DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN THE REVOLUTIONS OF 1917
Lenin’s Ideology + April Theses:
- At time of Feb/March Rev the Bolsheviks = small only 23,000 members
- The Soviets were dominated by SRs + Mensheviks + there were only 40
Bolsheviks in the Petrograd Soviet
- The Bolsheviks in Petrograd agreed with the policy of the Petrograd
Soviet: to give support to the PG while protecting workers’ rights
LENIN’S RETURN:
1st Bolsheviks to return to Petrograd = Lav, Kamenev and Stalin. Followed policy of other LW
parties -> worked with + supported PG
Lenin returned 3rd April from exile (Switzerland) -> helped by German gov -> wanted to
create turmoil in Russia (Bolsheviks would want to stop the war)
Famous speech, Finland Station, Petrograd -> Lenin rejects
all compromise with PG
LENIN ISSUED APRIL THESES:
- No support for Provisional Government
- War should be ended as soon as possible
- Power transferred to Soviets
- All land should be taken over by State + re-allocated to
peasants by local Soviet
- ‘peace, bread, land!’
- Give proletariat power
LENIN’S ROLE AS A LEADER:
Didn’t immediately receive full support for his proposals
Some argued that the Bolsheviks weren’t powerful enough
to oppose the PG, others feared his radical proposals would do more harm than good
o More: Allegation that Lenin was in the pay of the Germans (some extent true)
o Mensheviks feared Lenin would undermine what they had been doing and, by
starting up discontent, would provoke a right-wing reaction
HOW DID LENIN WIN THEM OVER:
1. Skills of Lenin:
Skills of p bersuasion, tactful retreat + compromise, threats of resignation + appeals to rank
& file
Abandoned call for an immediate overthrow of Prov. Gov initially -> wins over those who
feared civil war
Sought out party support at factory meetings
Claimed credit for massive anti-war demonstration in Petrograd in April
o Also claimed for changes already happening in Russia e.g. peasant land seizures
which helped him to appear in control of events
2. Failures of the provisional government:
Failure of Prov Gov to resolve big issues e.g. land lead to downfall
Liberal commitment to democracy + insistence that only an elected body, the Constituent
Assembly, could take important decisions - tied their hands for too long in 1917 + allowed
Bolsheviks to seize the initiative
, The July Days
WHEN & WHERE:
3-5th July 1917
Petrograd
WHO LED THE ATTEMPTED INSURRECTION:
It is not clear who started it
Possible it was spontaneous – these were just rising levels of protest + demonstrations
WHAT HAPPENED:
Large scale demonstrations in Petrograd (soldiers, sailors form the Kronstadt naval base +
factory workers) due to unrest over unemployment + rising prices
As the protests turned violent, Bolsheviks tried to turn it back into peaceful demonstration
o Helped force demonstrators out of Peter + Paul Fortress, + helped negotiate
disarming sailors
However, shots fired + uncontrolled rioting broke out + started to directly challenge the PG
HOW DID THE PROVISIONAL GOV MANAGE TO PUT IT DOWN :
Loyal troops form front rushed back to Petrograd to restore order – Cossack regiments
remained loyal also
Mensheviks + SRs supported the PG
Bolsheviks blamed for uprising (despite helping)
Official estimates = 400-500 killed – likely to be higher
CONSEQUENCES OF UPRISING:
For the PG:
Raised spirits of P Gov
8 July – Kerensky (a SR) replaced Prince Lvov as leader of PG
Kerensky wanted strong powers to bring army back into line, appointed General Kornilov as
commanded in chief
For the Bolsheviks:
Newspaper, Pravda = shut down + nearly 800 leaders arrested (including Trotsky +
Kamenev)
Lenin’s rep fell for fleeing (Stalin also fled) while other were imprisoned (Trotsky)
Within 2 weeks it seemed as if the Bolshevik party were broken as a political force
Lenin’s Ideology + April Theses:
- At time of Feb/March Rev the Bolsheviks = small only 23,000 members
- The Soviets were dominated by SRs + Mensheviks + there were only 40
Bolsheviks in the Petrograd Soviet
- The Bolsheviks in Petrograd agreed with the policy of the Petrograd
Soviet: to give support to the PG while protecting workers’ rights
LENIN’S RETURN:
1st Bolsheviks to return to Petrograd = Lav, Kamenev and Stalin. Followed policy of other LW
parties -> worked with + supported PG
Lenin returned 3rd April from exile (Switzerland) -> helped by German gov -> wanted to
create turmoil in Russia (Bolsheviks would want to stop the war)
Famous speech, Finland Station, Petrograd -> Lenin rejects
all compromise with PG
LENIN ISSUED APRIL THESES:
- No support for Provisional Government
- War should be ended as soon as possible
- Power transferred to Soviets
- All land should be taken over by State + re-allocated to
peasants by local Soviet
- ‘peace, bread, land!’
- Give proletariat power
LENIN’S ROLE AS A LEADER:
Didn’t immediately receive full support for his proposals
Some argued that the Bolsheviks weren’t powerful enough
to oppose the PG, others feared his radical proposals would do more harm than good
o More: Allegation that Lenin was in the pay of the Germans (some extent true)
o Mensheviks feared Lenin would undermine what they had been doing and, by
starting up discontent, would provoke a right-wing reaction
HOW DID LENIN WIN THEM OVER:
1. Skills of Lenin:
Skills of p bersuasion, tactful retreat + compromise, threats of resignation + appeals to rank
& file
Abandoned call for an immediate overthrow of Prov. Gov initially -> wins over those who
feared civil war
Sought out party support at factory meetings
Claimed credit for massive anti-war demonstration in Petrograd in April
o Also claimed for changes already happening in Russia e.g. peasant land seizures
which helped him to appear in control of events
2. Failures of the provisional government:
Failure of Prov Gov to resolve big issues e.g. land lead to downfall
Liberal commitment to democracy + insistence that only an elected body, the Constituent
Assembly, could take important decisions - tied their hands for too long in 1917 + allowed
Bolsheviks to seize the initiative
, The July Days
WHEN & WHERE:
3-5th July 1917
Petrograd
WHO LED THE ATTEMPTED INSURRECTION:
It is not clear who started it
Possible it was spontaneous – these were just rising levels of protest + demonstrations
WHAT HAPPENED:
Large scale demonstrations in Petrograd (soldiers, sailors form the Kronstadt naval base +
factory workers) due to unrest over unemployment + rising prices
As the protests turned violent, Bolsheviks tried to turn it back into peaceful demonstration
o Helped force demonstrators out of Peter + Paul Fortress, + helped negotiate
disarming sailors
However, shots fired + uncontrolled rioting broke out + started to directly challenge the PG
HOW DID THE PROVISIONAL GOV MANAGE TO PUT IT DOWN :
Loyal troops form front rushed back to Petrograd to restore order – Cossack regiments
remained loyal also
Mensheviks + SRs supported the PG
Bolsheviks blamed for uprising (despite helping)
Official estimates = 400-500 killed – likely to be higher
CONSEQUENCES OF UPRISING:
For the PG:
Raised spirits of P Gov
8 July – Kerensky (a SR) replaced Prince Lvov as leader of PG
Kerensky wanted strong powers to bring army back into line, appointed General Kornilov as
commanded in chief
For the Bolsheviks:
Newspaper, Pravda = shut down + nearly 800 leaders arrested (including Trotsky +
Kamenev)
Lenin’s rep fell for fleeing (Stalin also fled) while other were imprisoned (Trotsky)
Within 2 weeks it seemed as if the Bolshevik party were broken as a political force
