifesto and focused on industrialising and collectivising in order to facilitate a socialist state. However,
problems which may cause failure in the creation of a socialist state include the civil war for slowing down progress, the introduction of the NEP– (a
revert back to capitalism?), the need to consolidate power and the brutal use of the red army.
The Bolshevik's first protocol was to create a socialist government. Lenin began by replacing the government of the capitalist class with the rule of the
working people. This new socialist government was compiled of mass organizations called Soviets, councils democratically elected by workers,
peasants and soldiers. One of the key functions of the socialist government, in Lenin's view, was guaranteeing democracy for the working people. As
opposed to a capitalist government which exists to ensure the

The Bolshevik Revolution : Peace, Land, And Bread
The Bolshevik (Russian) Revolution: "Peace, Land, and Bread"
In the early 1900's, Russia was a country ripe for a revolution; with a dwindling tsar autocracy deteriorating due to poor leadership, overworked and
poverty stricken citizens, World War I in motion, and numerous attempts at economic, social or political reforms, which all failed, the people ofRussia
had had enough and decided that the year 1917 was the right time to create the Bolshevik (Russian) Revolution.
In the years leading up to the formation of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the country of Russia had undergone multiple series of wars. These wars
included: The Crimean War (1854–56), The Russo–Turkish War (1877–78), and The Russo–Japanese War (1904–1905). Undergoing all these wars
required a lot from the state; the requirements being tax dollars and manpower (troops/armies). Russia was defeated in all of the wars listed above
except for one, the one being the battle against Turkey. These series of wars also caused great displeasure among the people and caused suffering in the
country 's economy and government.
Along with these wars, there were three major groups that backed the cause of the revolution. The first major group was the peasants; they were the
ones who maintained the majority of the population in Russia. They were extremely poor and could barely escape famine from harvest to harvest. The
population boom that occurred in Russia from 1867 to 1896 significantly impacted the peasants. The

How Did The October Revolution Affect The Bolsheviks
After overthrowing the Provisional Government and forming the Sovnarkom socialist government in the October Revolution (1917), the Bolsheviks
were hampered by problems that arose over social, political and economic factors, however to consolidate their power, they used means of sabotage
and appeasing the population. Many decrees were published to placate the masses, such as the Decree on land and the Decree on Workers' Control, to
control the economic situation. Politically, the Bolsheviks formed the Cheka to expose and investigate all counter–revolutionary and criminal
activities. What sparked the consolidation of power was the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly.
Economically, the Bolsheviks set decrees based on land and factories to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Bolsheviks were concerned about their abilitiy to remain in control. This is because the October Revolution (1917) came too late to prevent the
elections of the All–Russian Constituent Assembly from going ahead in November as planned. The voting (12–15 November 1917) occurred and the
results dismayed the Bolsheviks. Although they had won 175 seats in the assembly, they were outvoted by nearly two to one by the SRs who won
370/707 seats and had the majority with 52%. Lenin was worried about the results and believed that they had no need of an assembly because "to hand
over power to the Constituent Assembly would again be to compromise with the malignant bourgeoisie." With this mentality in mind, Lenin urged the
Bolsheviks to dissolve the Constituent Assembly. This occurred on 5 January 1918 when, after a long day of negotiations and disagreements between
the Bolsheviks and Left SRs and Mensheviks and Right SRs, the meeting ended at 5am. When the delegates arrived at 5pm for the reconvened session,
they found that the Tauride Palace was locked and guarded by Bolshevik troops who presented them with a decree declaring that the Constituent
Assembly has been dissolved. The Bolsheviks believed that "the machine gun became for them the principle instrument of political persuasion,"
(Richard Pipes) which outlined their motives behind dissolving the assembly. This contributed to formation of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist
Republic (RSFSR), who formally came into being (19 July 1918), which allowed the Bolsheviks to remain firmly in power. Thus, concluding that the
dissolution of the Constituent Assembly allowed the Bolsheviks to establish the RSFSR, which ultimately consolidated their power at that

The Triumph of the Bolsheviks Essay
The Triumph of the Bolsheviks
In order to gain total control of the Soviet State, Lenin and the Bolsheviks made commitments to several acts, which, by far, did not please most of their
political opponents. They mistreated various soviet members, made allies which the main population of Russia were discontent with, lacked support
because of their unfair participation in elections and were responsible for many economic declines. This led to many arduous problems in which the
Bolsheviks had to go through great triumphs in order to overcome them. Despite their success, they went through great struggle because of their
somewhat obstinate yet determined behavior.
In November 1917, a revolution ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
At the same time, Lenin had to face the World War and Russia's collapsing economy; the peasants who wanted the land; establishing a communist state;
and the general election for a new parliament to be called the "Constituent Assembly". So, from now, we can anticipate that it was going to be a
struggle for Lenin and the Bolsheviks to establish a communist society.
The Bolsheviks really lacked majority support in the country as a whole. So the question at this time was, how they were to keep themselves in
power, and yet still allow free elections. One of Lenin's first orders was nationalizing all land in order for it to be redistributed to all the peasants.
This was done in hope of gaining their favour. Lenin was obligated to allow these elections so that he wouldn't appear to be contradictive to his
opposing views to Kerensky when he postponed the elections. However, he realized that the Bolshevik Majority in the Constituent Assembly was
highly unlikely. Anyhow, he went ahead with the elections as planned, and his worst fears were realized as they had only won 175 seats out of
approximately 700. The Social Revolutionaries had won the majority of the seats, which was 370.
Therefore, the Social Revolutionaries were to make up the government, however, Lenin's determination to secure

The Pros And Cons Of The Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks were an organization of professional revolutionaries. They were governed by quasi–military discipline and democratic centralism. The
principle of democratic centralism became more centralized and less democratic over time. The beliefs and practices of the Bolsheviks are called
Bolshevism. Vladimir Lenin was the founder of the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks were an important factor in the Russian Revolution. ("New World
Encyclopedia" 1) Between March and May, 1903, Julius Martov and Vladimir Lenin had their first disagreement on who the party memberships should
be open to. Lenin thought the party membership should be limited to only a small core of professional revolutionaries. Although Martov agreed that
the membership should be open to professional revolutionaries, he also thought it should be open to sympathizers, revolutionary workers, and other
travellers. This is where they disagreed. Their disagreement did not split the party until August 1903 at the Second Congress of the RSDLP. Lenin and
Martov's disagreement at first seemed based at personal conflicts. One of them being Lenin insisting that less active editorial board members should be
dropped. Martov supported one of Lenin's oppositions the Organizing Committee of the Congress. After the split, two new parties were ... Show more
The Bolsheviks began debating on if they were going to boycott the new parliament called the Third Duma. Lenin, Grigory Zinoviev, and Lev Kamenev
thought the party should participate in the Duma. Alexander Bogdanov, Lenin's deputy philosopher, Anatoly Lunacharsky, Mikhail Provsky, and others
argued against participating in the Duma and thought it should be recalled. These people became known as recallists. Another small group of the
Bolshevik faction demanded the central committee of the RSDLP should give the Duma faction an ultimatum. This group was known as the ultimatists
and was allied with the

The Adventures of Mr. West in th Land of the Bolsheviks
"The Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks"(1924) is a silent film comedy about an American businessman's experience in
Moscow, yet the historical significance of the film gives you some idea of how the lower classes in Moscow in the 1920's are living and how events
that were relatively recent , the famine of 1921, affected the film. Also the idea of class struggle that is portrayed in the film between the characters
and how their class is connected their actions. The amount of symbols in the film are great from the U.S flag to the peasant thieves themselves as it is
warning of western/capitalist ideology. Although this film is about a gullible American it does not go into foreign relations between the nations and
does not portray the United States as "evil". This film probably went through censorship and was a propaganda tool for the masses, but it only targets a
specific group, the proletariat, within the Soviet Union and rejects another group, the peasants. The greatest purpose of this film was to promote
government competence and move blame for social problems to the peasants with capitalist ideology.
The way that food is portrayed gives you insight into what is going on in the society. Only three years after the famine of 1921 and the way food is
highlighted in the film could be the governments way of stating that there is plenty of food to eat or to accuse that the peasants, who most likely are
NEP men, are eating better than the average person in

Why Were The Bolsheviks Successful In Seizing Power

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Why Were The Bolsheviks Successful In Seizing Power