The Success of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in...

The Success of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in October 1917 The Bolshevik seizure of power or coup de’tat of October 25th, 1917 was a culmination of both internal and external failure to satisfy the needs of an oppressed Russian society. In contrast to the spontaneous revolts earlier in 1917, the Bolshevik revolution was ‘a carefully planned plot carried out by ‘professional’ revolutionaries.’[1] The victory of the Marxist Lenin’s Bolsheviks was due to the failure of the Provisional Government in response to land policies; their failure to gain support from the masses; the lack of ‘real’ authority of the Provisional Government and the military failure of the army. Secondly, the failure of the†¦show more content†¦The Bolshevik revolution came to prominence because of the Provisional Government’s inability to gain support from the Russian population. ‘The government enjoyed little confidence amongst the masses; and many of its members were largely unknown to the new Russia that had burst upon the political scene.’[3] Kerensky himself comments on the problematic circumstances his government experienced, ‘the old (governmental machine) had disappeared; the new was not yet established.’ The support of the peasantry was critical in establishing popular rule, as historian Richard Abraham comments, ‘the largest social class in Russia was still the peasantry. Their reaction to the coming social conflict would be crucial – not least because peasant lads in grey coats were armed.’ While Prince Lvov and his cronies did inherit everything the old regime had deserted in chaos and acknowledged ‘the solution of the problem requires, if not years, at least several months.’ The Provisional Government failed to identify growing areas of concern within the Russian empire, proving fatal to the common perception of the government. ‘Industrial chaos, ineffectiveShow MoreRelatedThe Major Causes Of The Russia n Revolution Of 1917889 Words   |  4 PagesRussian Revolution of 1917, by definition, was a series of revolts against the Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. The background of the Revolution started with many political groups emerging in the 1800s and 1900s (Marxists, Liberals, Nationalists, and Peasant socialists being the most notable). Then, the Marxists split, forming Lenin and the Bolsheviks. On top of new political groups emerging, a slow in economy, a losing effort in wars, and the â€Å"Bloody Sunday† massacres also created unrest in Russia. AlsoRead MoreThe Life of Leon Trotsky Essay1462 Words   |  6 Pagesremoval of the Tsar during the Russian Revolution, Trotsky returned to Russia in May 1917. In August 1917, Trotsky joined the Central Committee of the Bolshevik party whose leader was none other than Vladimir Lenin. Trotsky assumed key roles in the events and policies concerning the Bolshevik Government, which included the Bolshevik Revolution, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Civil War and views on Russias economic policies. The Bolshevik party focused on their one aim: overthrowRead MoreThe Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917-Essay Review1428 Words   |  6 PagesIn 1917, in the midst of the Great War, Russia faced one of the biggest political shifts that the Tsarist-ruled country had ever known-the Bolshevik Revolution. There are two significant time frames associated with the Bolshevik Revolution. In the February revolution Tsar Nicholas II abdicated his throne and a Provisional Government took control. In the October revolution the Bolsheviks took power by overthrowing the Provisional Government. How did the October revolution become a reality? WhatRead MorePoor Living and Working Conditions as the Reason for Bolsheviks Seizure of Power in 1917738 Words   |  3 PagesPoor Living and Working Conditions as the Reason for Bolsheviks Seizure of Power in 1917 Around eighty percent of Russia’s population were peasants who lived in communities. Living and working conditions for most peasants were dreadful, famine and starvation were common. People worked for long hours, their wages were low and rent was high. In factory towns people lived in overcrowded slums and there were very few sanitary facilities. Poor living and working conditions existedRead MoreVladimir Lenin805 Words   |  4 Pagesof the Bolshevik (meaning Majority) faction of the Russian Social and Democratic Labour Party and took power in the October Revolution of 1917. He was born in the city of Simbirsk in 1870 and studied Law at Kazan university, where he was introduced to Marxist literature. His brother Alexandr was involved in a plot to assassinate Tsar Alexandr III and executed. He spent some time in internal exile in Siberia before being exiled from Russia. It was in London that he formed his Bolshevik factionRead MoreThe Russian Revolution And The Soviet Revolution Essay1196 Words   |  5 PagesRussian People and Their Revolution, 1917-21. London: UCL Press, 1996. Read, Christopher. From Tsar to Soviets: The Russian People and Their Revolution, 1917-21. London: UCL Press, 1996. pp. 6, 63. Christopher Read, the author of the book From Tsar to Soviets: The Russian People and Their Revolution, 1917-21, is a professor at the University of Warwick in Europe. Read teaches twentieth-century European history. He specializes in the social history of the Russian Revolution and the intellectual historyRead MoreEssay on Account For the Success of the Bolsheviks in October 19171936 Words   |  8 PagesAccount For the Success of the Bolsheviks in October 1917 At the beginning of 1917 most of the Bolsheviks were in exile but by the end of 1917 the Bolshevik party had not only consolidated control of Moscow and Petrograd, but they were also advancing on the rest of the country. This success was due to several linked factors; the Bolshevik policy of non-cooperation, weakness of the Provisional Government, division of alternative opposition, Lenins leadership skills,Read MoreWas the October 1917 Revolution a key turning point in the modernisation of Russia?1449 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿History Coursework – B Question To what extent do you consider that the October 1917 Revolution was a key turning point in the development of modern Russia in the years 1856-1964? The October 1917 Revolution is undoubtedly a momentous and extremely important event in Russia’s history, one that ousted the centuries-old Tsardom that ruled over the empire, in favour of the radical communist movement in the form of the Bolsheviks, headed by one Vladimir Iliych Lenin. However, did this sudden move fromRead MoreVladimir Lenin And The Revolutionary Revolution913 Words   |  4 Pagestwentieth century, Russia was overtaken by the clash of two ideologies that represented a social, political and economic world order; one that at the time was the capitalist system and the other of revolutionary socialism. After the February Revolution 1917, Vladimir Lenin returned from exile and published a series of directives in an effort to channel the revolutionary energy to an uncompromised movement; prominently known as the â€Å"April Theses.† Moreover, later on December 1917, Lenin’s argumentRead MoreLenin s The Bolshevik Party1270 Words   |  6 PagesWhil e organizing the Bolshevik party in the lead up to the October 1917 insurrection, Lenin navigated the fundamental contradictions of socialism with relative ease. In Lenin’s ‘April Theses,’ published after his return to Russia, he advocated for a transfer of all state power â€Å"to the hands of the proletariat and the poorest sections of the peasants. † When compared to the positions of Lenin’s fellow Bolsheviks in April of 1917, he appeared radically committed to Marxist ideology. Indeed, Suny states