2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953 – Dissent and Revolution, 1917 — AQA A-Level History
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2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953 – Dissent and Revolution, 1917 explained
Before February 1917, Tsar Nicholas II's autocratic political authority was severely undermined by his decision to take personal command of the army in 1915, leaving the government in the hands of Tsarina Alexandra and Rasputin.
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The First World War effort exposed Russia's logistical failures, with severe munitions shortages and high casualties demoralising the military. Economically, the war triggered massive inflation and disrupted transport networks, preventing grain from reaching urban centres. This created a dire social state in cities like Petrograd, where bread rationing and freezing conditions exacerbated widespread discontent among workers, peasants, and even the previously loyal elite, setting the stage for revolution.
The February/March revolution of 1917: causes and course of revolution; issues of leadership and the Tsar's abdication; the establishment of Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet; the workings of the Dual authority
The February 1917 revolution was sparked by bread shortages and International Women's Day protests, rapidly escalating as the Petrograd garrison mutinied. The course of the revolution was largely spontaneous, highlighting severe issues of leadership as revolutionary parties were caught off guard. Lacking military support, Tsar Nicholas II was forced into abdication on 2 March. Power fell to a precarious Dual Authority: the Provisional Government, formed from the Duma to manage state affairs, and the Petrograd Soviet, representing workers and soldiers. The workings of this Dual Authority were inherently unstable, as the Soviet controlled the military through Order Number 1, severely limiting the Provisional Government's actual power.
Developments between the revolutions including: the return of Lenin; Lenin's ideology and the April Theses; the July Days; the Kornilov coup and the roles of both the Provisional Government and Trotsky; Lenin and the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party
Between February and October 1917, Russia experienced intense political volatility. Lenin’s return in April transformed Bolshevik strategy; his April Theses demanded 'All Power to the Soviets'. The July Days saw premature uprisings that weakened the Bolsheviks and forced Lenin into hiding. However, the Kornilov coup in August revived their fortunes. When Kornilov marched on Petrograd, the Provisional Government armed the Bolshevik Red Guards, exposing its own weakness. Although Trotsky was imprisoned during the coup, he was released in its aftermath and soon became Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet. Lenin then relentlessly pressured a hesitant Bolshevik Central Committee to commit to an immediate armed insurrection, setting the stage for October.
The October/November 1917 revolution: causes, course and extent of revolution; leadership and the establishment of Bolshevik authority; Sovnarkom and decrees and actions to December
The October 1917 Revolution was driven by the Provisional Government's failures, ongoing war, and Bolshevik radicalisation. The course of the revolution was masterminded by Trotsky through the Military Revolutionary Committee, culminating in the relatively bloodless seizure of Petrograd's key infrastructure and the Winter Palace. The extent of the initial revolution was limited primarily to Petrograd and Moscow, requiring the Bolsheviks to rapidly establish authority across a vast, fractured empire. Leadership transitioned to the newly formed Sovnarkom, exclusively Bolshevik and chaired by Lenin. To consolidate power by December, Sovnarkom issued populist decrees, including the Decree on Land, legitimising peasant land seizures, and the Decree on Peace. They also established the Cheka to suppress opposition, demonstrating an immediate shift towards authoritarian control.
Your focus
- Analyse the structural weaknesses of the Tsar's political authority on the eve of the revolution.
- Evaluate the impact of the First World War on Russia's economic and social stability.
- Explain the diverse sources of discontent among the Russian population by early 1917.
Show all 12 objectives
- Describe the chronological course and immediate causes of the February 1917 revolution.
- Analyse the factors compelling the Tsar's abdication and the leadership vacuum it created.
- Evaluate the establishment and practical workings of the Dual Authority system.
- Explain the ideological shift introduced by Lenin's April Theses and its impact on Bolshevik strategy.
- Analyse the causes and consequences of the July Days and the Kornilov coup on the balance of power in Petrograd.
- Evaluate the roles of Lenin, Trotsky, and the Provisional Government in the lead-up to the October Revolution.
- Describe the tactical course of the October Revolution and the specific role of the Military Revolutionary Committee.
- Evaluate the extent to which the Bolsheviks had established nationwide authority by December 1917.
- Analyse the purpose and impact of Sovnarkom's initial decrees on land, peace, and workers' control.
2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953 – Dissent and Revolution, 1917 exam tips
Marking Points
- Assess the impact of Nicholas II's departure to Stavka in 1915 on the credibility and stability of the autocracy.
- Evaluate the logistical and military failures of the Russian war effort, including the aftermath of the 1916 Brusilov Offensive.
- Analyse the economic collapse, specifically hyperinflation and the breakdown of the railway system leading to urban starvation.
- Explain the social discontent across different classes, from striking workers in Petrograd to disillusioned nobles and land-hungry peasants.
- Trace the course of the revolution from the initial bread riots and women's protests to the crucial mutiny of the Petrograd garrison.
- Analyse the spontaneous nature of the uprising and the absence of clear leadership from established revolutionary parties.
- Explain the political and military pressures that led directly to the Tsar's abdication on 2 March 1917.
- Evaluate the structural weaknesses of the Dual Authority, contrasting the formal power of the Provisional Government with the practical power of the Petrograd Soviet.
- Explain how Lenin's April Theses shifted Bolshevik policy away from supporting the Provisional Government towards demanding immediate socialist revolution.
- Analyse the impact of the July Days on Bolshevik popularity and leadership, noting the temporary setback and Lenin's flight to Finland.
- Evaluate the consequences of the Kornilov coup, specifically how it discredited Kerensky, armed the Bolsheviks, and demonstrated the Provisional Government's reliance on radical left-wing forces.
- Assess Trotsky's role following the Kornilov affair, noting his imprisonment during the coup but his subsequent release and election as Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet to consolidate Bolshevik power.
- Examine Lenin's struggle to persuade the Bolshevik Central Committee, overcoming opposition from Zinoviev and Kamenev, to endorse an armed seizure of power.
- Identify the underlying and immediate causes of the October Revolution, including the continuation of the First World War, economic collapse, and the strategic failures of Kerensky.
- Describe the course of the uprising, highlighting Trotsky's tactical use of the Military Revolutionary Committee to seize control of Petrograd's infrastructure.
- Evaluate the extent of the revolution, noting that while Petrograd fell quickly, establishing Bolshevik authority in Moscow and the provinces involved prolonged conflict.
- Analyse the creation and composition of Sovnarkom as the new executive body, emphasising Lenin's refusal to share power with other socialist parties.
- Assess the significance of the early decrees on Peace, Land, and Workers' Control in securing popular support and neutralising immediate threats to Bolshevik survival.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Link the Tsar's political decisions directly to the worsening economic and social conditions to build a cohesive analytical argument.
- 💡Use specific evidence, such as the inflation rate or the number of striking workers in Petrograd, to substantiate claims about the scale of discontent.
- 💡Evaluate the relative importance of long-term social issues versus the short-term catalyst of the First World War when discussing the causes of the revolution.
- 💡Emphasise the significance of the military mutiny; without the soldiers joining the crowds, the protests might have been suppressed by force.
- 💡Use Soviet Order Number 1 as a concrete example to demonstrate how the Petrograd Soviet held the real military power in the Dual Authority.
- 💡Discuss the 'issues of leadership' by noting the absence of key revolutionary figures like Lenin and Trotsky during the February events.
- 💡When evaluating the Provisional Government's fall, contrast their handling of the Kornilov coup with the Bolsheviks' effective mobilisation of the Red Guards.
- 💡Use the slogans 'Peace, Bread, Land' and 'All Power to the Soviets' to demonstrate how Lenin's ideology directly addressed the immediate grievances of the Russian populace.
- 💡Highlight the shifting dynamics of power by tracing the Bolsheviks' fluctuating fortunes from the low of the July Days to the high of the post-Kornilov period.
- 💡Contrast Trotsky's practical organisation of the Military Revolutionary Committee with Lenin's ideological drive when discussing the leadership of the October Revolution.
- 💡Use the early Sovnarkom decrees as evidence of Lenin's pragmatism, showing how he temporarily compromised Marxist ideology to consolidate political survival.
- 💡When discussing the establishment of authority, mention the creation of the Cheka in December 1917 as a crucial step in transitioning from revolution to dictatorship.
Common Mistakes
- Claiming the First World War was the sole cause of discontent; correction: acknowledge pre-existing structural economic and social grievances from before 1914 that the war merely exacerbated.
- Stating that the Russian army was entirely defeated by 1917; correction: note that while morale was low and logistics failed, the army was still intact and had seen some successes like the 1916 Brusilov Offensive.
- Assuming the peasantry were unaffected by the urban crisis; correction: explain that peasants hoarded grain due to inflation and a lack of consumer goods, which worsened the national economic state.
- Confusing the February and October revolutions; correction: ensure the February revolution is described as a largely spontaneous, mass uprising rather than a planned Bolshevik coup.
- Stating the Provisional Government was elected by the people; correction: clarify that it was a self-appointed body formed from the remnants of the Fourth Duma, lacking true democratic legitimacy.
- Claiming the Petrograd Soviet wanted to govern immediately; correction: explain that the Soviet initially supported the Provisional Government due to orthodox Marxist beliefs about the necessity of a bourgeois democratic phase.
- Assuming the Bolsheviks orchestrated the July Days from the start; in reality, it was a spontaneous uprising that the Bolshevik leadership reluctantly joined and failed to control.
- Claiming Trotsky organised the Red Guards during the Kornilov coup; correct by noting he was imprisoned at the time, though he played a pivotal role in the coup's aftermath by leading the Petrograd Soviet.
- Believing the Bolshevik Central Committee was united behind Lenin's call for revolution; figures like Zinoviev and Kamenev strongly opposed the timing of the uprising and even published their objections.
- Describing the October Revolution as a massive popular uprising; it was actually a highly organised, relatively small-scale coup d'état executed by dedicated Bolshevik forces.
- Assuming the Bolsheviks immediately controlled all of Russia after taking the Winter Palace; their authority was initially confined to Petrograd and faced fierce resistance elsewhere.
- Confusing the Decree on Land with Marxist collectivisation; the decree actually endorsed the Socialist Revolutionary policy of private peasant land seizures to win rural acquiescence.