Why were the Bolsheviks able to seize power? Quiz

Who was the leader of the newly-formed Provisional Government?

The Provisional Government shared power with the Petrograd Soviet between February/March and October/November 1917.

Disastrously, the Provisional [blank_start]Government[blank_end] - because it was only a [blank_start]temporary[blank_end] government - did not really carry out any major [blank_start]reforms[blank_end]. All it did was abolish the Okhrana and press [blank_start]censorship[blank_end], and allow political [blank_start]freedom[blank_end]. This gave the government's opponents - such as Lenin's [blank_start]Bolsheviks[blank_end] - the freedom to attack the government for the [blank_start]problems[blank_end] it was not solving. The main problem of the Provisional Government was that it tried to [blank_start]continue[blank_end] the war. In June 1917, it organised an attack on Austria. When the attack failed, people began to turn [blank_start]against[blank_end] the government. Instead, they started to follow [blank_start]Lenin[blank_end] whose welcome message was: 'Peace, [blank_start]bread[blank_end], land'.

What were the main problems facing the Provisional Government?

It was not obvious at the time, but it was the small [blank_start]Bolshevik[blank_end] party that posed the biggest threat to the [blank_start]Provisional[blank_end] Government. Its leader, [blank_start]Lenin[blank_end], returned in April 1917 from exile in Switzerland. The [blank_start]German[blank_end] government provided a special train to take him to Russia via Sweden and Finland. The Germans hoped that Lenin would cause [blank_start]chaos[blank_end] and reduce Russia's [blank_start]war effort[blank_end]. When Lenin arrived at the Finland Station in Petrograd, he surprised even the Bolsheviks by reading out what has become known as his [blank_start]April Theses[blank_end]. This was his plan of action for the Bolsheviks, calling for the [blank_start]overthrow[blank_end] of the Provisional Government. His famous slogans included 'All [blank_start]Power[blank_end] to the Soviets' and 'Peace, [blank_start]Bread[blank_end] and Land'.

In July 1917, there were large but disorganised demonstrations against the government, led by soldiers and sailors, often with Bolshevik support. Kerensky crushed the demonstrators and 400 of them were killed. After the riots had been killed and Lenin fled back into exile, the Bolsheviks appeared weaker. Many anti-Bolsheviks were openly accusing Lenin of causing the troubles, and alleged that he had been paid to do so by the German government.

What were these events called?

In Sebtember 1917, a pro-[blank_start]tsarist[blank_end], General Kornilov, leads a revolt against the [blank_start]Provisional Government[blank_end]. He wanted to restore discipline, destroy the Petrograd [blank_start]Soviet[blank_end] and gain control of the Provisional Government. His right-wing views appealed to many of the [blank_start]upper[blank_end] and middle classes. With the support of many army generals, he marched on Petrograd. In desperation, the government had to ask the [blank_start]Bolsheviks[blank_end] for help to defeat him as they did not have enough [blank_start]troops[blank_end]. He released Bolshevik leaders from jail and helped to arm their [blank_start]Red Guards[blank_end]. The Petrograd Soviet took charge and the Bolsheviks persuaded many of Kornilov's men to [blank_start]desert[blank_end]. Kornilov's attempt failed and the Bolsheviks were seen by many as the [blank_start]saviours[blank_end] of Russia. They then proceeded to [blank_start]keep[blank_end] the weapons Kerensky had loaned them!

Who were the Red Guards?

Trotsky was not originally a supporter of the Bolshevik campaign.

Label either the date or event of each section of the timeline.

What was the main difference between the Oct/Nov Revolution and the Feb/March Revolution?

The Bolsheviks described how the workers had supported the Bolsheviks in getting rid of the tyrants - first the Tsar then the Provisional Government.

Lenin and Trotsky saw the importance of [blank_start]cinema[blank_end]. There were over 1000 cinemas in Russia in 1917, and a network of [blank_start]travelling[blank_end] cinemas who used the railway network. The propaganda films attracted large [blank_start]audiences[blank_end] who wanted to know what the new [blank_start]communist[blank_end] government was going to do. The most famous film, October, was by a Bolshevik film director in 1927 to mark the 10 year anniversary of the [blank_start]revolution[blank_end]. The takeover of the Winter Palace was transformed into a [blank_start]heroic[blank_end] struggle between the Bolsheviks and their [blank_start]enemies[blank_end] - the [blank_start]Storming[blank_end] of the Winter Palace.

When the Bolsheviks seized control, most of Russia was not involved so a common reaction was that the Bolsheviks would soon be toppled from power.

What did Lenin's decrees involve?

Who did the Red Guards become?

In [blank_start]January[blank_end] 19[blank_start]18[blank_end], elections took place for members to be elected to a [blank_start]Constituent[blank_end] Assembly. This assembly was supposed to decide how Russia would be [blank_start]governed[blank_end]. However, the Bolsheviks only won 1[blank_start]75[blank_end] out of 7[blank_start]07[blank_end] members, and Lenin knew that [blank_start]Bolshevik[blank_end] rule could not survive. After one day, the SR majority assembly was prevented from meeting at [blank_start]gunpoint[blank_end].

Why did Russia sign an armistice with Germany in December 1917?

How much of its population did Russia lose at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918?

How did the treaty worsen food shortages in Russia?

The reasons the civil war broke out were:

Enemies of the Bolsheviks included:

The amount of opposition groups meant that the Bolsheviks (the '[blank_start]Reds[blank_end]') were forced to fight a coalition of '[blank_start]Whites[blank_end]' led by former [blank_start]Tsarist[blank_end] Generals such as Denikin, Yudenich and Kolchak. The Romanovs provided many whites with a possible [blank_start]replacement[blank_end] for the Bolsheviks. A complicating factor was the existence of the Czech [blank_start]Legion[blank_end] of 50,000 Czechs who had been fighting for Austria and had been captured by the Russians. Now, in 1918, they wanted to continue fighting in Europe against [blank_start]Germany[blank_end]. It had been agreed that they would be sent to France via the [blank_start]Trans-Siberian[blank_end] Railway and then by sea. However, when the Czechs were told by Trotsky to disarm, they seized [blank_start]control[blank_end] of the railway and began to head back towards [blank_start]Moscow[blank_end] to fight against the Bolsheviks.

Having no common aim weakened the Whites as they were all fighting for different things so felt no loyalty to one another.

What was war communism?

The kulaks (rich peasants) were angry at the policies of war communism so cut down the amount they produced so that there were less 'surplus' supplies to be requisitioned the next year.