Why did the Bolsheviks succeed in the

October/November revolution in 1917?

By Nigina and Timmy

The Bolsheviks succeeded because they were able to gain the support of the majority of the population, organize the revolution thoroughly, and create a good “game plan”

1. Good Game PlanThe fact that Bolsheviks had an organized

agenda helped them in gaining the support of the people. They were able to say exactly what they were going to do as opposed to the PG. They promised to:

1) Get Russia out WWI2) Give land back to peasants 3) Improve working and living conditionsThis mixture of beliefs appealed to the largest

classes in Russia- workers and peasants.

2. Failures of Provisional Government in 1917The PG failed to gain the people’s support due

to: Soviet order No. 1Its war aims – keep Russia in the war. ‘The July Days’ violent demonstrationsThe Kornilov Affair

Failure of military in WW1The population did not support the tsarist rule and later the PG

due to their aims to keep Russia in WW1. The people begain to see the war as a failure because:

Failure of the Kerensky Offensive: June 1917The Battle of Tannenberg and The Battle of Masurian LakesLots more men: 5.3 million troops vs. Germany’s 3.8 million. Poorly equipped: Russian artillery is limited to only 2-3 shells

per day, and only 2 rifles were provided for every 3 soldiers in 1916.

Poor logistics: During the Russo-Japanese war railways could only provide 35,000 troops per month, yet Locomotion production was halved from 1913 to 1916.

Resulted only in losses: By the end of 1915, Russian army withdrawn 450 kilometers of gained ground, lost 1 million men, and 1 million POW’s

3. Leadership and organizationLenin’s great strength was an ability to organize the party. Lenin +Trotsky = Charisma + logistics = ULTIMATE

COMBINATIONTrotsky’s skills as a military leader, his rousing oratory and

devotion to the revolution, combined with Lenin’s skill as an organizer who could understand the most minute detail, led to a very potent combination. Their skill infected the rest of the party with enthusiasm and vigor which was vital in November 1917 and the months that immediately followed the Bolsheviks rise to power in Russia.

The November 1917 Revolution = classic example of Lenin and Trotsky WORKING TOGETHER.

The planning was done by Lenin, the actual execution was carried out by Trotsky.

4. German Financing The Germans financed the Bolsheviks because

they knew that Lenin wanted to take Russia out of the war.

This gave money for their publicity campaignsThe German money also led to the creation of

a small Bolshevik army. A private Bolshevik army (the Red Guards), dedicated to the revolution, was set up and trained under Leon Trotsky . It gave the Bolsheviks the military power to win.

5. Powerful campaigns and PRThe war had also caused much hunger in the

cities and discontent in the countryside. The SRs had traditionally been strong in the countryside, but they had failed to achieve anything concrete by 1917.

Now Lenin promised land to those people. The message was unequivocal and was quickly absorbed.

Lenin’s powerful slogans - “Peace, bread and land” and ‘All Power to the Soviets’ found widespread acceptance.

Propaganda in “Iskra” – a powerful tool