It took three days for the Bolsheviks, specifically Trotsky’s Red Guard, to take control of Petrograd from 25-27 October, on the third day the power of the country had practically fell into their hands. The revolution was a pivotal event for world history with effects that reverberated through the 20th century. The nature of the revolution was not a spontaneous people’s uprising but a military seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, a minority political party. They had taken power in the name of the Petrograd Soviet and formed the supreme governing body of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets. Those who formed the …show more content…
Trotsky was chairman of the Petrograd Soviet and on 9th October set up the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) to defend Petrograd, this proved to be a critical factor. Trotsky understood that the Bolsheviks could control Petrograd through the MRC, he got himself appointed as one of the Troika to run the MRC, which oversaw the Red Guard and was the only effective military force in Petrograd . Leon Trotsky’s plan of the coup was extremely effective, the Red Guard, sailors from the Kronstadt naval base and troops loyal to the soviet seized key vantage points of bridges and telegraph offices and moved on government positions around Petrograd. At 9: 45 a blank shell was fired from the Cruiser Aurora, which pointed at Winter Palace, a signal for the attack to commence. The Bolshevik forces entered the palace, with very little resistance, and four hours later Provisional Government Ministers were arrested. Trotsky's plan was impeccable and his skill and leadership led to the seizure of power being a