-
Petrograd Souviet
The Petrograd soviet was an organisation that existed prior to the February Revolution as a sort of underground revolutionary labor union for workers and soldiers in the Petrograd area, containing members of a number of different political parties. During the February Revolution, members of the Petrograd Soviet saw an opportunity and declared themselves to be the government of Russia. However, they quickly found themselves competing with the Provisional Government. -
Lenins Return to Russia
During the Febuary revolution, Vladimir Lenin has been living in exile in Switerland. The Germans provided lenin with a guarded train that took him as far as the baltic coast, from which he traveled by boat to Sweden, Then on to Russia by train. Lenin arrived in petrograd on the evning of April 3rd,(16th) 1917. -
April Theses
The first time Lenin returns to Petrograd he insisted that the workers council to take power, and denounced the liberal soldiers who were working with the provisional governemnt. Insisted that the bolsheviks shouldn't cooperate witht he provisional governemnt. He called for new communist government. -
Ministers of the Provisional Government
Created after the abdication of the tsar, the leading figure of the goverment are all non bolsheviks chosen from the octobrist, cadets, molsheviks and social revelotionary. The goverment is consist of middle class citizen that wanted a constitutional based democratic goverment -
Kronstadt Mutiny
In May 1917, about 3,000 sailors had joined the Bolsheviks, but it is important to note that many of the Kronstadt sailors were and remained Anarchists and Social Revolutionaries. On 16 May 1917, the Kronstadt Soviet declared independence from the Provisional Government – a move which infuriated Lenin, since the Bolsheviks were not yet ready to make their move, and he did not want anyone ‘jumping the gun’. The sailors were ordered to call off their action and they backed down. -
First all-Russian Congress of Soviets meet
The meeting of representatives from newly created soviets that met in Petrograd. Out of the 822 representatives, the majority were Social Revolutionaries, closely followed by the Mensheviks and only 105 were Bolsheviks. Against Bolshevik protests that insisted on all power going to the Soviets, the SR and Menshevik majority voted to support the Provisional Government. The Congress also agreed to end WWI and resolved to elect a Central Executive Committee to act in the meantime of its absence. -
Karenskys Offensive
As the Russian armies offensive capabilities deteriorated and after the febuary revolutionhad caused many people to call for peace including members of the army. Kerensky isseud an order to attack which was ill-timed. Karensjy planned his offensive anf due to many losses and soldiers disobeyed orders it failed, instead the soldiers would have votes whether or not to obey. -
Period: to
Lenin Goes Into Hiding In Helsinki Finland
To undermine Bolshevik popularity and influence, Kerensky claimed that Lenin had close political and financial ties and was working with German government.The Public’s reaction, set against the Bolsheviks, led to the arrest and persecution of Bolshevik leaders and their property destroyed.They were denounced as traitors and their newspaper ‘Pravada’ was closed down. Lenin fled to Finland, but others were jailed. -
July Days
Despite a lot of public support, the Provisional Government was facing a lot of problems by July. The war was not going well on the Austrian front. The Petrograd soviets gain power. Soldiers came back from the front tried to overthrow the Provisional Government, but supressed by Kerensky. The Bolcheviks seems not possible to seize power. -
Bolsheviks - Moscow
The Bolsheviks gained control over Moscow in September 1917. In order to win over the Moscow Soviet, Bolsheviks received support from Red Guard Detachments. Forces clashed on the Red Square and then again at Krymsky Square where Bolsheviks controlled key facilities. By the time Mikhail Frunze with thousands of soldiers with Red Guard detachments had arrived, the Soviet troops were soon broken. After two weeks the Bolsheviks had gained control over Moscow. -
Lenin Returns To Petrograd
Lenin returned to Petrograd from Finland, to attend a secret meeting with the leaders of the Bolsheviks. He suggested and insisted that they should take action immediately to seize power, before the elections for the Constituent Assembly. A long discussion followed Lenin's suggestion, and finally, early next morning, Lenin finally won the debates. Orders were given to the Bolsheviks to begin occupying railway stations, etc. The day after, the Red Guards surrounded the Winter Palace. -
Bolsheviks take control of Petrograd
Following the March Revolution, in November 1917 Russia got the world’s first communist government. Lead by Lenin, communists took over the vital city of St Petrograd and removed the Provisional Government from power Lenin had already proved himself to the workers of the city with his slogans “Peace, bread and land” and “All power to the soviets”. -
Bolsheviks take control of Petrograd
His middle class background was not held against him as he had been in prison for his beliefs and he was seen by the workers as the man to lead them. Lenin promised the people of Russia a number of things. The first was that he would pull Russia out of the war. This proved extremely popular especially among soldiers. Secondly he promised land to the peasants. Third, he promised that the workers and soviets would control the factories.Then this allowed them to take control of Petrograd.
