The events of 24-26 October and the formation of the Bolshevik government

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  • Created by: Tori
  • Created on: 21-05-20 07:26
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  • The events of 24-26 October and the formation of the Bolshevik government
    • The fall of the PG
      • The first phase of the seizure of power occured when soldiers loyal to the MRC occupied the post and telegraph officers, as well as railway stations.
        • Here the Bolsheviks extended their control over the city's infrastructure.
          • This prevented the PG from gathering help.
      • The PG was based in the Winter Palace.
        • The battleship Aurora bgean the assault by opening fire on the Palace.
          • Trotsky and the Red Guard successfully arrested the majority of the PG.
      • On 25th October the MRC announced that the PG had been 'deposed'.
        • Kerensky fled Petrograd with the support of the American Embassy.
    • Lenin's new government
      • The storming of the Winter Palace took place on the day that the Second Congress of Soviets opened.
        • The Bolsheviks didn't have a majority of support at the Second Congress of Soviets.
          • (Only 300 out of 670 delegates supported the Bolsheviks)
      • Creating Sovnarkom
        • News that Lenin and Trotsky had successfully seized power was greeted by cheers from the Congress.
          • However, some Mensheviks and SRs walked out of the Congress in protest.
            • This reduced Menshevik and SR representation and gave the Bolsheviks the majority at the Congress.
              • Thus, Lenin was able to get support for the creation of a new Bolshevik-dominated government.
        • The Congress of Soviets voted to create a new constitution.
          • At the top of the new government was the Sovnarkom.
            • (the Council of People's Commissars)
            • Lenin acted as a chairman of the Sovnarkom and was the overall leader of the new government.
    • Constituent Assembly Elections
      • Following the October Revolution, Lenin claimed that Sovnarkom was the legitimate government of Russia.
        • However, in reality the Bolsheviks had little control of the life outside the capital.
      • Lenin faced a series of obstacles in establishing a new government.
        • Dealing with the elections to the Consitutent Assembly was the first major challenge facing the new government.
      • Lenin refused to cancel the elections.
        • The Bolsheviks had criticised the PG for postponing the elections.
          • Thus, cancelling them would have made the Bolsheviks look like hypocrites.
        • Additionally, by mid-Novermber the Sovnarkom didn't have the power to stop the elections taking place.
      • Election results
        • The elections were a clear victory for the SRs.
          • While the Bolsheviks won less than 1/4 of the vote, the November result marked the high point of Bolshevik support.
            • From December 1917, popular support for Lenin and his party declined.
        • Srs
          • Bolsheviks
            • Kadets
              • Mensheviks
                • 3.2%
              • 4.5%
            • 22.5%
          • 39.5%
      • The consequences of the election
        • The election results demonstrated that the SRs were clearly Russia's most popular party.
          • However, the Bolsheviks were in a reasonably strong position:
            • The SRs were split and therefore weak.
            • The Left SRs supported the Sovnarkom.
              • The first Sovnarkom was a coalition of Left SRs and Bolsheviks.
                • Thus, Lenin could claim that the Sovnarkom was a coalition of Russia's two most popular parties.
            • While the elections took place in November, the new Assembly was not due to meet until January
              • This allowed Lenin to postpone conflict between the Boshevik-dominated Sovnarkom and the new Assembly.

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