Why was the Bolshevik take over in Octo
Why was the Bolshevik take over in October and not earlier?
A Bolshevik takeover in early 1917 would not have been practical; there were many events that would have prevented their takeover to be successful. However, by late 1917, the Bolsheviks success grew, leaving them in a position to takeover successfully.
A revolution earlier on in 1917 would have been near impossible; the Bolsheviks lacked support. The party was in the minority within the Petrograd Soviet, leaving them at a political disadvantage instantly. In addition to this, the Bolsheviks gathered only 25% of the votes during the elections in March. As a result, the Bolsheviks could not even think about attempting to takeover; they lacked political support and influence.
Furthermore, the Bolsheviks had no figure of leadership in Russia – Lenin had been exiled to Switzerland. Consequently, until Lenin’s return in April, the Bolsheviks were left to decide what the best decisions to make for the party were; they began to support the Provisional Government, believing the Marxist’s plan of achieving a Socialist community was being fulfilled. However, when Lenin returned to Russia, April 3rd 1917, he degraded the Provisional Government and the idea of supporting them, insisting that all power goes towards the Soviet. Lenin’s sudden change in Bolshevik ideals unsettled the party and it took time to resolve the drastic change. This move made the Bolsheviks legitimacy questionable due to the abrupt change in Bolshevik ideals.
Nonetheless, with the release of the “April Theses” by Lenin, the Bolsheviks support grew. The “April Theses” pushed what Lenin thought Russia needed most at that time: ‘Peace, Bread and Land.’ This vastly appealed to masses of the lower working class of Russia; they had been exhausting this for years; the mass famine across Russia, the land controversy’s that exploited the peasant populace, which approximately made up 80% of the Russian population, and the continuation of the war, which
A Bolshevik takeover in early 1917 would not have been practical; there were many events that would have prevented their takeover to be successful. However, by late 1917, the Bolsheviks success grew, leaving them in a position to takeover successfully.
A revolution earlier on in 1917 would have been near impossible; the Bolsheviks lacked support. The party was in the minority within the Petrograd Soviet, leaving them at a political disadvantage instantly. In addition to this, the Bolsheviks gathered only 25% of the votes during the elections in March. As a result, the Bolsheviks could not even think about attempting to takeover; they lacked political support and influence.
Furthermore, the Bolsheviks had no figure of leadership in Russia – Lenin had been exiled to Switzerland. Consequently, until Lenin’s return in April, the Bolsheviks were left to decide what the best decisions to make for the party were; they began to support the Provisional Government, believing the Marxist’s plan of achieving a Socialist community was being fulfilled. However, when Lenin returned to Russia, April 3rd 1917, he degraded the Provisional Government and the idea of supporting them, insisting that all power goes towards the Soviet. Lenin’s sudden change in Bolshevik ideals unsettled the party and it took time to resolve the drastic change. This move made the Bolsheviks legitimacy questionable due to the abrupt change in Bolshevik ideals.
Nonetheless, with the release of the “April Theses” by Lenin, the Bolsheviks support grew. The “April Theses” pushed what Lenin thought Russia needed most at that time: ‘Peace, Bread and Land.’ This vastly appealed to masses of the lower working class of Russia; they had been exhausting this for years; the mass famine across Russia, the land controversy’s that exploited the peasant populace, which approximately made up 80% of the Russian population, and the continuation of the war, which