...The Provisional Government was reluctant to act effectively of the problems of Russia in 1917, allowing the growing popularity and strength of the Bolsheviks as they played on these mistakes. With the Bolshevik under the leadership of Lenin, they managed to create the October Revolution. Figures like Leon Trotsky and the weaknesses of Kerensky were both significant factors that led to the Bolshevik Revolution. Lenin’s role in the revolution was vital but he would have not taken power were it not for the failures of the Provisional Government, which was the most crucial factor that caused the revolution and led the Bolsheviks to power. Word count: 104 One of the key element to the success of the Bolshevik revolution was Lenin’s orating and leadership skills, personality and his determination to take power. Lenin’s April theses where he spoke of ‘Peace, Bread and Land’ increased the popularity of the Bolshevik as it reached out to the peasants who made up most of the population. The April theses was effective because it highlighted the feelings and aspiration of the workers and soldiers. The Bolsheviks pacifist stance from the very start of the war and Lenins’ promise of ‘peace’ proved a popular idea and this gained them thousands of followers. With inflation causing prices, of the food that was available, to increase Lenin’s offer of food was an immense attraction. Lenin realised the importance of the peasants for support so he promised them land to get their support. The April...
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...How far do you agree that Lenin’s leadership was the main reason for why the Bolsheviks were able to seize power in 1917. Lenin was a very significant figure during the Russian revolution, under his strong leadership and the advice of some of his advisors, Lenin helped the Bolsheviks come to power. However I would not agree that his leadership was the main reason to why the Bolsheviks were able to seize power as factors such as the weakness of the provisional government, the home front and most importantly Trotsky role all played a significant role to why the Bolsheviks were successful. Lenin’s leadership played a significant role to why the Bolsheviks were able to seize power in 1917 due to his clear and persuading aims. Lenin was an influential figure in the eyes of the proletariat. Due to the April thesis clear aims resulted in that he was able to gain greater support and he succeeded in having 200,000 members. The vast amount of members meant that the Bolsheviks had greater support when it came to seizing power. The main aims of the April theses were, Peace, Land and Bread and power to the soviets. Many supported the idea of Peace, Land and bread as they were fed up with the affect the war was having on them and wanted to bring it to an end, people were also starving due to the war and therefore welcomed the idea of Peace, Land and bread. Lenin also promised the confiscation of landed estates from landowners and the aristocracy. The slogan all power to the soviets played...
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...The Bolshevik seize of power in October 1917 was undoubtedly a turning point for Russia’s political situation and a point that would set the tone for the future rulings. It can be easily argued that the Bolsheviks were only able to take over as a result of the long term weaknesses and failures of the Provisional Government. However, as with all events in history, the final seizure in October would not have been possible had it not been for the more recent, trigger causes. The roles of Lenin and Trotsky, during the later months of 1917, were key factors in allowing the takeover to happen; and the extremely poor decisions and military leadership executed by Kerensky strengthened the Bolsheviks position for revolution. Whilst these short term causes played a major role in October, it cannot be argued that without the weaknesses of the Provisional Government, the Bolsheviks would not have been sitting in power by the end of 1917. The weakness of the Provisional Government was one the most important factors in the Bolshevik takeover in October 1917. After the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in March 1917, the Provisional Government, formed from some of the previous Dumas, was set up to govern Russia. The new government was weak and unstable from the start, mainly due to whom it was made up of. It was a coalition, if you could call it that, between the Liberals, the Mensheviks and the Social Revolutionaries; and thus the new government had no unity from the start. With each part...
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...How far was the Provisional government responsible for its own downfall? The Provisional Government made many mistakes, such as their response to the Kornilov affair that ended in the Bolsheviks gaining arms and regard amongst the Russian people, which became disastrous for its popularity and effectiveness, and their decision to keep Russia in WW1 which had a domino effect of food shortages and unrest. The unrest and unsatisfaction theat the Provisional Government brought upon itself was the most influential factor for its downfall. However, let it not be forgotten that the task the Provisional Government had was a vast and difficult one, what with Russia being so large and diverse and the complications of theWar. Indeed, any organisation that attempted to recover Russia after the February revolution was almost doomed from the outset. Although, had the situation been handled more effectively by pertaining to the people’s desires: granting more land reforms, taking Russia out of the First World War, the Provisional Government may have been able to sidestep the challenges and pull Russia into a democracy. It was because of their lack of grasp on the situation that doomed them. Their lack of grasp was enhanced by their political situation and decisions; in particular the fact that they had a system of dual power with the Petrograd Soviet. This contributed to their downfall because although certain individuals acted as ‘bridges’ between the two governments, overall the two organisations...
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...the weaknesses it in itself possessed. For example, the dual authority government can be seen as a weakness because it was not an elected body, and came into being as a rebellious committee of the old duma, refusing to disband at the Tsar's order. This meant it consequently lacked legitimate authority as a result. It had no constitutional claim upon the loyalty of Russian people and no natural fund of good will to rely on, meaning it was judged entirely on how it dealt with the nations problems, making it vulnerable from the start. Its second major weakness was that its authority was limited by its unofficial partnership with the Petrograd Soviet. To begin with there was considerable co-operation between the two, with some people (e.g.- Kerensky) being members of both bodies. The soviet did not set out to be an alternative government, and regarded its role as supervisory, checking that the interests of the people were fully understood by the new government. However, things changed when the Provisional Government seemed unsure of its own authority after the February revolution, resulting in the Petrograd Soviet gaining greater prominence. Soviets played an increasing important role in the development of the revolution, but the Bolsheviks- at this stage- did not dominate them....
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...The Russian monarch was known as the Tsar, and in 1917 the Tsar was Nicholas II. He believed that God had made him Tsar and that he therefore had absolute authority to rule Russia, without parliament. The Tsar was very naïve to the situation in Russia, as he rarely went outside the grounds of his palaces. The growth of industry meant there was a large working population in the towns, but conditions in the towns were cramped and the workers were badly paid. There was opposition to the Tsar and in 1905 a protest by industrial workers broke out into a revolution. There were other protests and strikes in the years 1905-1914. By 1914 poor working conditions, food shortages and the opposition parties had created a very tense atmosphere in Russia. The First World War broke out in 1914 and patriotism and loyalty to the Tsar were revived, however this didn’t last very long as the Russian people thought the war was going to be victorious and short, but this was not the case. The Russian army was not really a match for the well-equipped Germans as there was a shortage of rifles and other munitions equipment. There were high casualties, which decreased moral in Russia. Food supplies to Russian cities was very poor, as Russia relied so heavily on its railways and they were engrossed with the supply of ammunition and food to the war front, food for the people was left to rot in the sidings because the engines and carriages were simply not there to carry them, so people just starved. Fuel deliveries...
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...Brilliantly successful, the November Revolution ended the Provisional Government"("Alexander Kerensky"). The Provisional Government was set up after the fall and deaths of the tsar monarchy. With that in mind none of the blame targets gain from communist spread, however they are responsible for setting up a clear path for Lenin to rise up. The tsar monarchy, Rasputin, the Provisional Government, the Petrograd Soviet: these four are the usual scape goats for the predicament Russia is in by WWII, by instigating instability and distrust among the people. The main culprit blamed by most is the Provisional Government. They "did nothing to solve the land problem" and "did nothing to stop the war" ("Provisional Government and its Problems 2") by not making major reforms or solving any problems they inadvertently promoted Lenin to rise. However...
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...Although there are many reasons for the failure of the provisional government, such as the fact they had to share power with the soviets, Lenin’s return, the radicalisation of Russia and the land question. Their decision to continue fighting in the First World War was the most important because of this they lost support from the people and more importantly, from the armed forces, who they relied on to defend them. Therefore you could say that the Provisional Government was definitely responsible for its own downfall. The biggest problem facing the Provisional Government was the First World War, Russia had already lot Territory in Poland meaning the morale within the armed forces was very low. The continuation of the First World War meant that the Provisional Government lost support from many people. The Provisional Government felt that it was their duty to ensure that Russia continued to fight in the war, additionally Russia owed a large sum money in foreign loans, and the British and French were happy to carry on providing loans as long as Russia continued fighting. Therefore, this influenced the Provisional Governments decision to stay in the war. The continuation of the war brought the Provisional Government into conflict with the Soviet, who had issued n ‘Address to the people of the whole world’ declaring for peace about annexations and indemnities meaning that they would not support the continuation of the war for gaining land or money from opponents. In order to gain...
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...Why was the Provisional Government so short-lived? After the Tsar’s sudden abdication, Russia ceased to be an empire and became a republic. The Provisional Government replaced the Tsar as the new governing body and was comprised of members of the State Duma.As its title suggests, the Provisional Government was never meant to last. It was intended to provide a caretaker administration until it morphed into an All-Russian constituent assembly. However, it collapsed. This was due to a number of reasons such as it nature, various blunders and the return of exiled revolutionaries. Yet the underlying cause of its collapse seems to be the lack of resources-both military and economic-to deal with the problems it inherited and was faced with. The nature of the Provisional Government certainly had some impact on shortening its life.It had not been appointed and therefore lacked legitimacy in the eyes of the Russian people. This reduced its political authority so the Provisional Government was very ineffective at dealing with civil unrest i.e. the chaos in the countryside. The lack of legitimacy also reduced its support, making it easier for the Bolsheviks to seize power. The government was also not representative of wider Russian interests. Dominated by minority groups like the Octobrists and Trudoviks,the much bigger factions like the Bolsheviks and Social Democrats who represented a far wider cross-section of the Russian populace had negligible input into Provisional Government legislation...
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...‘The fall of the provisional government in October 1917 was entirely due to its own failings?’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. There are a lot of factors which contributed to the downfall of the provisional governments, some with a bigger impact but came from both inside and outside of the provisional government. After the Tsar’s own downfall in March the Provisional Government was introduced to fix all of Russia’s problems. Though Russia was still struggling from the aftermath of the February revolution, and therefore was a tough time for the Provisional Government with Russia going though social, economic and not to forget the political crisis. A major problem with the provisional government was the dual authority. It was the provisional government and the Petrograd Soviet that worked together as this dual authority. The significant problem of this was when the Petrograd Soviet introduced ‘Order Number 1’. This meant that no law regarding military action could be passed unless it had been approved by the Petrograd Soviet. This put the provisional government in a weaker position than it already was, having no power over its army reflected up the power the provisional government had with the county. The provisional government being an unelected body already meant that gaining support and loyalty of the Russian people was already a difficult task. While the provisional government retained the formal authority to rule over Russia, the Petrograd Soviet maintained...
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...Tiffany Hahn Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin: As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years (1917–1924), as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a socialist economic system. Call to the Russian people: April Thesis (peace, food, land). Joseph Stalin: Premier of the Soviet Union. Brought about the October Rev in Russia in 1917 and held the General Secretary of the Communist Part. Stalin’s USSR entered into a non-aggression pact w/ Nazi Germany that divided their spheres of influence in Eastern Europe. Alexander Kerensky: political leader before and during the Russian Rev of 1917. Served as the second Prime Minister of the Russian Provisional Gov. until Vladimir was elected. Leon Trotsky: Try to implement Marx’s vision: war communism. Founder/first leader of the Red Army. Served as People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs. Major figure in the Bolsheviks victory in the Russian Civil War. Woodrow Wilson: 14 points – no reparations, international peace keeping body (League of Nations), nationality self-determination. Socialist Revolutionaries: Key player in the Russian Rev. First-ever democratic elections. Collectivism: enforced under Stalin. Goal of this policy was to consolidate individual land and labour into collective farms. The Soviet was confident that the replacement of individual peasant farms would increase the food supply for the urban populations, supply of raw materials, and agricultural...
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...For example, when Ayn was twelve, the Bolshevik Revolution was occurring (“Anthem.” 1). Ayn greatly admired Alexander Kerensky, the prime minister of the Russian Provisional Government, because she thought that he was fighting for what she too believed in, personal liberty in both government and in life (Gladstein. 5). Tragically, the Bolsheviks then seized Petrograd, imprisoned the Kerensky Cabinet, and killed the Constitutional Assembly delegates. Ayn actually witnessed the funeral procession of the delegates from her home (5). Kerensky managed to flee Russia, and Ayn’s family, the Rosenbaums. also had the opportunity to flee. However, Ayn’s family decided to stay for the sake of their business (5). Soon enough, the Rosenbaum’s business was seized by the Soviets. The confiscation of the pharmacy resulted in a struggle for food, money, and other necessities for the Rosenbaums (5). The teenage years of Ayn Rand were grueling, which ultimately helped her gain further inspiration to write Anthem. Ayn Rand’s college education increased her knowledge that also helped...
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...AS Level History Russia 1855 – 1917 Alternative F Revision Guide Contents 1. Alexander II 2. Alexander III 3. Nicholas II 4. Stability of the Tsarist Regime 1905 - 14 5. Political Opposition 6. February / March Revolution 1917 7. October Revolution 1917 Tsar Alexander II To what extent does Tsar Alexander II deserve to be viewed as the Tsar Liberator? Think BALANCE!! Alexander II 1855-81 ▪ Came to the throne during the Crimean War (1855) ▪ Initiated a wide range of reforms (social, economic, administrative and legal) ▪ Earned the title ‘Liberator’ for giving freedom to the peasants BUT did not wish to share political power ▪ Assassinated by the People’s Will in 1881 Answering the key question |Introduction |Use this chart to answer any question on Alex II | | |All questions (whether relating to ‘Liberator’ or not) will require BALANCE | | |Precision of knowledge – “Detail is King!” | | |Yes |No | |Emancipation |Emancipation Committees set up |Redemption Payments...
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...Women played both decisive and important roles in the Russian Revolution. The February Revolution began in Petrograd on International Women’s Day, February 23rd 1917, when thousands of women took to the streets demanding bread and increased rations for soldiers’ families. There is, however, disagreement as to whether the women-led demonstrations were spontaneous, or whether they were a result of conscious political action. This view tends to downplay the role of women in the Revolution, painting them as being impulsive and politically backward. The Women’s Day demonstrations are often referred to as the only real example of women’s involvement in the Revolution but in the months that led up to the October Revolution groups of both working class...
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...the things that they wanted most of all, which was to provide food for all families, end the war to reduce Russian deaths and bring in land reform in the countryside. This was all very well advertised with the slogan ‘Peace! Bread! Land!’ created by Lenin. It appealed to all people, the soldiers who were tired of war, to the hungry workers in the town and to the poverty-stricken peasants. The Germans financed the Bolsheviks because they knew that Lenin wanted to take Russia out of the war, this gave them the money to mount their publicity campaigns. In September 1917, the army commander in chief, general Kornilov, attempted to move troops back from the front to Petrograd in order to destroy the soviets and arrest leading Bolsheviks. Kerensky was afraid that Kornilov might be planning to take power for himself so he decided to arm the Bolsheviks. Trotsky was the temporary leader of the Bolsheviks as Lenin was still in hiding after the July Days. He made sure the Kornilov plot filed by sending out Bolshevik agents to encourage Kornilov troops to desert him, They were so successful that the Commander-in chief found himself with no army before he even reached Petrograd. The Bolsheviks got all the credit for stopping...
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