The document provides background information on the October Revolution in Russia in 1917. It discusses key events that led to the overthrow of the Provisional Government by the Bolsheviks, including the Bolsheviks gaining majorities in the soviets in mid-September, Lenin's return to Petrograd in early October, and the Bolsheviks and sailors seizing power and establishing the new government on October 25-27. It also examines differing historical interpretations of whether the Bolshevik takeover was a coup carried out by a small group or a legitimate revolution supported by workers and soldiers.

1. The October Revolution
Lenin, the Bolshevik’s and the end
of the Provisional Government

2. So far… So Russia
1. Russia – an introduction
2. The Crimean War
3. Alexander II – Reform
4. Opponents of Alex II and Alex III
5. Alexander III & Industrialisation
6. Russo-Japanese war 1905
7. Revolution of 1905
8. Nicholas II, Stolypin and Russia on the eve of war
9. World War 1
10. Revolutions of 1917
11. The Russian Civil War / Lenin
12. Rise of Stalin
13. Five Year Plans, Collectivisation and the Great Terror
14. World War Two
15. Last Years of Stalin
Question
To what extent did war
provide a catalyst for
change in Russia between
1853-1953?

3. Spot the difference.

6. Why two revolutions?
• From previous lessons you should know about
the July Days, the Kerensky Offensive and the
Kornilov Affair.
• You should also be aware of Bolshevik activities
in the months prior to October 1917.
• Each event showed the new Provisional
Government to be weak and generally
unstable.
• It is clear with hindsight that February 1917
was only the start of the revolutionary process
as the PG could not fill the power vacuum.
• The continuation of the war sapped the initial
optimism that surrounded the PG.

7.  Your task - Countdown to Revolution
• Read Lynch p.92-96 and construct a timeline of
events explaining how the Bolsheviks seized
power. Use these dates to help you:
• Mid-September
• 12 September
• 7 October
• 10 October
• 23 October
• 25-27 October
• 27 Oct
Also include the July Days and the Kornilov Affair.

8. Countdown to Revolution
• Mid-September
Bolsheviks gained majority in Petrograd
& Moscow Soviets
• 12 September
Time was ripe for revolution:
‘History will not forgive us if we do
not assume power’
• 7 October
Lenin returned to Petrograd in secret
• 10 October
Central Committee pledged support for
armed insurrection (uprising)

9. • 23 October
Bolshevik Papers Pravda & Izvestiya closed down
• 25-27 October
Support for PG collapses and members of government flee abroad.
Bolsheviks and Kronstadt sailors seize the Winter Palace.
• 27 Oct
Lenin notifies Congress of Soviets that Petrograd Soviet (controlled
by Bolsheviks) had seized power & set up new revolutionary
government, ‘Sovnakom’

10. This picture showing the storming of the Winter Palace
was staged in 1920.
Why would the Bolsheviks do this?

11.  Homework Task
• Read Lynch p.96-99 and list the reasons
why the Bolshevik Revolution of October
1917 was successful.
• Highlight different causes of change.
• Social, economic, political, individual,
inevitable?

12. Reasons for Bolshevik success
• Other parties co-operated with PG, e.g. promise of
elections to Constituent Assembly allayed Liberals
• Bolshevik opposition to War, compared with SRs &
Mensheviks
• Menshevik adherence to Marxism – Feb Rev was a
prelude to proletariat revolution
• Bolshevik aims & methods clearer than opponents
• Weaknesses of PG – interim govt, lacked legitimacy
• Failure of PG to suppress Bolsheviks, e.g. ignored the
Smolny Institute
• Lenin’s charisma
• Growth in membership of Bolsheviks & dominance of
Soviets
• Factory committees
• Radicalisation of Russian politics

13. How does this
poster portray the
revolution?
Who do you think
would have
produced it?

14. Traditional Soviet view (1918-
1980s)
• February Revolution only a step on the revolutionary process
towards Russia becoming a socialist state
The February bourgeoisie-democratic revolution did not bring the
working masses of Russia either liberation from the domination of their
exploiters, or Russia’s withdrawal from the imperialist war. The struggle
over the issue of war and peace graphically demonstrated the anti-
popular essence of the Provisional Government.
Kukushkin, History of the USSR: An Outline of the Socialist Construction
• The second revolution was inevitable but the Bolsheviks did play
an important role in influencing events.
• A rising of workers and peasants guided by the Bolsheviks under
Lenin
• Bolsheviks outmanoeuvred other groups.
• Importance of Trotsky played down.

15. Liberal view
• Was a coup carried out by a small group.
• Was successful only because the PG had lost all
authority
• No organisation had the power or the will to stop the
Bolsheviks
• Revolution was bloodless.
• Opposition finally woke up post-revolution and caused
the Russian Civil War.
• Some Liberals claim that the Bolsheviks high jacked the
struggle of the working classes to remove Tsarism and
replace it with another authoritarian regime.
• Some also argue that the Bolsheviks were not as
organised as Soviet historians made out – party made
up various factions. Lenin had difficulty imposing
arguments of April Thesis.

16. Post-communist era Russian view
• Continue to recognise significance of Lenin
• Agree with Western liberal view that it was
carried out by a small but well organised
group.

17. Which historical view supports this
painting?

18. October Rev: Coup or not a coup?
EVIDENCE FOR A COUP
• Few people took part in an essentially bloodless struggle
• Power seized by organised party not the working classes
• Seizure of power remarkably smooth – government collapsed without
a fight
EVIDENCE AGAINST
• During previous nine months of 1917, Bolsheviks gained much support
amongst workers
In reality, the insurrection is only part of the revolution.. Nine-tenths of the
tasks were already accomplished before-hand, by winning over the decisive
majority of workers and soldiers.
Woods, Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution
• Bolsheviks were small but represented much larger numbers – Lenin's
argument

19. J. Laver, Modernisation of Russia,
1856-1985
• The truth lies somewhere between all these
interpretations
• Feb Rev more spontaneous than Oct Rev
• PG probably fatally weakened before Oct 1917
• Bolshevik victory was not inevitable, whatever support
they had on the ground.
• At a time of national crisis, an extremist group was
always going to have an advantage over moderates.
• Storming of Winter Palace was of great symbolic and
propaganda importance, but only that. Arguably did not
cause great political and social change immediately.
• Struggle for Russia still to come…