This is backed up by source I which shows that the bread rations fell dramatically where in March a manual worker was given 675g of bread a day and by October this had fallen to just 110g per day. The provisional government was in charge so they were blamed as they were refusing to take Russia out of the war.
Source G also shows that the Provisional Government was weak as it describes the widespread desertion. The Russian officer says “for hundreds of miles one can see deserters” who are in “high spirits, certain they will not be punished” as “authority and obedience no longer exists” The officer is likely to be lying as it is an official letter to the Provisional government and not a piece of propaganda.
So far the sources have clearly indicated that it is the failure of the Provisional Government that allowed the Bolsheviks to take control unlike the next two sources which say it was also the weakness of the Provisional Government but this time indirectly.
Source F is a poster by the Provisional Government themselves showing unity but really shows the weakness of the Provisional Government. It is seen by many as an act of desperation to try and rally support for the failing government who were losing support as Russia continued to worsen. The source is very unreliable as it clearly shows the complete opposite of what was really going on in the front lines and is making the Provisional Government look strong and successful.
Source C shows that the Provisional Government had lost the support of most people allowing the Bolsheviks to take control of Petrograd. The Bolsheviks had no resistance against them and very little gun fire was used. When military officials and members of the Provisional Government were found they all gave up without too much trouble.
Source D appears to give a balanced view of the events which says that Lenin “had a greater impact on the course [of the revolution] than anyone else” though “great changes are not brought by individuals”. He also says that there were “other mighty factors at work in Russia in 1917” such as the Provisional Governments inability to solve Russia’s problems.
Source K also appears to give a balanced viewpoint despite the fact it was written by Trotsky who was one of the leaders of the Bolshevik party. Trotsky’s account makes it look like that Lenin was the person who did most the work and worked out how to take over Petrograd. He does however admit that the Bolsheviks only had to mount two small machine guns because of the lack of resistance from the Provisional Government.
