Bolshevik Power Grows

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Bolshevik power grows

Vladimir ilyich Lenin was an excellent speaker

and a clear thinker, he held the Marxist view that communism could only come

after a bourgeois revolution.

On his journey back to Russia, Lenin sent ahead

the aims for the party, the April Theses

Withdraw from the war

PG is the bourgeois revolution that must happen

before the workers revolution; we must work for the workers revolution

No cooperation with the PG

Work towards transferring power to the soviets

Work towards government by the people, not a

parliament with no police or central bureaucracy

All land to be owned by the state and run by

peasants on communal farms

All banks to become one state bank

Industry to be controlled by soviets

Party congress to be called the change the party

programme, mainly concerning the war, the need to demand a ‘commune state’

A new international meeting (to agree these

changes with Bolsheviks in all countries).

On his arrival he made a speech to the Petrograd

soviet, outlining the theses- they were not impressed

The first PG ended, the 2nd (5th

may 1917) had members from all main political groups except the Bolsheviks.

People who once regarded all revolutionary groups

as similar now saw that the Bolsheviks were the only ones that supported

radical change

PG introduced bread rationing in march

In June 1917, Russian generals led another

offensive that failed with more loses

By Autumn 2 million soldiers had deserted

Lenin made inspiring speeches with simple

slogans ‘peace bread land’ and ‘all power to the soviets’

He and Leon Trotsky gave strong leadership that

united the Bolsheviks

41 Bolsheviks criticising the PG and urging

revolution

They set up red guards of armed workers, by July

there were 10,000 in Petrograd

Lenin was worried that workers might rise up

before the Bolsheviks were ready due to the unpopularity of the PG

July days

Another unplanned up rising

People were reacting to war, bread rationing and

the PG’s lack of reforms

People chanting Bolshevik slogans

The PG sent troops to clear the streets

Trotsky and several other Bolshevik leaders were

arrested but Lenin escaped.

The Third PG

After July days the PG reformed, led by

Alexander Kerensky who had been in the government from the start and the only

person who was a member of the Duma and Petrograd soviet. He chose Lavr Kornilov,

a general known to be against the February revolution, to lead the army.

Kornilov Revolt

He pushed Kerensky to impose Martial Law and

break the power of soviets.

Kerensky could not decide whether he wanted the

support of the soviets or Kornilov so he told kornilov to order his troops and

advance on Petrograd.

Then claiming Kornilov was leading an army coup,

he armed the Red guards and sent them to stop him. Kornilov and 7,000 followers

were arrested. Kerensky presented himself as the saviour

Kerensky became less popular and people saw the

Bolsheviks as the saviours. They won most seats in the Petrograd soviet

election (31st august). Many workers now felt the Bolsheviks who had

predicted a counter-revolutionary move, were the party of the people.

Bolshevik power grows