Lenin and the Bolshevik revolution

The story of the October revolution

Peace, land, bread

April: the German government helps the Bolshevik leader Lenin return to Russia. He publishes the'April Theses', offering people: 'Peace, bread, land', and proclaims: All power to the Soviets'.

July: the Bolsheviks try to take power in a revolution called the July Days, but are defeated.

Bolsheviks

August: a pro-tsarist, General Kornilov, leads a revolt against the Provisional Government. The government has to ask the Bolsheviks for help to defeat him. As a result, the Bolsheviks become so popular that:

September: the Bolsheviks take control of the Petrograd Soviet, and the prominent Bolshevik Leon Trotsky, leader of the Red Guards, becomes its president.

Kronstadt sailors

6th November: late at night, Trotsky's Red Guards helped by the Kronstadt sailors move quickly to take over the bridges and the telephone exchange. They cut off Petrograd from the rest of Russia.

Aurora fires a shell

7 November: next, the Red Guards take over government buildings, the banks and the railway station. Finally, at 9.40pm, signalled by a shell fired from the cruiser Aurora, they move in and take over the Winter Palace, the headquarters of the Provisional Government. There is no resistance.

Why did the Bolsheviks succeed in November 1917?

Bolshevik leader - Vladimir Lenin

1. The failure of the Provisional Government - the Provisional Government had lost all support. When it was attacked, no one lifted a finger to help it.
2. Appeal of the Bolsheviks - Lenin's message of Peace, bread, land' was justwhat the people - who were sick of war, hunger and hardship - wanted. Also, the Bolsheviks were popular because they had defeated Kornilov.
3. Organisation - the Red Guards, organised by the brilliant Trotsky, were well-trained and ruthless. They took over the government almost bloodlessly and almost without anyone noticing.

Explain:

1. What happened in the November 1917 Bolshevik takeover.
2. Why the Bolshevik takeover of November 1917 succeeded.
3. How far the Bolshevik takeover of November 1917 was a popular revolution.
4. Who was more important in the Bolshevik takeover, Lenin or Trotsky.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/russia/leninandbolshevikrevolutionrev1.shtml