Revolution 1917 history. Great October Socialist Revolution

Reasons for the October Revolution of 1917:

war fatigue;
the country's industry and agriculture were on the verge of complete collapse;
catastrophic financial crisis;
the unresolved agrarian question and the impoverishment of peasants;
delaying socio-economic reforms;
the contradictions of dual power became a prerequisite for a change of power.

On July 3, 1917, unrest began in Petrograd demanding the overthrow of the Provisional Government. Counter-revolutionary units, by order of the government, used weapons to suppress the peaceful demonstration. Arrests began and the death penalty was reinstated.

The dual power ended in the victory of the bourgeoisie. The events of July 3-5 showed that the bourgeois Provisional Government did not intend to fulfill the demands of the working people, and it became clear to the Bolsheviks that it was no longer possible to take power peacefully.

At the VI Congress of the RSDLP(b), which took place from July 26 to August 3, 1917, the party set its sights on a socialist revolution through an armed uprising.

At the August State Conference in Moscow, the bourgeoisie intended to declare L.G. Kornilov as a military dictator and to coincide with this event the dispersal of the Soviets. But active revolutionary action thwarted the plans of the bourgeoisie. Then Kornilov moved troops to Petrograd on August 23.

The Bolsheviks, carrying out extensive agitation work among the working masses and soldiers, explained the meaning of the conspiracy and created revolutionary centers to fight the Kornilov revolt. The rebellion was suppressed, and the people finally realized that the Bolshevik Party is the only party that defends the interests of the working people.

In mid-September V.I. Lenin developed a plan for an armed uprising and ways to implement it. The main goal of the October Revolution was the conquest of power by the Soviets.

On October 12, the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) was created - a center for preparing an armed uprising. Zinoviev and Kamenev, opponents of the socialist revolution, gave the terms of the uprising to the Provisional Government.

The uprising began on the night of October 24, the opening day of the Second Congress of Soviets. The government was immediately isolated from the armed units loyal to it.

October 25 V.I. Lenin arrived in Smolny and personally led the uprising in Petrograd. During the October Revolution, important objects such as bridges, telegraphs, and government offices were captured.

On the morning of October 25, 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee announced the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the transfer of power to the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. On October 26, the Winter Palace was captured and members of the Provisional Government were arrested.

The October Revolution in Russia took place with the full support of the people. The alliance of the working class and the peasantry, the transition of the armed army to the side of the revolution, and the weakness of the bourgeoisie determined the results of the October Revolution of 1917.

On October 25 and 26, 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets was held, at which the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) was elected and the first Soviet government was formed - the Council of People's Commissars (SNK). V.I. was elected Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. Lenin. He put forward two Decrees: the “Decree on Peace,” which called on the warring countries to stop hostilities, and the “Decree on Land,” which expressed the interests of the peasants.

The adopted Decrees contributed to the victory of Soviet power in the regions of the country.

On November 3, 1917, with the capture of the Kremlin, Soviet power won in Moscow. Further, Soviet power was proclaimed in Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Crimea, the North Caucasus, and Central Asia. The revolutionary struggle in Transcaucasia dragged on until the end of the civil war (1920-1921), which was a consequence of the October Revolution of 1917.

The Great October Socialist Revolution divided the world into two camps - capitalist and socialist.

Lenin proclaims Soviet power

Great October Socialist Revolution- the process of the revolutionary establishment of Soviet power on the territory of Russia from October 1917 to March 1918, as a result of which the bourgeois regime was overthrown and power was transferred.

The Great October Socialist Revolution was the result of internal conflicts that had been accumulating in Russian society since at least the middle of the 19th century, the revolutionary process they generated, which later grew into the First World War. Its victory in Russia provided the practical possibility of a global experiment to build in a single country. The revolution was global in nature, virtually completely changing the history of mankind in the twentieth century, and led to the formation on the political map of the world, which exists to this day and every day demonstrates to the whole world the advantages of the socialist system over.

Reasons and background

From mid-1916, a decline in industrial and agricultural production began in Russia. Representatives of the liberal-bourgeois opposition, entrenched in the Duma, zemstvos, city dumas, and military-industrial committees, insisted on the creation of a Duma and government that enjoyed the country’s confidence. Right-wing circles, on the contrary, called for the dissolution of the Duma. The Tsar, realizing the disastrous consequences of carrying out radical, political and other reforms during a war that required political stability, was, however, in no hurry to “tighten the screws.” He hoped that the success of the offensive against Germany by Entente troops from the east and west planned for the spring of 1917 would bring peace to minds. However, such hopes were no longer destined to come true.

February bourgeois-democratic revolution and the overthrow of the autocracy

On February 23, 1917, rallies, strikes, and demonstrations of workers began in Petrograd due to food difficulties. On February 26, the authorities tried to suppress popular protests by force of arms. This, in turn, caused disobedience in the reserve units of the Petrograd garrison, who did not want to be sent to the front, and an uprising of some of them on the morning of February 27. As a result, the rebel soldiers united with the striking workers. On the same day, the Temporary Committee of the State Duma was formed in the State Duma, headed by the Chairman of the Duma M.V. Rodzianko. On the night of February 27-28, the Committee announced that it had taken power “into its own hands to restore state and public order.” On the same day, the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies was created, calling on the people to the final overthrow of the old government. By the morning of February 28, the uprising in Petrograd was victorious.

On the night of March 1 to 2, by agreement of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma with the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, it was formed headed by the Chairman of the Main Committee of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union, Prince G. E. Lvov. The government included representatives of various bourgeois parties: the leader of the Cadets P. N. Milyukov, the leader of the Octobrists A. I. Guchkov and others, as well as the socialist A. F. Kerensky.

On the night of March 2, the Petrograd Soviet adopted order No. 1 for the Petrograd garrison, which spoke about the election of soldiers’ committees in units and subunits, the subordination of military units in all political speeches to the Council, and the transfer of weapons under the control of soldiers’ committees. Similar orders were established outside the Petrograd garrison, which undermined the combat effectiveness of the army.

On the evening of March 2, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne. As a result, dual power arose in the country on the part of the bourgeois Provisional Government (“power without power”) and the Soviets of Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ Deputies (“force without power”).

Period of dual power

The union state was formed on the basis of the Ukrainian and Belarusian SSRs. Over time, the number of union republics reached 15.

Third (Communist) International

Almost immediately after the proclamation of Soviet power in Russia, the leadership of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) took the initiative to form a new international with the goal of uniting and uniting the working class of the planet.

In January 1918, a meeting of representatives of left-wing groups in a number of countries in Europe and America was held in Petrograd. And on March 2, 1919, the First Constituent Congress of the Communist International began its work in Moscow.

The Comintern set itself the task of supporting the labor movement around the world with the goal of implementing a world revolution that would finally replace the world capitalist economy with the world system of communism.

Largely thanks to the activities of the Communist International, communist parties were formed in many countries of Europe, Asia and America, which ultimately led to their victory in China, Mongolia, Korea and Vietnam and the establishment of a socialist system in them.

Thus, the Great October Revolution, which created the first socialist state, marked the beginning of the collapse of the capitalist system in many countries of the world.

Williams A.R. About Lenin and the October Revolution. - M.: Gospolitizdat, 1960. - 297 p.
Reed J. 10 days that shocked the world. - M.: Gospolitizdat, 1958. - 352 p.
Chronicle of the Great October Socialist Revolution / Ed. A. M. Pankratova and G. D. Kostomarov. - M.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1942. - 152 p.

Research

Alekseeva G.D. Criticism of the Socialist Revolutionary Concept of the October Revolution. - M.: Nauka, 1989. - 321 p.
Igritsky Yu. I. Myths of bourgeois historiography and the reality of history. Modern American and English historiography of the Great October Socialist Revolution. - M.: Mysl, 1974. - 274 p.
Foster W. The October Revolution and the United States of America. - M.: Gospolitizdat, 1958. - 49 p.
Smirnov A. S. Bolsheviks and the peasantry in the October Revolution. - M.: Politizdat, 1976. - 233 p.
October socialist revolution in Udmurtia. Collection of documents and materials (1917-1918) / Ed. I. P. Emelyanova. - Izhevsk: Udmurt Book Publishing House, 1957. - 394 p.
October Revolution and Civil War in North Ossetia. - Ordzhonikidze: Ir Publishing House, 1973. - 302 p.
Foreign literature about the October Revolution / Ed. I. I. Mints. - M.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1961. - 310 p.
Seventieth anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Joint ceremonial meeting of the CPSU Central Committee, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR on November 2–3, 1987: Verbatim report. - M.: Politizdat, 1988. - 518 p.
Kunina A.E. Debunked myths: Against the bourgeois falsification of the Great October Socialist Revolution. - M.: Knowledge, 1971. - 50 p. - (Series “New in life, science, technology. “History”).”
Salov V.I. German historiography of the Great October Socialist Revolution. - M.: Sotsekgiz, 1960. - 213 p.

One of the most significant events in the history of the country was the revolution in Russia in 1917: the overthrow of the monarchy, the power of the Bolsheviks, the Civil War... How, why and why did all this happen?
How many revolutions did Russia experience at the beginning of the 20th century?
The phrase “revolution in Russia” evokes primarily associations with “Red October”. But even before this, the country experienced many upheavals. How many revolutions were there in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century? Historians speak of three.
The first dates back to January 9, 1905. The reason for the protests was the shooting of demonstrators in St. Petersburg, which went down in history as Bloody Sunday.
The second revolution happened in February 1917. Its result was the fall of the monarchy - the bourgeoisie took power into their own hands.
And finally, the third revolution - the October Revolution, which led to the Bolsheviks at the helm and marked the beginning of the USSR.
Russia at the time of the fall of the empire
Before moving on to the description of revolutionary events, you should stop for a moment and look at what the Russian Empire was like at the time of its collapse. For example, geographically.
And it was a huge territory. The map of Russia before the revolution of 17 is impressive!
The area of the Russian Empire was almost 22 million km2. It included the modern territories of all CIS states (with the exception of three regions of Ukraine and the Kaliningrad region); east and center of Poland, Finland, Baltic countries (except one of the regions of Lithuania); as well as several areas today belonging to Turkey and China.
What flag did the empire live under?
Many are still interested in the question of what the Russian flag was like before the revolution.
The state did not have a single flag until the end of the 17th century. The first attempts to establish it were made under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who chose blue, red and white colors for the state banner. For the first time, a flag with a blue cross on a white background and red corners was raised on the merchant ship "Eagle" in 1686.
It became even more similar to the modern Russian flag under Peter I. It already consisted of three stripes (blue, red and white), but in the center had a drawing of a double-headed eagle.
Prerequisites for the revolutionary events of 1917
But what became the prerequisites for the revolution of 17 in Russia?
After 1905, most of the problems that caused the turmoil then remained unresolved. Farmers, workers, representatives of national minorities and many other segments of the population were dissatisfied with their situation.
In addition, Nicholas II, who ruled the Russian Empire at that time, turned out to be a weak ruler. In 1914, the country entered the First World War unprepared, which exacerbated existing problems.
Not only the common people, but also influential representatives of the bourgeoisie were opposed to the tsar. To stay on the throne, Nicholas kept changing ministers, tried to liquidate the State Duma and, in general, acted chaotically.
The last straw for the masses was the introduction of food cards in the capital. The lower classes of Petrograd exploded, and those who had long dreamed of overthrowing the monarchy did not fail to take advantage of this.
February Revolution in Russia 1917
The date of the February Revolution in Russia is considered to be February 23, 1917, when workers went on strike, outraged by food shortages and the war. The riots lasted three days, and only on February 26 the authorities decided to use force. They sent recruits, as well as front-line soldiers who had recovered from injuries, to shoot the demonstrators. Most of them were workers or peasants in peaceful life; and although the soldiers carried out the order of their superiors, in the coming days they went over to the side of the protesters.
Having learned about the events shaking Petrograd, Nicholas II, who was heading to the capital from the front, abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Mikhail. But he did not accept the “crown”.
The February Revolution of 1917 in Russia was accomplished. The monarchy has fallen.
Between two revolutions
On February 27, elections to the Petrograd Soviet took place, which included mainly representatives of the lower classes. And on March 2, the Provisional Government was created. It consisted mainly of people representing the interests of the bourgeoisie. Thus, a dual power actually developed in the country. One branch was committed to the socialist path, the second to the liberal democratic one. The first had troops “in its pocket”, the second had many other levers of control.
During the period from February to October 17, the Provisional Government took many important and useful steps. But the war-weary country was getting closer to economic collapse. The people, who expected quick changes for the better from the revolutionaries, were soon disappointed, and murmuring began. Serious separatist unrest emerged. Many regions that are part of Russia demanded independence.
In April, peasants rebelled because they did not wait for the land issue to be resolved. And the Bolsheviks took advantage of this, whose influence on minds grew more and more. A course was set for the seizure of power by the Soviets. The day of the revolution in Russia, which completely turned her life upside down, was already looming on the horizon.
The Great October Revolution in Russia of 1917
On October 12, 1917, the Bolsheviks created the Military Revolutionary Committee, which was supposed to prepare an armed seizure of power. They were aware of their power and had no doubt about victory.
On October 25, they held a congress, the result of which was the Decrees on Peace, Russia came out of the war and on the Earth (it was given to the peasants); as well as the decision to transfer power to the Council of People's Commissars, headed by Vladimir Ilyich.
On the same day, Lenin informed the people about the end of bourgeois power and the beginning of the arrival of Soviet power. And already at night the capture of the Winter Palace took place, where meetings of the Provisional Government were held.
A new revolution took place in 1917 in Russia. Videos of the riots that engulfed Petrograd in those days later went around the world. It was a power that nothing could resist. Workers, sailors, and soldiers in a single impulse swept away all obstacles in their path.
But it should be noted that in Petrograd the coup took place with virtually no bloodshed. But Muscovites offered fierce resistance to the organizers of the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia. More than a thousand people were killed during street fighting.
And although the power of the councils was quickly established in most regions of Russia, it was often just a formality. To gain complete victory, it was necessary to survive and win the outbreak of the Civil War.
What if it weren't for the revolution?
Revolution in Russia of 1917: the overthrow of the monarchy, the power of the Bolsheviks... Why was all this? Many people are asking this question today. And although history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, it is still interesting to imagine what Russia would be like without the revolution.
There is an opinion that now it would be one of the world's economic leaders, since at the time of the collapse of the empire, the country's economy, although undermined by the war, was at a high level of development.
And there are also assumptions that if Russia had not become Soviet, such a monster as fascism with Hitler at its head would not have been “born”. And the world would have avoided the bloodiest war in human history.
But most historians agree that everything that happened was inevitable. This is the path that Russia (which lost approximately 12 million people in the era of wars and revolutions of 1915-1922) had to go through. And there was simply no other option.

1917 was a year of upheaval and revolution in Russia, and its finale came on the night of October 25, when all power passed to the Soviets. What are the causes, course, results of the Great October Socialist Revolution - these and other questions of history are in the center of our attention today.

Causes

Many historians argue that the events that occurred in October 1917 were inevitable and at the same time unexpected. Why? Inevitable, because by this time a certain situation had developed in the Russian Empire, which predetermined the further course of history. This was due to a number of reasons:

Results of the February Revolution : she was greeted with unprecedented delight and enthusiasm, which soon turned into the opposite - bitter disappointment. Indeed, the performance of the revolutionary-minded “lower classes” - soldiers, workers and peasants - led to a serious shift - the overthrow of the monarchy. But this is where the achievements of the revolution ended. The expected reforms were “hanging in the air”: the longer the Provisional Government postponed consideration of pressing problems, the faster discontent in society grew;
Overthrow of the monarchy : March 2 (15), 1917, Russian Emperor Nicholas II signed the abdication of the throne. However, the question of the form of government in Russia - a monarchy or a republic - remained open. The Provisional Government decided to consider it during the next convocation of the Constituent Assembly. Such uncertainty could only lead to one thing - anarchy, which is what happened.
The mediocre policy of the Provisional Government : the slogans under which the February Revolution took place, its aspirations and achievements were actually buried by the actions of the Provisional Government: Russia’s participation in the First World War continued; a majority vote in the government blocked land reform and the reduction of the working day to 8 hours; autocracy was not abolished;
Russian participation in the First World War: any war is an extremely costly undertaking. It literally “sucks” all the juice out of the country: people, production, money - everything goes to support it. The First World War was no exception, and Russia's participation in it undermined the country's economy. After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government did not retreat from its obligations to the allies. But discipline in the army had already been undermined, and widespread desertion began in the army.
Anarchy: already in the name of the government of that period - the Provisional Government, the spirit of the times can be traced - order and stability were destroyed, and they were replaced by anarchy - anarchy, lawlessness, confusion, spontaneity. This was manifested in all spheres of the country’s life: an autonomous government was formed in Siberia, which was not subordinate to the capital; Finland and Poland declared independence; in the villages, peasants were engaged in unauthorized redistribution of land, burning landowners' estates; the government was mainly engaged in the struggle with the Soviets for power; the disintegration of the army and many other events;
The rapid growth of influence of the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies : During the February Revolution, the Bolshevik party was not one of the most popular. But over time, this organization becomes the main political player. Their populist slogans about an immediate end to the war and reforms found great support among embittered workers, peasants, soldiers and police. Not the least was the role of Lenin as the creator and leader of the Bolshevik Party, which carried out the October Revolution of 1917.

Rice. 1. Mass strikes in 1917

Stages of the uprising

Before speaking briefly about the 1917 revolution in Russia, it is necessary to answer the question about the suddenness of the uprising itself. The fact is that the actual dual power in the country - the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks - should have ended with some kind of explosion and subsequent victory for one of the parties. Therefore, the Soviets began preparing to seize power back in August, and at that time the government was preparing and taking measures to prevent it. But the events that happened on the night of October 25, 1917 came as a complete surprise to the latter. The consequences of the establishment of Soviet power also became unpredictable.

Back on October 16, 1917, the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party made a fateful decision - to prepare for an armed uprising.

On October 18, the Petrograd garrison refused to submit to the Provisional Government, and already on October 21, representatives of the garrison declared their subordination to the Petrograd Soviet, as the only representative of legitimate power in the country. Starting from October 24, key points in Petrograd - bridges, train stations, telegraphs, banks, power plants and printing houses - were captured by the Military Revolutionary Committee. On the morning of October 25, the Provisional Government held only one object - the Winter Palace. Despite this, at 10 o'clock in the morning of the same day, an appeal was issued, which announced that from now on the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was the only body of state power in Russia.

In the evening at 9 o'clock, a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace and on the night of October 26, members of the Provisional Government were arrested.

Rice. 2. The streets of Petrograd on the eve of the uprising

Results

As you know, history does not like the subjunctive mood. It is impossible to say what would have happened if this or that event had not occurred and vice versa. Everything that happens happens as a result of not one reason, but many, which at one moment intersected at one point and showed the world an event with all its positive and negative aspects: civil war, a huge number of dead, millions who left the country forever, terror, the construction of an industrial power , eliminating illiteracy, free education, medical care, building the world's first socialist state and much more. But, speaking about the main significance of the October Revolution of 1917, one thing should be said - it was a profound revolution in the ideology, economy and structure of the state as a whole, which influenced not only the course of history of Russia, but of the whole world.

Russia between two revolutions. Dual power

After the overthrow of the autocracy during the February Revolution, dual power was established in the country. Official power belonged to Provisional Government(Prince G. Lvov, P. Milyukov, A. Guchkov, A. Konovalov, M. Tereshchenko, A. Kerensky). Under the Provisional Government, a Legal Conference was created to monitor the legality of the measures being taken. The imperial state apparatus underwent partial reorganization, and some ministries were destroyed. During the crises of the Provisional Government, its composition and leadership changed several times. In 1917, the government was headed by A. Kerensky.

Local power was divided between bodies that arose on the initiative of the Provisional Government and the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies created during the first Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. and became active again during the February Revolution of 1917. The most important of them was Petrograd Soviet and its Executive Committee. A few months before the October Revolution of 1917, the number of local Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies increased from 600 to 1429. The majority of them belonged to the Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. In May 1917, the first All-Russian Congress of Peasant Deputies was held, at which the policy of the Provisional Government was approved and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) was elected.

In the first months of the revolution, the tsarist administration was replaced by provincial, city and district commissariats of the Provisional Government. On the initiative of the Provisional Government, elected temporary committees of public organizations (city and zemstvo self-government) were created. Since April, district self-government bodies (dumas and councils) have been established in large cities. In plants and factories, on the initiative of the Soviets, factory committees (factory committees) arose, electing leadership from the workers and dealing with issues of rationing the working day and wages, introducing an 8-hour working day, creating a workers' militia, etc. In Petrograd, at the beginning of the summer of 1917, the Central Council of Factory Committees of Petrograd was elected.

Policy of the Provisional Government

Transformative activities were aimed at satisfying democratic demands, attempting to resolve the national question and some socio-economic transformations.

The first steps were to implement a number of democratic transformations. On March 3, 1917, the Declaration on civil liberties, amnesty for political prisoners, the abolition of national and religious restrictions, freedom of assembly, abolition of censorship, gendarmerie, hard labor, etc. was adopted. Instead of the police, the militia was created. By decree of March 12, 1917, the government abolished the death penalty and also established military revolutionary courts. In the army, military courts were abolished, commissar institutions were created to monitor the activities of officers, and about 150 senior commanders were transferred to the reserve.

IN national issue The Provisional Government was forced to make some concessions to the national outskirts and grant them self-determination. On March 7, 1917, Finnish autonomy was restored, but the Finnish Diet was dissolved. In March-July, a struggle unfolded over the granting of autonomy to Ukraine. On June 10, 1917, the Central Rada (formed on March 4, 1917 in Kyiv from representatives of the Ukrainian Socialist Federalist Party, the Ukrainian Social Democratic Labor Party, and the Ukrainian Socialist Revolutionary Party) proclaimed the autonomy of Ukraine. The Provisional Government was forced to recognize this step and adopt the Declaration of Autonomy of Ukraine (July 2, 1917).

Socio-economic the problems were hardly addressed. A struggle ensued in resolving the land issue. Most parties agreed that the land should go into the hands of the peasants, but the Provisional Government insisted on a ban on the seizure of landowners' lands. In March-April 1917, the Provisional Government established land committees to develop agrarian reform. Acts were issued against unauthorized seizures of landowners' lands, which became widespread throughout the country. However, these steps did not lead to any significant changes. The implementation of agrarian reform, as well as other fundamental socio-economic reforms, was postponed until the election of the Constituent Assembly.

The provisional government tried to decide food issue and lead the country out of the food crisis that arose back in 1915. To overcome the crisis situation, food committees were created in early March 1917, and on March 25, a food card system and a grain monopoly were introduced: all grain was to be sold at fixed prices to the state. However, these measures did not normalize the supply, and the shortage of bread led to the fact that the government was forced to double the price of bread, but this did not help either. Of the 3502.8 million poods of grain collected in 1917, the state received only 280 million poods according to the allocation.

Has not been resolved the task of Russia's exit from the war. A huge increase in expenses due to Russia’s participation in the First World War, a difficult situation in industry, which could not cope with its tasks due to a shortage of raw materials, the collapse of the structure and the dispersal of the administration, an increase in indirect taxes, a depreciation of the ruble due to the release of unsecured paper money led to a severe economic and then political crisis.

Crises of the Provisional Government

First - April crisis(April 18, 1917) - was caused by the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs P. Miliukov about the national desire to bring the world war to victory. This sparked anti-war demonstrations in Petrograd, Moscow, Kharkov, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities. The Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District, General L. Kornilov, ordered troops to be sent against the demonstrators, but officers and soldiers refused to carry out this order. In the current situation, the Bolsheviks began to gain increasing influence, especially in factory committees, trade unions and Soviets. The Social Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, accusing the Bolsheviks of conspiracy, sought to ban anti-war demonstrations organized by the Bolsheviks. The Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, trying to defuse the situation, demanded an explanation from the Provisional Government, which led to the resignation of P. Milyukov and a change in the composition of the government. But despite these steps, it was not possible to stabilize the situation.

The failure of the offensive of the Russian army (June-July 1917) on the fronts caused July crisis. The Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), deciding to take advantage of the situation, proclaimed the slogan “All power to the Soviets!” and began preparations for a mass demonstration to force the Provisional Government to hand over power to the Soviets. On July 3, 1917, demonstrations and rallies began in Petrograd. Armed clashes occurred between demonstrators and supporters of the Provisional Government, during which more than 700 people were killed and injured. The provisional government accused the Bolsheviks of treason. On July 7, an order was given for the arrest of Bolshevik leaders - V. Lenin, L. Trotsky, L. Kamenev and others. Under pressure from the cadets, the death penalty was restored on July 12, 1917. On July 19, instead of General A. Brusilov, General L. Kornilov was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief. On July 24, 1917, there was another reshuffle in the Provisional Coalition Government.

Third crisis was associated with a military uprising and an attempted military coup under the command of L. Kornilov. General L. Kornilov, a supporter of a hard line, developed demands for the Provisional Government (to ban rallies in the army, extend the death penalty to rear units, create concentration camps for disobedient soldiers, declare martial law on the railways, etc.). The demands became known to the Bolsheviks, who began preparing for the removal of Kornilov. The remaining parties (monarchists, cadets and Octobrists) came out in support of him. Under such conditions, the Provisional Government tried to use Kornilov to eliminate the Soviets. Having learned about this, the Bolsheviks began preparing an armed uprising.

However, the general had his own plans. After Kornilov put forward his demands, full power was transferred to him and the Provisional Government was dissolved. A. Kerensky demanded that the general surrender his powers as commander-in-chief. Kornilov refused to obey and accused the Provisional Government of colluding with the German command and tried to send troops to St. Petersburg. After this, the government declared the general a rebel. On September 1, Kornilov was arrested, and Kerensky took over as commander-in-chief. Thus, the Provisional Government managed to avoid such an alternative as the military dictatorship of Kornilov. Instead of the discredited Provisional Government, a Directory was created that proclaimed Russia a republic.

October Revolution 1917

The unresolved nature of the most important problems, the passivity of reform activities, political crises, and ministerial leapfrog led to a decline in the authority of the Provisional Government. An alternative to him were the Bolsheviks, who advocated more radical reforms.

In the face of constantly emerging government crises, the Bolsheviks, who carried out anti-government and anti-war agitation, were in opposition to the new regime. Supporters of the Bolsheviks advocated the transfer of power to the Soviets. V. Lenin demanded that members of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), the Moscow and Petrograd committees of the Bolshevik party immediately begin an armed uprising. This provoked the government - trying to get ahead of the Bolsheviks, Kerensky began to gather troops towards Petrograd. The Executive Committee headed by L. Trotsky and the Presidium of the Petrograd Soviet (13 Bolsheviks, 6 Socialist Revolutionaries and 7 Mensheviks) supported Lenin’s course towards armed uprising.

To lead the uprising, a Politburo was created, which included V. Lenin, L. Trotsky, I. Stalin, A. Bubnov, G. Zinoviev, L. Kamenev (the last two denied the need for an uprising). On October 12, the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) was created to develop a plan for the uprising; it included F. Dzerzhinsky, Y. Sverdlov, I. Stalin, and others. Preparations began with the appointment of Bolshevik commissars in military units and at a number of important facilities. The agitation was intensified and measures were taken to discredit the government. In response to this, the government ordered the destruction of Bolshevik printing houses that printed leaflets and the arrest of members of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee. Confrontation broke out again between supporters of the Bolsheviks and Kerensky. On October 24, an armed uprising began. Drawbridges across the Neva, Nikolaevsky Station, Central Telegraph, State Bank were captured, Pavlovsk, Vladimir infantry and other military schools were blocked. On the night of October 25-26, 1917, the Provisional Government was presented with an ultimatum; after its rejection, the storming of the Winter Palace began, the signal for which was the volleys of guns from the cruiser Aurora. The provisional government was overthrown.

At the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the Mensheviks and Right Socialist Revolutionaries condemned the actions of the Bolsheviks and proposed to peacefully resolve the situation, but finding no support, they left the congress. The Bolsheviks and Left Socialist-Revolutionaries who remained at the congress accepted decrees. The Congress adopted the Decree on Power, an appeal written by V. Lenin “To Workers, Soldiers and Peasants,” which announced the transfer of power to the Second Congress of Soviets, and locally to the Councils of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies. On October 26, the congress adopted the Decree on Peace without annexations and indemnities. The Decree on Land adopted at the congress proclaimed the abolition of private ownership of land, the confiscation of landowners' lands, and its redistribution among peasants with the help of local peasant committees and county councils of peasant deputies.

At the congress, a temporary government body was created - Council of People's Commissars(SNK), which was supposed to act until the convening of the Constituent Assembly. The composition of the Council of People's Commissars was completely Bolshevik, since the Left Socialist Revolutionaries refused to participate in it, believing that the government should be multi-party and coalition. As a result, the Council of People's Commissars included: Chairman ~ V. Lenin (Ulyanov), People's Commissars: A. Lunacharsky, I. Teodorovich, N. Avilov (Glebov), I. Stalin (Dzhugashvili), V. Antonov (Ovseenko), etc. The Congress elected the new composition of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, which included Bolsheviks, Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, and Mensheviks. L. Kamenev was elected Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and on November 8, 1917, after his resignation, Ya. Sverdlov became the chairman.

Results and significance

The October Revolution was a natural stage, prepared by many prerequisites. The first alternative, the military dictatorship of Kornilov, was destroyed by the Provisional Government, which did not want to allow the restoration of the monarchy or the rule of one leader. The second alternative, represented by slow democratic development within the framework of the policy of the Provisional Government, was impossible due to its failure to fulfill the most important demands and tasks (exit from the war, resolution of their economic and political crisis, solution of land and food issues). The victory of the Bolsheviks was facilitated by such factors as skillfully organized propaganda, their policy of discrediting the Provisional Government, the radicalization of the masses, the growing authority of the Bolsheviks, which allowed them to use the most favorable situation to seize power. The bulk of the population supported the new government, since the first steps were the announcement of the immediate transfer of land for the use of peasants, the cessation of the war and the convening of the Constituent Assembly.

Oct. Revolution 2 version (Wikipedia)

October Revolution(full official name in USSR - Great October Socialist Revolution, other names: October Revolution, Bolshevik coup, third Russian revolution) - one of the largest political events of the 20th century, which influenced its further course, occurred in Russia in October 1917. As a result of the October Revolution, it was overthrown Provisional Government, and a government formed II All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the absolute majority of whose delegates were Bolsheviks ( Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Bolsheviks)) and their allies left socialist revolutionaries, also supported by some national organizations, a small part Mensheviks-internationalists, and some anarchists. In November 1917, the new government was also supported by the majority of the Extraordinary Congress of Peasant Deputies.

The provisional government was overthrown during an armed uprising on October 25-26 ( 7 - November 8 according to the new style), the main organizers of which were V. I. Lenin, L. D. Trotsky, Y. M. Sverdlov and others. Direct leadership of the uprising was carried out by Military Revolutionary Committee Petrograd Soviet, which also included left socialist revolutionaries.