Developments Between the Revolutions of 1917:

The return of Lenin:

At the time of the Feb/March Revolution the Bolshevik Party was still small with only 23,000 members

The soviets were dominated by SRs and Mensheviks and there were only 40 Mensheviks 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

The Bolshevik leadership played no part in the Feb/March Revolution of 1917, it was a surprise to them, and they scrambled to respond to it.

Kamenev and Stalin were the first leaders to return to Petrograd from exile in Siberia.

Lenin was in exile in Switzerland; however, he was permitted to travel back to Russia via Germany on a sealed train. The Germans allowed this as they could see how Lenin and the Bolsheviks might be able to further destabilise Russia and potentially pulling Russia out of the war. The sealed train would prevent Lenin from causing trouble among Germany’s Marxists on his way through the country.

Lenin returned to Russia on 3rd April 1917 and his return would change Bolshevik policy.

The sealed train:
Lenin travelled with 31 comrades on German train from Gottmadingen on Swiss border, via Frankfurt, Berlin, Stockholm to Petrograd, the train only had one carriage and was sealed.

It’s been suggested by Orlando Figes that many of the workers who turned out to cheer Lenin were more attracted to the prospect of free beer than sympathies for Bolshevism. There had been a number of ‘welcoming receptions’ since the revolution and as Lenin’s return coincided with Easter it isn’t surprising; he attracted a large crowd set on ‘partying.

Lenin’s ideology & April theses:

Lenin’s political programme challenged the traditional Marxist ideology about revolution that the Petrograd Soviet was following. Lenin retuned with a ready-made political programme, He mapped programme in ‘Letters from Afar’ written between 7th and 26th March. He made it clear the Party’s job which led the people forward to a second revolution. At time, Petrograd Soviet, all Mensheviks and most Bolsheviks believed need for ‘bourgeois stage’ of revolution. Lenin did not accept this. He believed Russian middle class was too weak to carry through power was to hold the inevitable proletarian revolutions back. Since he believed whole of Europe was on brink of socialist revolution, anyway, he felt Russian Revolution had no need to confine itself to bourgeois democratic objectives. This belief is referred to as theory of ‘permanent revolution’.

 April Theses made demands:

  • War should be brought to immediate end
  • Power transferred to soviets
  • All land taken over by state and re-allocated to peasants by local soviets.
  • Bolshevik Party 1917 wasn’t under Lenin’s tight control. When his proposals were put first to meeting of Social Democrats to be about reconciliation of Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, causing uproar soon delegates Feared Lenin grew out of touch in his years of exile, and his radical proposals would do more harm than good. There were allegations Lenin was in the pay of the Germans Menshevik feared Lenin would undermine what they had been doing, and by stirring up discontent would provoke right wing reaction.
  • Some thought Lenin’s call to oppose PG was unrealistic since Bolsheviks were still minority among Soviets, Lenin got his way through skulls of persuasion, tactful retreat, compromise, threats of resignation He claimed personal credit for much that was already happening in Russia, e.g. then anti-war demonstration in Petrograd in April.
  • By end of April, Lenin won over majority of Central Committee of Bolshevik Party by force of personality.

Lenin’s justification

  • Bourgeoisie can’t run the country for that long – Russia has a backwards economy, not many of them
  • Proletariat are very strong – represented in Soviets
  • Lenin was not following pure Marxism, but Leninism
    • Marx said that a revolution can only occur in an industrial country
    • Also said the 2nd revolution would come decades after the first
    • Lenin speeds this up – says that it can be faster than Marx said
    • Revolution doesn’t need to be in an industrial country, Russia = agrarian
  • Sukhanov – reliable source
    • Menshevik, wife is a Bolshevik
    • Involved with both sides, valuable source about revolution
    • Fairly representative of time, published diary in 1922
      • Said Lenin got rid of the ‘drudgery’ of politics
      • Lenin was like a ‘beacon of light’
      • April Thesis was like a ‘voice from the outside’

Lenin’s role as a leader:

  • Lenin did not immediately receive full support for his proposals; this is because some argued that Bolsheviks were not yet powerful enough to oppose the PG while others feared that his radical proposals would do more harm than good.
  • Lenin gained support through a mixture of persuasion, compromise, threats of resignation and appeals to the rank and file.
  • he abandoned his call for an immediate overthrow of the PG, helping to convince those who were worried about a civil war
  • he claimed credit for the social changes already happening in Russia e.g., the peasant land seizures which helped him to appear in control of events.
  • By the end of April Lenin had won over most of the Party’s central committee but was still struggling to gain wider support.
  • For example, on 3rd June the Petrograd Soviet passed vote of confidence in the PG by 543 votes to 126 votes.
  • Lenin, Trotsky and demonstrations of July Days:
    it’s unclear whether rebellion was fomented by Bolsheviks. Lenin had been on holiday when rioting broke out, always claiming the demonstrations were spontaneous. He immediately returned but then fled in disguise, moving to Finland where he remained until October. Trotsky hadn’t immediately committed himself to Bolshevik Cause. He was elected to the Executive Committee of All-Russian Congress of Soviets in June and was accused of stirring up July Days demonstrations and was imprisoned. It was while in prison that he became a dedicated Bolshevik.

 Own shortcomings

  • Political amnesty, abolishing Okhrana and death penalty = too liberal, no punishments
  • Other reforms = 8-hour day, trade unions recognised, garrison don’t have to go to war
  1. WW1
  • High death tolls
  • Food shortages in cities
  • Conscription causing agricultural issues
  • Logistical issues – T-S railway, trains to army
  • Economic issues – inflation
  • Army adopt revolutionary defencism, but it doesn’t work
  • Kerensky (Minister of War) decided to have one last offensive
  • 16th Jun 1917 – Kerensky/June/July Offensive
    • Attack Germans and A-Hs
    • 16 days of fighting
      • 1st 3 are good, later days fail
    • Fails because army is full of conscripted peasants who don’t want to fight
    • Sabotage plans, desert or act mutinously towards officers and kill them
    • SRs who were soldiers convinced peasants to retreat
      • Peasants feel that old system conscripted them, so as the old system has gone, they don’t have to fight anymore
      • Peasants feel that PS are in charge, not the PG who were ordering them to fight
    • Kerensky is blamed for the failure
      • Undermines him
      • Nicknamed ‘persuader in chief’
      • Loses title of Minister of War
      • PG seem weak, sparks July Days 

July Days

  • Revolution
  • 2-4 days long riot on streets
  • Sparked by failure of Kerensky Offensive, anger at economy and Petrograd garrison fear they would be sent back to the front line
  • Calls for Ukrainian independence meant that the ‘bread basket’ of Russia (vital food producer for Russia) would be lost and food would have to be imported
    • People disgruntled with PG protest
  • Riots by civilians inc. sailors and soldiers, in name of Bols
    • G. Navy base outside Petrograd = 20,000 Kronstadt armed sailors join in on 4th July
    • Redkronstadt = Communist sailors, quite revolutionary, like the Bols
  • March to Tauride Palace and call for power to the soviets
  • Chernov is sent to calm the crowds but gets bundled into a car by the crowd
  • Trotsky rescues him
  • Bols were not encouraged by leaders, Lenin calls for calm during the July Days as he was on holiday
  • Revolution was encouraged by middle-class Bols officials
  • Leaders would have taken credit if it was successful, but distanced themselves in case it failed
  • Lack of leadership = reason for failure of revolution
  • Rumours from PG leaked that Lenin was in the pay of the Germans
  • Big blow to Bols attempt to seize power
  • Fails, crushed by loyal soldiers, and arrests are made

Impact of July Days:

  • Opposition is disunited
  • Bols far from being leading revolutionary party
  • Showed PG had enough loyal support to put down an armed revolution
  • Pravda closed down
  • Lenin forced to Finland, leading Bols inc. Trotsky arrested
  • Soviet newspaper Izvestia denounced role of Bols

How did Bols luck change?

  • Jul 1917 – Defamed after July Days, Pravda shut down and arrested leaders (Trotsky) etc.
  • Oct 1917 – In power

Reasons:

  1. Land question
  • Peasants thought FR would result in land redistribution, but it didn’t
  • Some peasants ceased the land from the bourgeoisie, revolted or didn’t pay for rent
  • PG are friends with land owners, didn’t want to undertake radical land redistribution
  • Set up a commission to investigate land reform
  • Time-consuming, revolutionaries give a quick solution
  • SRs had policy of radical land redistribution
  • Lenin copies this policy
  • Peasants start supporting Bols, wide class range of supporters
  • Some SRs start supporting Bols, split between left and right
  1. Kornilov affair
  • Final failure of PG
  • Kerensky appointed Kornilov to restore law and order in cities and discipline in the army
  • Needed reliable troops to deal with Bols
  • Kornilov became an attractive leader to middle classes, as a strong leader who would suppress lower classes and stop the revolutionaries
  • Kornilov began to march towards Petrograd, possibly to take control and establish military control
  • Kerensky called on the Soviet to save Petrograd
  • Mass of people were terrified by a military dictatorship, meant to return to old regime
  • Bols provided most of the support – Bolshevik Red Guard (militia trained by Bols) given weapons by Kerensky
  • Kornilov and his troops don’t arrive
  • Railway workers halted the trains
  • Bols agents persuaded the troops to desert Kornilov
  • Kornilov arrested, escapes Nov 1917, fights Bols in civil war, dies in Apr 1918
  • Krymov (another general) disappointed with outcome, commits suicide 31st Aug 1917
  • PG look very disorganised and in chaos, Bols look better

Outcomes:

  • Kerensky’s reputation damaged
  • Mens and SRs tainted by association to Kerensky
  • Kadets and other liberals distrusted by people, dismissed as bourgeoisie
  • Resigned from PG
  • Soldiers turned mutinous, killed officers – no more loyal troops
  • Bols got lots more support – seen as heroes
  • Sep – Bols gained control of PS
  • 25 Sep – Trotsky = President of PS
  • Took control of Moscow Soviet

Lenin & the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party:
Lenin demanded the Bolsheviks get ready to seize power from mid-September onwards

Kamenev and Zinoviev, two leading members of the Bolshevik Central Committee disagreed with Lenin, they feared Russia was not economically ready for a revolution and did not want to act until after the Constituent Assembly had been called.

Trotsky thought an armed uprising could be avoided if the Bolsheviks became the leading socialist party at the Congress of Soviets which was planned for 26th October.

Lenin was frustrated by the resistance and made the decision to return to Russia in disguise in October and eventually convinced the Central Committee that an armed uprising is the order of the day’

At a meeting on 10th October, it took him all night to convince the central committee to vote in his favour, although Kamenev and Zinoviev refused to support his plan.

Trotsky’s organisational skills led Lenin to put him in charge of organising the seizure of power. Trotksy gathered Red Guard militias at Bolsheviks HQ and sent Commissars to get the loyalty of Petrograd’s garrisons.

16th October, Trotsky and Dzerzhinsky established the Military Revolutionary Committee,

200,000 Red Guards, 60,000 Baltic sailors and 150,000 soldiers of the remaining Petrograd garrison units.

Lenin had begun bombarding 12-man central Committee of Bolshevik Party with letters demanding they prepare for revolution and seizure of power.

12th September he suggested ‘History will not forgive us if we do not assume power now’, three days after, Committee voted against a coup. Lenin’s threat of resignation form Central Committee failed to move them. Committees two most prominent members, even Kamenev and Grigori Zinoviev urged restrict fearing Russia wasn’t ready for revolution economically even burning some of Lenin’s letters

Trotsky and the final preparation for Revolution:

Once vote for action was carried – left for Trotsky to organise revolution – sent Bolshevik speakers around factories whipping up support. In accordance with Soviet Resolution of 5th October ‘Military Revolutionary Committee’ was set up under Trotsky & Dzerzhinsky 16th October. Comprised of 66 members – 48 Bolsheviks. Trotsky assed troops at Bolsheviks HQ in Simony Institute & since Mensheviks and SRs refused to cooperate, these became Bolshevik force made up of militias from Bolshevik Red Guards, former soldiers and policemen. Commissars were sent to all Petrograd’s garrison units 15 of declared 18 declared allegiance to Soviet, rather than PG. These Commissars ensured loyalty and issued order & organised weapons supplies. Committee came go ontrol200,000 Red Guards 60,000 Baltic Sailors and 150,000 soldiers of remaining garrison units. State of mutiny and armed revolution was thus established even after ‘Bolshevik, Revolution’ officially began on 25th October. Kamenev and Zinoviev believed they shouldn’t act before Constituent Assembly elections. Lenin finally succeeded in persuading committee ‘an armed rising is the order of the day’. Trotsky took Lenin’s side but Zinoviev and Kamenev refused to agree and published their own views on newspaper Novai zhin(Ne Life) declaring ‘if we take power now and we are forced into revolutionary war mass of soldiers will not support us’