Mistakes of the Provisional Government
Unfortunately, however, the Provisional government formed after the downfall of Nicholas II was not a good government as far as its problem solving capacity is concerned. First, the Provisional Government was composed of middle class people who represented the interests of the properties class in Russia, This group was much better off than the common people. Economic hardships were a distant thing to them. /Instead, the most important concern of these people were political reforms. Therefore , they were eager to introduce constitutional reform to Russia had diverted most of their resources to prepare for the coming election...
The Provisional Government had reservation about radical economic reform, As mentioned above, the mainsupporter of the Provisioinal government was the propertied class. The propertied clas feared that radical economic reforms or socialistic reforms would affect their property ownership, especially the land owned in rural areas. Therefore, they hoped to maintain the status quo in economic affairs. Therefore the provisional government only made a vague promise to the public that economic reforms would be introduced after the end of WWI.
On the other hand the main reason behind the majority of the Russian population’s discontent against the Romanov Dynasty was the economic difficulties. Unlike the middle class, most of the common people were illiterate and knew very little about politics and the necessity for constitutional reforms. What they wanted was were better livelihood. For the urban workers, this meant better money and better working conditions. For the peasants , this meant re= distribution of land ownership, They would support any government or political group that could guarantee their livelihood and would turn against any group that failed to do so.
When they realized that economic reforms would not come before the end of the WWI, they turned against the newly established provisional government,
As the same time, it was clear that WW! Had brought disaster not only to the Russian troops but also to the whole Russian population. By 1917, the Russian military force was exhausted by the brutal war and was at the fringe of disintegration in the face of a severe German attack. Soldiers and many junior officers were reluctant to fight anymore and the morale of the Army fell drastically. The military forces were angry with the leaders who gave the order for them to fight against the Germans, and would consequently, not support them anymore.
Not only were the soldiers angry about the war, but so were the common people. Due to the heavy causalities of the Army, many Russians had children or relatives who had died in the war. On top of that, the war also brought economic hardships to the people. By 1917, the Russians lacked ad equated daily necessities to protect themselves from the cold winter .In addition, with the loss of the Ukraine to the Germans, the food supply in Russia dropped sharply. Withdrawal from the war became a common wish among the people.
However, the provisional government had other consideration. First, it needed material support from Britain and France to run the country. Britain and France agreed to provide assistance to the Russian return. As a result, despite the upsurge of severe popular discontent, the provisional government determined to continue the war which ended up resulting in further defeat and greater hardships not only to the soldiers, but also the common people.
Strength of the Bolsheviks
The Provisional government was far from popular because of its refusal to end the war with Germany and because of the procrastinations of the urgently needed economic reforms. However, it was necessary for the existence of an alternative to the provisional government for the common people to place their hope in before they could turn against the provisional government. The Bolsheviks were a group that could be that alternative.
The Bolsheviks were headed by Lenin and Trotsky and believed in launching a socialist revolution in Russia Every step towards revolution planned out and was clearly written in :Lenin’s work That is to be done? The Bolsheviks had capable leadership by which the whole movement was clearly planned, directed and conducted. Lenin was their spiritual leader while Trotsky focused on military affairs. Kriov and Bukharin were also key leaders/ In addition, the Bolsheviks had been rigid hierarchical control over the party and most of its member were elite It had efficient communication and control as well as strict party loyalty. They were a strong revolutionary group that was capable of taking a leading ole in revolution,
Most important of all, the Bolsheviks were good as grasping the needs of the people. For example, the Russian soldiers wanted to end the war with Germany. The workers demanded for abe4teer livelihood and protection from exploitation while the peasants were eager to obtain their own land. As a result, the slogan of the Bolsheviks were peace land and bread/ This simple slogan touched the hearts of the common people and won their hope.
By October 1917, the bolshevists believed that the situation in Russia was mature for the outbreak of another revolution. On 17 October 1917, Trotsky led hi re3d guard to assault St. Petersburg. The provisional government lacked military support and was quickly defeated. Thus, the 1917 Octobe4r revolution succeeded and a new Socialist government was established in Russia.
Conclusion
Seven months after the February Revolution, the October Revolution took place. The provisional government was overthrown. The main reason behind the success of the Bolsheviks was its own military strength and its ability to understand the needs of the people and the mistakes committed by the provisional government. Because of these reasons, the Bolsheviks were able to take control.
