The Duma is disliked by the people, but in actuality there was little the Provisional Government could do. The people wanted the Duma to take charge but they were worried that if they did so, they would be executed by the Tsar. They had immense pressure to make radical changes, and fast. Because they had to share power with the Soviet they were seen as weak and the people need someone who will fight for them who could make what they need happen.
The Bolshevik leader, a virtually unknown revolutionary of little importance before the war, came back to Petrograd and promised the people “Peace, Bread and Land”. With these unusually large promises to fulfill, Vladimir Lenin has to act to keep the support of his followers. He returned to Russia after being exiled to Siberia and then moving to London where he produced pamphlets about revolution with other revolutionaries. Lenin is a fantastic public speaker and lines from his speeches are often used as slogans by his party. The Bolshevik party is made up of workers and soldiers and they are the only anti-war party. He was born in 1870 and was deeply affected by the death of his revolutionary brother who had been killed and fought the Tsarist system and took part in numerous demonstrations and had a strong political standpoint.
Alexander Kerensky launched a major attack on the Germans but it took a bad turn and failed resulting in massive demonstrations in Petrograd. Kerensky turned to the Bolsheviks to lead them as they were the anti-war party but they were not yet ready to seize power and Kerensky used this opportunity to bring to light evidence which suggested that Lenin was being paid by the Germans. Lenin fled to Finland which was neutral. In autumn, Kornilov, a general who had been appointed by Kerensky did a military coup and Kerensky panicked and asked the Bolsheviks for help. He armed them which proved to be the tuning point for the revolutionary group. Kornilov’s troops never arrived and the Bolsheviks kept their arms. As a result, the group with the most power just got more powerful.
It now appears that the Bolsheviks were well organized because on the night of 6 November they stormed the Winter Palace. Most of the Cossacks snuck out unnoticed. They were only met with the Women’s Death Battalion, who promptly left. The Bolsheviks had asserted themselves as the true authority, having seen the Duma as a poor attempt to try to lead, they know Russia needs a strong leadership.
We, like many in Petrograd, thought that Kerensky would return with troops loyal to the Provisional Government but we were proved wrong as they knew the Bolsheviks could out-do them.
So now the situation in Russia is that we have the Bolshevik party in control of Petrograd which being that the capital city puts them in a higher place than the Provisional Government as their influence can obviously now go much further across Russia. Things are interesting but very chaotic and uncertain. We do not know whether Kerensky will attempt to regain the Palace but it looks unlikely seeing as he has now done so already. The Bolsheviks are likely to go for total domination of Russia but time will tell if they hold onto their word and make Russia a fairer and better place for everyone.
Signed:
15 November 1917
