THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION

The provisional government was in charge of Russia after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on 3rd March 1917. (his face is in the background)

Vladimir Lenin was in exile in Switzerland when the provisional government came into being. He realized that this was a good time to return, because apparently, the provisional government was not doing well.

Lenin returned in April 1917 and, on the Bolshevik paper, Pravda, Lenin issued his April Thesis.

He urged his followers not to support the Provisional Government.

He urged them to try and create a Republic of workers' and peasants' Soviets.

He urged them to work for the nationalization of all land, workers' control of all factories and farms and an end to the war.

Lenin was very clever. He and his followers wanted things to get even worse for the Provisional Government before they could seize power.

THERE WAS VIOLENT UNREST:

• The Petrograd Soviet wanted to take power
• The Russian army retreated from the war in panic. Morale was low
• In June, General Brusilov launched an offensive against the Germans
• This was a failure as 40, 000 Russian soldiers were lost

The provisional government used this unrest as an excuse to attack the Bolsheviks' HQ and the Pravda was closed down. Trotsky and other leaders were arrested.

Lenin shaved off his beard and went into hiding.

Alexander Kerensky was became Prime Minister of the Provisional Government.

The Germans supplied Lenin with the money he needed to overthrow Kerensky- and to end Russia's part in the war.

Lenin got Trotsky to to train a small, highly skilled body of Red Guards of former officers and soldiers.
He also asked industrial workers to seize key points in Petrograd when he was ready.

Lenin published his campaign:
"Land by your own hand"
"Peace by your own feet"

The Revolution had begun!

Untitled Slide

• Kerensky's troops refused to obey him
• Sailors on the Aurora threatened to bombard the capital
• They were on favour of Lenin

25 October:
Orders were given for the Red Guards to take the telephone station and the State Bank.
The Bolsheviks demanded surrender of the government.

On 25 October, the Aurora fired blanks to frighten the ministers and signal the Bolshevik Revolution. The Cossacks and women guarding the the government surrendered.

At night, on 26 October, Bolsheviks attacked the Tauride Palace and Lenin arrested the ministers. The 650 delegates of the All- Russian Congress of Soviets met for their Congress.

The Constituent Assembly met on 5 January 1918. It rejected a Bolshevik statement of policy.

But Lenin's Soviet Executive Committee dissolved the assembly.

Democracy was now officially dead.

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed.