Lenin’s leadership was the key factor that led to the Bolsheviks seizing power in 1917, and proved to be very important on many occasions. There were, however, other factors that also played a role in allowing the Bolsheviks to gain power at this time, such as the Provisional Government’s weaknesses, pure opportunity and luck, as well as the influence of other individuals.
The most significant factor in the Bolsheviks seizure of power is perhaps the incredible leadership of Lenin. It was through his leadership that the Bolsheviks took action against the Provisional Government, and ultimately led to them gaining control.
The first example of this would be Lenin’s April thesis, where he rewrote Karl Marx’s ideals, and effectively won support for the Bolsheviks among the Russian people, with the use of his two main slogans, “All Power to the Soviets” and “Peace, Land and Bread”. This not only won support for the Bolshevik party, but also undermined the Provisional Government by pointing out what they could not accomplish. The people of Russia were completely against the war, which had caused massive food shortages and loss of land, making them desperate to believe Lenin’s words.
Another example would be the 10th of October, when Lenin returns and convinces the Bolshevik party to act on the weakened state of the Provisional Government and take power. Lenin’s determined and oppressive personality allowed him to persuade the skeptical party to lead an armed power takeover. Without this push, the Bolsheviks would never have executed the attack, and they would not have gained control over the government. Lenin possessed a certain influencing voice that allowed him to gain support and convince the rest of his party to act. Without Lenin’s leadership, there would have been no Bolshevik Revolution to ensure their