How important was Lenin to the success of the October 1917 Revolution?

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) How important was Lenin to the success of the October 1917 Revolution?

The revolution in October of 1917 was the result of many factors, both long and short term. However, the role of Lenin was crucial. Many would say that without his leadership of the revolutionaries and actions in 1917, there never would have been a revolution, but just how true is this? How important was Lenin?

In 1887, when Lenin was only seventeen years old, his elder brother was hanged for plotting to assassinate Tsar Alexander III. Throughout the rest of his life, especially whilst studying at Kazan' University, Lenin was seen as the brother of a terrorist and was watched very closely by the police until he was quickly expelled for being a troublemaker and taking part in demonstrations against the university rules. Lenin hated those who had cut short his promising career and had rejected his whole family, the tsarist establishment and the 'bourgeoisie' (a Marxist term referring to the capitalists who owned the 'means of production' i.e. quarries, mines, factories). It was this underlying hatred of those who led Russia which drove Lenin to become a major figure in the revolution and so to be important to its success.

With the permission of the provisional Government and aided by the Germans who believed he would end Russia's war with them, Lenin returned from exile for his art in revolutionary activities to Russia in April 1917. When he returned, he issued a document called the April Theses. In this he announced his targets for Russia - to end the war; for all power to go to the Soviets (groups of workers in the major cities); all property and land to belong to the people and a world revolution - which he simplified into the slogan "peace, bread, and land." It was this powerful, dominant approach and strong-willed personality that was to make Lenin a good leader of the Bolsheviks and later the Communist party.

Thinking of Lenin as a leader seems to be the best way of describing his role in the October revolution. Although it was Trotsky who mainly carried out the actions against the Provisional Government, it was Lenin who instigated these actions and who was shown to the people of Russia to be their alternative leader.

Although it is not present in the slogan 'peace, bread land', one of Lenin's targets for Russia was for all power to go to the Soviets. This may have seemed rather strange at the time, as the Soviets did not necessarily support the Bolsheviks. However, it allowed Lenin the opportunity to get the Soviets 'on his side' because they wanted the power he said he would provide for them. I think Lenin knew that saying the power should go to the Soviets would encourage them to support him and the Bolshevik party in the revolution. This intelligence - he was later described as an 'organisational genius' by the Bolshevik Party's Central Committee - helped to make Lenin a strong leader and therefore very important to the success of the Bolshevik party in the October 1917 revolution.

It was Lenin's speeches, for example the April Theses, which helped him to win the support of the people. He spoke in simple language and proposed simple solutions to the problems of the people, which really reached them because he promised the things they really wanted most. He always spoke directly to the people and enabling them to feel a connection with him; he was a sort of father figure and their 'saviour' from the disappointments of the Provisional Government. Even non-Bolsheviks were drawn in by his charismatic way of talking to the people; one non-Bolshevik, present when he announced the April Theses, described him as "thunderlike...startling and amazing"

Lenin was also an idealist and was prepared to risk his life and reputation in order to turn his dreams into realities. It was his belief in what he was fighting for that made Lenin a very persuasive debater. He was able to first win the support of the Bolshevik party, many of whom were wary of his ideas at the beginning of the revolution, and then later of the majority of Russians. Without this support, Lenin would not have been able to carry out his ideas for Russia and the revolution may not have happened the way that it did.

Another major factor in the October revolution was the general feeling of discontent within the working people of Russia. This had already come to light in the previous revolutions of 1905 and, perhaps more significantly, February 1917. Lenin was not involved in these revolutions - he was even caught by surprise by the February revolution - and so it could be argued that, as they had done it before, the people of Russia would have risen up and overthrown the Provisional Government on their own. However, Lenin is connected with the discontent among the people as his presence seemed to encourage and intensify their feelings of discontentment and also because without these underlying tensions, there would have been no desire for a revolution and so Lenin would have had no role to play.
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There were also other factors that caused the October revolution which were not directly related to Lenin. These include the failures of the Provisional Government and Russia's involvement in World War One. The Provisional Government took control of the country after the February revolution earlier in 1917. They were very popular to begin with as they promised change in the country, one of their most significant promises being free elections. However, it soon became apparent that the changes just weren't happening and the promised elections were continually postponed until eventually they were scheduled for November.

Russia's ...

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