The July Days 1917

The July Days 1917

1. Why did the July Days occur?

   • PG launched the June offensive.
     • Disaster which led to mass desertions and a breakdown of discipline in the Russian army.
   • Authority of PG weakened = Lenin use the failure of the June Offensive to plan a bid for power.

2. July Days 3-6 July 1917?

   • 3rd July
     • Afternoon - thousands of workers taken to street to demonstrate outside PG and Petrograd Soviet.
     • Bought PG and Soviet together
       • Appealed for workers not to demonstrate - Saw Bolsheviks as threat to authority.
         • Tried to restore order.
   • 4th July
     • Bolsheviks supported more demonstrations.
       • 50000 armed people surrounding Soviet headquarters.
         • Waiting for order to occupy - no order = crowd dispersed.
   • 5th July
     • Sent troops to Petrograd to restore order.
       • Troops won over neutral soldiers - Bolsheviks call off demonstrations.
   • 6th July
     • Troops surrounded Bolshevik headquarters - 500 inside arrested.
       • Warrant for Lenin's arrest.

3. How did the July Days affect the Bolsheviks?

   • Major setback.
     • Bolshevik leaders either in prison or on the run.
     • The state and revolution - idea of revolution in near future out of question.
   • Lenin's idea to demonstrate against PG and Soviet to overthrow them.
     • Instead united PG and soviet.
   • Lenin accused of treason and branded a traitor - German spy?