The Failure Of The Bolshevik Revolution

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
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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
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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
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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

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

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 the
Bolshevik 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

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 more content on
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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

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'état 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
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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'état so it was only natural for there to be political opposition, ranging
from monarchists to even foreign nations, collectively named the whites. However a

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

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
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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

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 threw Russia 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
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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

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
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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

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 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 more content on Helpwriting.net ...
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

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

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. ...
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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

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,

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'état 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.
Encyclopædia 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

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
of Russia 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

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

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

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 content on Helpwriting.net ...
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

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 the Bolshevik 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

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 a
Bolshevik 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

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

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

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

How Far Do You Agree That Trotsky’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

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

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

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 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

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 ...
In August of 1917 General Kornilov, a supporter of the monarchy, attempted a coup d'état 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

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 ...
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

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

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 Helpwriting.net ...
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 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

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 Helpwriting.net ...
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

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

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 content on
Helpwriting.net ...
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 Failure Of The Bolshevik Revolution

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The Failure Of The Bolshevik Revolution