What Was The October Revolution?
Occurring in the wake of the February Revolution, the October Revolution of 1917 was equally transformative for Russia, if not more so. Led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, this uprising overthrew the provisional government and replaced it with the world’s first communist state, which endured for nearly seven decades as the Soviet Union. It also ignited a brutal civil war from 1918 to 1922 between the Bolshevik Red Army and anti-communist White forces, further devastating a country already crippled by World War One. Given its profound global influence and enduring historical consequences, the October Revolution deserves close examination.
Background
The October Revolution cannot be understood without comprehending the February Revolution. By 1917, with World War I wreaking havoc across Europe, essentially all of Russia was united against the monarchy. The Russian Army was poorly trained and poorly equipped, making them largely ineffective at fighting the Germans. The influence of the Siberian monk Rasputin in everyday political affairs further delegitimized the reign of Tsar Nicholas II. Finally, with prices having increased dramatically since the beginning of the war and rumors of food shortages in the capital of Petrograd, a revolution began in February 1917. Beginning as a series of strikes, the February Revolution quickly snowballed into hundreds of thousands of protestors marching the streets of Petrograd every day. This was exacerbated by many members of the Russian Army joining the protestors. The rapidly spiraling situation forced the Tsar to return to the capital, as he had previously been at the front fighting the war. However, on his way back, his train was stopped by Duma (the Russian Parliament) leaders who told him that he had to resign. Ever the reluctant monarch, Nicholas II did so, marking the end of the Russian monarchy.
Between Revolutions
A body known as the Provisional Government quickly assumed control. Made up of centrist politicians from the Duma, it immediately faced difficulties. Indeed, the protestors in the February Revolution recognized the authority of the worker's council known as the Petrograd Soviet, rather than the Provisional Government. This necessitated a power-sharing arrangement between the two representative bodies. Alexander Kerensky, an unaffiliated socialist with one foot in the Soviet and one in the Provisional Government, soon emerged as the figurehead of the Russian government. However, his rise to power was challenged by the return of the Bolshevik revolutionary Vladimir Lenin to Russia. Immediately upon arriving in April 1917, Lenin drafted his April Theses which, among other things, stated that all governing power should be given to the Soviets.
This direct challenge was exacerbated by ever-increasing public discontent towards the war. Kerensky wanted out of the war but did not want to give up vast swaths of territory. Thus, he planned an offensive (known as the Kerensky Offensive) meant to overwhelm the Germans and force them to return the occupied territory. Beginning in mid-June 1917, the offensive failed, and it marked the beginning of Kerensky’s declining popularity. The Kornilov affair exacerbated this unpopularity in late August 1917. The exact motivations behind this event are unclear, but at the time it was understood as a failed coup attempt by General Lavr Kornilov against the Provisional Government. Nonetheless, while the coup failed, it further weakened Kerensky, setting the stage for more revolutionary activities in the near future.
The October Revolution
The Bolsheviks, one of the three main Marxist parties in Russia at the time, directly benefitted from the weakening of Kerensky. For instance, in July 1917, at the First Congress of the Russian Soviets, they were the third largest party. However, by early September, they had come to control both the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets. This was despite their leader, Vladimir Lenin, being in Finland. Regardless, he still had major influence and, determining that now was the time for revolution, travelled back to Russia. Despite key Bolsheviks Grigori Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev disagreeing over this timing, they were ultimately outvoted. Thus, on the night of October 24th, the Bolsheviks seized power. Taking control of key bridges, telegraph stations, and government buildings, the October Revolution was almost anticlimactic. Few opposed the Bolsheviks due to the Provisional Government's unpopularity, and life went on as normal. The most violent event occurred the following day when the Winter Palace, Kerensky's home, was stormed. Nevertheless, this battle was relatively brief, with Kerensky escaping to the American embassy. With that, the October Revolution was complete.
By the end of 1917, Russia was fundamentally transformed. Beginning the year as a monarchy, it ended with a coup that set the stage for a Bolshevik government. Regardless, the manner in which the Bolsheviks would ultimately secure power, as well as their ideological convictions, would not go unopposed. This set the stage for more turmoil in Russia.
