October Revolution in Russia - a genuine popular revolution or a coupdetat?

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October Revolution in Russia - a genuine popular revolution or a coupdetat?

A. View it as a mass movement

Russia in 1910's - revolutionary situation

        Grievances of the people - real

        An overwhelming percentage of population participated.  Various classes had their discontent and were ready to express it in this mass movement.

        a. peasants' discontent

        b. workers' discontent

        c. educated classes' discontent

        d. nobility's discontent

        e. army's discontent

        Revolutionary groups were active and emerged as powerful, with the mass behind them.

The Bolsheviks provided leadership for the revolution.  They had plans and party programmes - power to the people (simplified the idea of socialism) and their famous slogan: bread, land, peace - voiced the need of the people, really appealed to them and won the acquiescence of the populace and the armies.

        From February to October, there was boiling over of mass discontent.

February - mass demonstration and raging through the streets; the government could not control the country. There was lawlessness, confusion, and violence. The mass was joining their revolution in cities and in countryside, in the factories and in the armies.

October - It was against such background that the Bolsheviks seized power in October almost without much effort needed and it was almost a bloodless success.         

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        The fact that there was no fierce opposition from the people - they were either silent, indifferent, or passively accepted the revolution - showed that at least they did not welcome any restoration of the old order of pre-1917 period.

        Therefore, when viewed from the revolutionary mood and the activity of the mass from February to October, there was indeed the continuation of a great Revolution connoting the total upheaval inevitably involving mass participation.

B.  October Revolution as a coupdetat

1. What actually happened in October was by nature a coup carried out by a small group ...

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