Methods Used to Establish an Authoritarian State

1. Methods Used to Establish an Authoritarian State How did the Bolsheviks were able to seize power in October 1917

2. Extraordinary Impulse from People

3. How the Bolsheviks were able to seize power in October 1917 • Leninpersuaded the Bolsheviksthat a second revolutionwaspossible • Lenin's policy of opposing the PG meant that as the latter became more unpopular, the Bolsheviks increased their support. • . Bolsheviks were able to survive July Days • Lenin rvised Karl Marx’s line on peasants • The Kornolov affair in august/September 1917 boosted the support for the Bolsheviks • The Bolsheviks gained majorities in Petrograd and Moscow Soviets in September 1917 • PG’s authority was undermined ny the mushrooming of grassrotts organizations • Lenin was able to persuade doubters among the Bolshevik leadership that the time was right for the revolution • Trotsky used Bolshevik control of the Pertograd Soviet to plan and stage the seizure of Petrograd

4. Revolution from below • One of the most extraordinary features of the Russian Revolution of 1917 was the speed with which ordinary people began to assert and protect their rights and interests. • The success of the February Revolution and the abdication of the Tsar left a power vacuum in Russia that was not really filled for several years. • Almost instantaneously ordinary people around the country took advantage of the newly-opened political space to set up committees of various kinds to represent themselves. • Across urban and rural Russia, from Archangel in the Arctic circle to Simferopol’ on the Black Sea and from Brest-Litovsk on the Polish border to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean a vast process of self-organisation took place. • It did not begin in any one place. • It exploded from many independent sources

5. Lenin persuaded the Bolsheviksthat a second revolutionwas possible • When Nicholas II abdicated ,Lenin was in exile in Swizerland. The German government , with the intent to distabilize Russia arranged for Lenin to come back in a sealed train in April 1917. • On April 4, Lenin delivered his April Thesis in which he argued that the Soviets had the sole right to govern.

6. The Farewell Message from Zurich • “It has fallen to the lot of the Russian proletariat to begin the series of revolutions whose objective necessity was created by the imperialist world war. We know well that the Russian proletariat is less organized and intellectually less prepared for the task than the working class of other countries...Russia is an agricultural country, one of the most backward of Europe. Socialism cannot be established in Russia immediately. But the peasant character of the development of a democratic-capitalist revolution in Russia and make that a prologue to the world-wide Socialist revolution." • He highlights the Imminent cause of the RR and discusses the nature of the Russian proletariat and its limited skill • Question : dictatorship of or OVER the proletariat

7. Lenin did not recieve a support for traveling from Zurich through the German connections • In the words of Romain Rolland ,Lenin and his friends, needed to be dissuaded from going through Germany as they could cause great damage to the pacifist movement and to themselves, for it will then be said that Zimmerwald is a German child." He then went on to quote Anatolyi Lunacharskyi who had described Lenin as "a dangerous and cynical adventurer".

8. Lenin talking to Ture Nerman on the way to the sealed train on 13th April 1917. Also in thephotograph is Inessa Armand (in the fur-trimmed jacket) and Nadezhda Krupskaya (in large hat). The train was given a high traffic priority by the Germans. Crown Prince Wilhelm the eldest son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was delayed for two hours to let Lenin's train to pass.

9. Lenin arrives at Finland Station (3rd April, 1917)

10. Meeting Lenin at the Station • As he left the railway station Lenin was lifted on to one of the armored cars specially provided for the occasions. • The atmosphere was electric and enthusiastic. • FeodosiyaDrabkina, who had been an active revolutionary for many years, was in the crowd and later remarked: "Just think, in the course of only a few days Russia had made the transition from the most brutal and cruel arbitrary rule to the freest country in the world."

11. April Theses • Name given to the ideas that Lenin put forward on his return to Russia from exile in April 1917. • Essentially, he urged his supporters to prepare for a second revolution

12. Peace,Land, Bread, all power to the Soviets • Peace, Land, Bread, all power to the Soviets: the notion that came from the April Theses and proved in the long-term very attractive to ordinary Russians , particularly urban workers and garrison soldiers who became desperate to see an end to the war, high inflation and food shortages. • Staunch , Ideologically motivated Revolutionary or Cunning Pragmatist ?

13. Inspired the Bolsheviks NOT to share the POWER with the PG • Lenin attacked Bolsheviks for supporting the Provisional Government. • Instead, he argued, revolutionaries should be telling the people of Russia that they should take over the control of the country. And the Propaganda begins… • In his speech, Lenin urged the peasants to take the land from the rich landlords and the industrial workers to seize the factories.

14. Beginning of «  if you are not with us, you are against us = counter revolutionary • Lenin accused those Bolsheviks who were still supporting the government of Prince Georgi Lvov of betraying socialism and suggested that they should leave the party. • Lenin ended his speech by telling the assembled crowd that they must "fight for the social revolution, fight to the end, till the complete victory of the proletariat".

15. The evolution of opposition • Some of the revolutionaries in the crowd rejected Lenin's ideas. • Alexander Bogdanov called out that his speech was the "delusion of a lunatic." • Joseph Goldenberg, a former of the Bolshevik Central Committee, denounced the views expressed by Lenin: "Everything we have just heard is a complete repudiation of the entire Social Democratic doctrine, of the whole theory of scientific Marxism. We have just heard a clear and unequivocal declaration for anarchism. Its herald, the heir of Bakunin, is Lenin. Lenin the Marxist, Lenin the leader of our fighting Social Democratic Party, is no more. A new Lenin is born, Lenin the anarchist.”

16. Harold Williams ( UK journalist )vs Albert Williams ( US visitor to Russia ) • “Lenin’s travelling through Germany arouses intense resentment here. • He has come back breathing fire, and demanding the immediate and unconditional conclusions of peace, civil war against the army and government, and vengeance on Kerensky whom he describes as traitor to the cause of International Socialism. • At the meeting of Social Democrats yesterday his wild rant was received in dead silence, and he was vigorously attacked, not only by the more moderate Social Democrats, but by members of his own faction. • Lenin was left absolutely without supporters meaning that it is an “ hopeful indication of the passing of the revolutionary fever “ Albert Williams was convinced that the Bolsheviks would become the new rulers: "The Bolsheviks understood the people. They were strong among the more literate strata, like the sailors, and comprised largely the artisans and labourers of the cities. Sprung directly from the people's lions they spoke the people's language, shared their sorrows and thought their thoughts. They were the people. So they were trusted." VS

17. Joseph Stalin was in a difficult position? • As one of the editors of Pravda, he was aware that he was being held partly responsible for what Lenin had described as "betraying socialism". • Stalin had two main options open to him: he could oppose Lenin and challenge him for the leadership of the party, or he could change his mind about supporting the Provisional Government and remain loyal to Lenin. • After ten days of silence, Stalin made his move. • In the newspaper he wrote an article dismissing the idea of working with the Provisional Government. • He condemned Alexander Kerensky and Victor Chernov as counter-revolutionaries, and urged the peasants to takeover the land for themselves

18. Bolsheviks’ Membership • By the summer of 1917, the membership of the Bolshevik Party had grown to 240,000. • The Bolsheviks were especially favoured by the soldiers who found Lenin's promise of peace with Germany extremely attractive. • BUT then , in a world where the workers were shooting and bayoneting each other to defend the interests of their respective ruling classes, the slogan Workers of the World Unite must have sounded like a grim irony. • The cause of international socialism seemed to be dead and buried under a mountain of corpses. The prospect of socialist revolution seemed like an impossible Utopia, a futile dream.

19. Origionally, Mensheviksdominated the Soviets • However, until autumn 1917 it was the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries who dominated the Soviets and not the Bolsheviks. • In June 1917, when the First All-Russian Congress of Soviets met, the Bolsheviks won only 12% of the seats.

20. Distribution of seats in the First ALL-RussianCongress of Soviets

21. Lenin against the PG • Lenin's policy of opposing the PG meant that as the latter became more unpopular, the Bolsheviks increased their support. • All of the other major parties, including the Social Revolutionaries and the Mensheviks, supported and indeed participated in the PG. • As the PG grew increasingly unpopular, the Bolsheviks, who alone unreservedly opposed the PG, picked up more support.

22. Gradual Increase of the Membership • In February 1917, the Bolsheviks probably had in the region of 10,000 members; • By October, this had grown to around 300,000 and most of them were concentrated in Petrograd and Moscow. • During this time, around 2mln soldiers deserted the battlefields while keeping their weapons to seize land from the nobility upon their return home

23. Membership Increase

24. The Bolsheviks were able to survive the setback they suffered during the JulyDays • News of the failure of Kerensky's Offensive sparked a rebellion in Petrograd, known as the July Days. • It is difficult to know who was responsible for the July Days (3-6 July). • Afterwards the Bolsheviks said the SRs and Mensheviks had begun the rising, whereas the SRs and Mensheviks blamed the Bolsheviks. • Revolution from Below ?

25. Also, • It is probable that the workers of Petrograd and sailors from the nearby Kronstadt naval base started the rising and then called on the Bolsheviks to take a lead. • At this stage the PG still had sufficient military support and was able to restore order by bringing up loyal troops from the front.

26. Powerful, witty, intelligent force • Participants, be they soldiers, sailors, peasants, artisans or factory workers, showed an extraordinary sophistication. • They did not simply riot and loot but set up more complex goals and used more subtle tactics. • Soldiers and sailors did not simply turn against all officers. They discriminated between them. Cruel and unpopular disciplinarians were dismissed to be replaced by other officers in whom the men had confidence. Revolutionfrombelow

27. Alexander Kerensky became the new prime minister and soon after taking office, he announced another new offensive. • Kerensky now became Prime Minister and arrested a number of leading Bolsheviks, branding them as German agents. • Lenin went into hiding. • Kerensky brought in more Socialists as members of the PG but the PG was still dominated by its four Kadet members.

28. Lenin revised Karl Marx's line on the peasants • Marx had dismissed the peasants as incapable of acting as a revolutionary class. • Lenin adjusted this view because the peasants made up 80% of the Russian population and were war-weary and already seizing land. • Lenin argued that Russian circumstances were such that the peasants could be a genuinely revolutionary force.

29. Lenin revised Karl Marx's line on the peasants • The Bolsheviks did not have their own land policy so they simply adopted that of the SRs and accepted peasant land seizures. • This won some peasant support for the Bolsheviks and led to some SRs being prepared to support the Bolsheviks (they became known as the Left SRs).

30. Popular Revolution

31. About Kornilov • After the failure of the July Offensive on the Eastern Front, Kerensky appointed General Lavr Kornilov as Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. • Kornilov had a fine military record and unlike most of the Russian senior officers, came "from the people" as he was the son of a poor farmer. • "This combination made Kornilov the man of destiny in the eyes of those conservative and moderate politicians... who hoped that through him the Revolution might be tamed. • Kerensky and some in his entourage hoped to use the general to destroy any future Bolshevik threat and to remove or diminish the tutelage of the soviets over the Provisional Government."

33. Lavr Kornilov

34. The Kornilov Affair in August 1917 boosted support for the Bolsheviks • General Kornilov believed that it was necessary to destroy revolutionary forces in Russia before Russia could defeat Germany: « It's time to hang the German supporters and spies, with Lenin at their head, and to disperse the Soviet. »

35. Kerensky is afraid of Kornilov’s military dictatorship • Kornilov told Kerensky that he intended to bring loyal troops to Petrograd to restore order. • It is not clear whether Kerensky first approved of this but then changed his mind when he suspected Kornilov intended to setup a dictatorship , or if it was just Kornilov'splan all along

36. Trotsky on July days • Juxtaposition : what to do about the war ? • Kerensky toured the front, adjured and threatened the troops, kneeled, kissed the earth – in a word, downed it in every possible way, while he failed to answer any of the questions tormenting the soldiers. • He had deceived himself by his cheap effects and, assured of the support of the congress of the Soviets, ordered the offensive. When the calamity that the Bolsheviks had warned against came, the Bolsheviks were made the scapegoats. They were hounded furiously. The reactionaries, shielded by the Kadet party, pressed in from all sides, demanding our heads. • It had already become obvious in the July encounter that Kerensky had no “democratic” army behind him; that the forces supporting him against us were those of a counter-revolution.

37. Trotsky on July days • Military students sacked the Kseshinskaya palace and the printing-works of the Pravda. • The whole street in front of the works was littered with manuscripts, and among those destroyed was my pamphlet To the Slanderers. • The deep reconnaissance of July had been transformed into a one-sided battle. The enemy were easily victorious, because we did not fight.

38. Trotsky on July days • The party was paying dearly for it. Lenin and Zinoviev were in hiding. • General arrests, followed by beatings, were the order of the day. • Cossacks and military students confiscated the money of those arrested, on the grounds that it was “German money.” Many of our sympathisers and half-friends turned their backs on us. • In the Tauride Palace, we were proclaimed counter-revolutionists and were actually put outside the law.”

46. On 7th September • Kornilov demanded the resignation of the Cabinet and the surrender of all military and civil authority to the Commander in Chief. • Kerensky responded by dismissing Kornilov from office and ordering him back to Petrograd. • Kornilov now sent troops to take control of Petrograd.

47. Kornilov’s Conspiracy • Kornilov believed that he was going to become military dictator of Russia. • He had the open support of a number of prominent Russian industrialists, headed by Aleksei Putilov, owner of the steelworks and the leading Petrograd banker. • According to one source these industrialists had raised 4 million rubles for Kornilov's conspiracy.

48. Being afraid • Kerensky , short of royal troops, released Bolsheviks from prison and armed the Petrograd workers , many of them Bolsheviks supporters . • The militants were known as the Red Guards . • In the end, Kornilov’s advance did not reach Petrograd as railway workers sabotaged the railways tracks and some of Kornilov’s troops mutinied. • Kornilov was arrested.

49. Outcome • The Kornilov affair exposed the weaknesses the PG and bolstered support for the Bolcheviks in Petrograd. • Following Kornilov’s arrest, Kerensky now became the new Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. • His continued support for the war effort made him unpopular in Russia and he was unable to reassert his authority in PG.

50. The Bolsheviksgainedmajorities in the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets inSeptember 1917 • In mid-September, the Bolsheviks achieved majorities in the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets. • This was to some extent because the other parties were less committed than the Bolsheviks at attending meetings of the Soviets and their sub- committees.