It was the weakness of the provisional government that brought about the october revolution rather than the strength of the Bolsheviks

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It was the weakness of the Provisional Government that brought the October Revolution about rather than the strengths of the Bolsheviks

In October 1917 the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government and began their total takeover of Russia.  The former Soviet Union, which grew from the Bolshevik State promoted the idea that the October Revolution was a movement where Lenin and the Bolshevik Party led the proletariat, with the support of the peasants against the bourgeois Provisional Government, overthrowing it and beginning the dictatorship of the proletariat.  But how important were the Bolsheviks really in the fall of the Provisional Government.  Yes, it was the Bolsheviks that executed the final act of arresting the ministers and members of the Provisional Government.  In spite of this, one must consider if the October Revolution would have taken place even if the Bolsheviks were not in place.

After the February Revolution of 1917 there was an extremely fragile balance of power between the Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government.  Even though, technically the provisional government “ran” the country, the Soviet held most of the power.  Including communications, transportation, power stations and the soldiers and workers of Petrograd and the loyalty of most outside the capital.  Order number 1, published by the Petrograd Soviet, greatly restricted the Provisional Government.  Among other things, it stated that

“The Orders of…the State Duma (Provisional Government) shall be carried out only…(when) they do not contradict the orders and decisions of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies.

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All kinds of arms, such as rifles and machine guns, must be under the control of the company and battalion committees and must in no case be handed over to officers even at their demand.”

It is important to remember that the Provisional Government was not a democratically elected body, but a body elected by a rebellious committee of the fourth Duma.  Although the Duma was an elected body, it was essentially elected only by the upper and middle classes.  They had not been elected the working class and the peasants, and became increasingly associated with the bourgeois and ...

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