Russian Revolution

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“Why were there two revolutions in Russia in 1917? Why did the Provisional Government exist for mere months, yet the Bolsheviks had consolidated their authority in the country by Lenin’s death in 1924?”

Between February and October in 1917, two revolutions occurred due to the Governments failing to fulfill the needs of the Russian people. With the Tsar in power during Bloody Sunday that formed riots and Government unrest and also the Russo-Japanese War and World War One that left the Russian people humiliated and in disarray. The reign of the Provisional Government was short due to failures to provide land and food to the peasants and also the failure to pull Russia out of World War One caused chaos throughout Russia once more. The rise …show more content…

The Petrograd Soviet forbade soldiers and workers to obey the commands of the Provisional Government unless the Soviet agreed. This meant when the Petrograd Soviet ordered all the soldiers to only obey the soviet, the Provisional Government could not rely on the support of the army if anything broke down. But by far the biggest mistake the Provisional Government made whilst in power, was keeping Russia in World War One. Many argued that Russia should of made peace with Germany and pulled out of the war to ease the strain on Russia’s economy and the suffering people. With Russia promising to stand by the allies in 1914, the Provisional Government made a fatal choice to stay in the war and assist the allies, leaving a path of economic disaster and political unrest.

With a revolution looming, a brand new government was needed to take control of Russia and put it in a better situation. In mid October with the strong support of Vladimir Lenin, the Petrograd Soviet took the crucial decision to attempt to seize power. During the night of 25th October Bolshevik Red Guards took over important Government buildings and surrounded the Winter Palace, eventually enabling Lenin to overthrow the Provisional Government. With Lenin’s consolidating his authority, his next goal was to fix the problems Tsar Nicholas II and the Provisional Government had left. “Peace, land and bread” was a popular slogan of Lenin’s, and was used to let Russia know he was for the

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