Kerensky, a member of the Provisional Government also made some blunders that helped lead to the Provisional Government’s downfall. It was his decision to launch the Summer Offensive, and that was an irrevocable mistake as the Provisional Government lost a lot of public support, which they never regained. He also underestimated the Bolsheviks’ power, and when he moved against them in October of 1917, he gave the Bolsheviks an excuse for seizing power in Russia. Consequently, Bolshevik popularity was increased and they claimed that they were taking over in the name of the Soviet. Kerensky was also involved in the Kornilov affair, where he gave Kornilov control of the army, and in turn, Kornilov marched on the Provisional Government. To deal with Kornilov, Kerensky called on the Red Guard for help, who answered his call and dissuaded Kerensky’s troops from attacking the Provisional Government. However, this put the spotlight on the Bolsheviks, who were regarded as the saviors of the revolution; incidentally, Kerensky’s reputation was ruined and officers lost the loyalty of their soldiers.
Another major factor in Bolshevik success was the extent of power that the Bolsheviks had at the time of the revolution. The Bolsheviks were in total control of the infrastructure, through the soviets, which meant that they controlled transportation, food, supplies, communication (in the form of telegraphs), and the media (newspapers). Bolshevik popularity was also on a high, which mean that the public was behind the Bolsheviks. The Provisional Government was also soon becoming helpless, and it was bringing about its own downfall through the horrendous decisions it was making causing a loss of public support. These factors helped the Bolsheviks obtain power in October 1917.
The Bolsheviks also had an edge over the Provisional Government in the fact that they had military power in the form of the Red Guard. The Provisional Government neither had its own army nor the support of the Russian army, causing them to be defenseless when the Bolsheviks attacked. Military power allowed the Bolsheviks to take over key targets by force. For example, when the Constituent Assembly was opened, and the votes were in, the Bolsheviks had lost. Lenin just brought in the Red Guard, and closed the Constituent Assembly the very next day. If the Provisional Government had had such physical power available to it, perhaps it would not have suffered, and it could have used some of that power to control key areas and take over key targets.
The Bolsheviks used the Red Guard to scare the Provisional Government. One of Lenin’s important decisions was to send his troops to the banks, bridges and post offices, as a display of force that would scare the Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks also revealed that they were going to seize power, another tactic to scare away the Provisional Government; it was a tactic that worked. When the Bolsheviks turned up at the Winter Palace, they faced very little resistance and were able to take over quite easily.
Lastly, Lenin and Trotsky were great, determined leaders who made crucial decisions. Lenin was a smart and clever individual who made excellent, decisive decisions. As soon as Lenin came back from Finland, he urged Trotsky to start the revolution immediately since they were at an advantage, having power of the Soviet, and also having their popularity on a high. He also urged that the revolution had to be initiated before the Provisional Government made peace with Germany, otherwise the Bolsheviks would lose popularity. Lenin was also very sensitive about public support, because he realized that discontent was a cause in all the revolutions until 1917, including the revolutions of 1905 and the February Revolution in 1917. His decisions helped keep the Bolsheviks at a strong position so that they were able to easily seize power in October of 1917.
Both Lenin and Trotsky were very good orators. Lenin was able to sway the masses to his side with his powerful speeches, which were frequently written by Trotsky. Lenin’s April Theses, the speech he gave as he stepped off the train on his return from Switzerland, was written by Trotsky and because of Lenin’s great speaking skills and Trotsky’s powerful words, the workers, soldiers and peasants were persuaded to follow the Bolsheviks. Such an advantage helped the Bolsheviks reach their high levels of popularity and therefore seize power in Russia.
The Bolshevik ideals were in tune with what the workers, soldiers and peasants wanted. Lenin’s famous slogan of “Peace, Land and Bread” promised to the lower classes of Russia just what they wanted. The Bolsheviks were the only party that opposed the continuation of the war, and that also helped raise their popularity. Right from the start, Lenin made sure that it was clear he was opposed to the Provisional Government and that its destruction was vital to the betterment of Russia. These ideals also contributed to the high levels of Bolshevik popularity, and therefore increased the Bolsheviks’ public support.
By October of 1917, the Bolsheviks had stormed the Winter Palace, and banished the Provisional Government. They had been successful in obtaining power. The Bolsheviks were able to seize this power because of the Provisional Government’s weak and indecisive nature, and their atrocious decision-making. They were also able to take over because of the extent of power that they had at the time of the revolution and because of Lenin and Trotsky’s great leadership skills.
