Why were the Bolsheviks successful in 1917?

Answer 1

The leader of the Bolsheviks, Vladimir Lenin a revolutionary socialist, demanded that all governing power be turned over to the soviets.Also because the Bolsheviks slogan of "peace, bread, and land" appealed to the War-weary and hungry russain people.

Answer 2

Answer 1

The Bolshevik party seized power easily in 1917 for a few reasons. Russia was very divided to begin with. The most radical social group was the Marxist Social Democratic Party which was formed in 1898, and divided in 1903 between the Mensheviks ( wanting a mass electoral social party like western countries) and the Bolshevik's (who wanted a violent revolution to over throw capitalism). This party grew stronger by the years because of the Tyranny government of Russia ruled by tsar Nicholas II and tsarina,Alexandra. Nicholas the II was away at war, letting Alexandra rule. They both disregarded the social conditions which became more desperate every day. The economic crisis made the people more unsettled due to hunger and etc. To stop the revolution's Nicholas sent in troops who ended up joining the demonstrators. After this the legislature, the Duma took over and made a a weak provisional government in early 1917. The Bolsheviks became a majority in the next few months. In November, Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik party easily took over. The take over was a result of years of unrest in the social, economic, and political (both foreign and domestic) arenas. Similar unrest in Germany in the early 1930s created a similar situation which led to the Nazi take over of Germany.

Answer 3

This is what I have gathered. The Bolsheviks were majorily the proletariat(poor people). They were tired of the Great War. They wanted out. They were tired of insufficient food. They were unhappy with the nobility owning the majority of the land. The Great War was eating up resources that Russia was having difficulty coming up with. Transportation was frequently down or very ify for the civilians because of the war effort. The troops needed food, and the men who farmed were many of at war. Food resources were often pushed to straining point. Heating was often just above freezing even for the middle class. You need fuel for heat. Troops need fuel for planes, trains, cars, etc. Living conditions were still poor despite reforms in the 1905 revolution. The military was suffering badly in the last decade or so. This was in the Russo-Japanese War which killed 400,000 Russian troops. Czar Nicholas was loosing support. The people were growing more and more restless. No heat, little food, upset military means ideal conditions for revolution. The Czar and a bit lower down were still being somewhat brutal which was a bad tactic. The military was transitioning to the proletariat's side. The majority party for the people were the Bolsheviks. The people's cry was "Peace! Land! Bread!". The Bolsheviks were the majority. They wanted a socialist state. The mensheviks were moderates who wanted a constitutional monarchy with a figurehead king. The Bolsheviks didn't fully win until 1920 after a civil war. The Bolsheviks were known as the REDS and the Mensheviks were known as the WHITES. The whites were more for the czar but for much reform by something like stripping him of much power but keeping him as figurehead. It reached near breaking point in early 1917. International Women's day gave the women an excuse to protest for food. Soon the men joined. Protest soon turned worse. Shots were fired. Bread riots started. The military decided to be on their own people's side. The situation deteriorated that czar Nicholas abdicated. His brother Mikhail refused. The Duma (equiv. of parliment) took that as abdication. For a few short months the Duma put up a government. Republican. They would continue the war. The people and Bolsheviks had enough. They planned a suprise. They took over in one night, seizing power stations, mail, communications, train depots, etc. The opposing side, the Mensheviks, were somewhat scattered and were not fully unified. They didn't agree on anything except that they didn't want the Bolsheviks taking control. The Bolsheviks had single goal that everyone was on. Peace! Bread! Land! It also helped that the Bolsheviks were backed by American bankers for all their weapons. I've heard that without that that the WHITES would have one. The Bolsheviks had a majority, they had a common goal, they had the supplies.

Answer 4

The Bolsheviks had a program that differed from the one (s) proffered by the Provisional government that had forced Tsar Nicholas to resign. The Bolshevik Party had objectives that many people belived would solve the problems of Russia. They offered the people a new republic based on solving the problems of the city workers and to help the poor peasant sector of Russia's economy. Their plan was to overhaul the old system and the proposals of the Provisional Kerensky government. It was a radical plan. The Bolsheviks promised to totally revamp- the current system and replace it with people who truly were "for the people". With that said, Lenin's public intentions were to abolish the bourgeoisie serving police, army and the bureaucracy, and replace them with revolutionary people. On the economic front, he demanded the replacement of the existing managerial groups with a centralized system by which the industrial workers would control. This would also entail, a sharp reduction of pay inequalities. This would be followed with the eventual introduction of full equality of the workers. Lenin had great intentions for everyone including the peasants. It should be noted here that Russia was not an industrial nation, it was an agricultural one.

The Bolsheviks would introduce cooperative farming on the large landed estates. The disposal of the rest of the land would be left to the peasantry. Many people in Russia found this program to be unrealistic. But Lenin had a solution to that as well. He put forth the idea that advanced European nations would have their own "revolutions" and thus be able to use their skills and resources to aid Russia,

These promises were false ones and much suffering lay ahead.

Answer 5

After the Provisional government deposed Tsar Nicholas ll, in March of 1917 problems remained in Russia. The head of the new government, Kerensky, had built a government where the goal was a democratic one. Most people were glad the Tsar was out of power and the idea of a democratic government appealed to most of the population. The war remained a problem and the disorganization of Russia could not be fixed overnight. Over the Summer of 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks remained hopeful that some type of socialist regime could help solve the Russian problems.

Lenin believed he could take advantage of the problems Russia faced which still was a concern for many people. He believed that despite the downfall of the Tsar, there was enough radicalism in the air that placed the Provisional government at risk. The fact that everyone understood that the "provisional" government meant it was not a final solution. Also, the new government realized it could not make "promises" that were unrealistic.

While the public waited for new programs and progress, it, as a whole remained inactive.

Lenin's closest allies in the Bolshevik Party were sharply opposed to a new revolution that would face the same problems the Provisional government faced. Lenin's ideas, however, held sway and he continued to plot for the overthrow of the new government.

At this point it can be seen that the Tsar, was not the real problem as Lenin saw it. All the protestations against the monarchy set forth the idea that with Nicholas II out of power, Russia was on the way to recovery.

Lenin organized the Bolsheviks for a military takeover of the new government. Armed groups of Party members began to seize control of key communications centers, arsenals, and strategic points within the city. With little or no resistance the Bolsheviks simple took over government offices and declared a new Bolshevik Party revolution was now in power. There was hardly any lost lives.

The question then remains, how was this possible? What did the Bolsheviks offer to the Russian people? Lenin's ideas were so radical, it seemed to many that only this sort of radicalism could cure Russia.

The Provisionals wanted to make a marked change from the repressive policies of the Tsar who they just had replaced.

Lenin boldly made his plan of action to the radical movements and to the public in general. Here we come upon what every revolutionary must do: make promises to all parts of the population, promises to better their lives.

As an aside, this is a good time to go back a number of years within Russia's underground political parties. Ideas built around some form of socialism had been in existence certainly before and after the 1905 revolts. The radical intellectuals were well aware of the failed Communes of the past, such as the one in Paris. The various socialists movements in Russia were not united at all. Their only point of agreement was that the monarchy had to be overthrown.

Lenin's plans were to abolish the army, police and the bureaucracy which were servants of the bourgeoisie and replace them with revolutionary minded people who could serve the people. He advocated the removal of the bourgeoisie industrial management group with a workers group centered on providing Russia with its real needs. The workers' groups would end income differentials and eventually have a classless managerial system controlled by workers. For the peasants, he offered that all the large landed estates be turned into peasant run cooperatives. Leftover land would be distributed among the peasant class for their own use.

Party members, other revolutionaries and common people would have doubts about such an utopian set of ideas. There was nor materials or technologies to support this "new system". But Lenin had that problem covered as well. For as soon as the workers in the advanced industrial powers of Europe, would formulate their own workers' revolutions, they would help the new Russia with funds, machinery and technology.

Lenin had to make radical proposals to gain power and he did. Few of the promises came to pass or solved Russia's immediate problems. There would be more suffering. The Provisional government was Russia's best chance. It now was gone.

Answer 6

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