Trotsky's involvement in The October

Soviets". Lenin wanted to make revolution. And felt this was the perfect time. Trotsky wanted it to take place with the meeting of the All Russian Soviet. The conspiracy was planned and prepared carefully which made Lenin's plan for a spontaneous coup by the Party appear to be irresponsible and less attractive. Trotsky knew how to maneuver around the Provisional Government, alignment of power in the triangle of Soviets, and Bolshevik Party. On October 26 the Soviets established a Military Revolutionary Committee with Leon Trotsky as chairman. The Soviets assumed the right to decide on troop movement in St. Petersburg area without anyone being able to challenge their illegal actions. All threads of the conspiracy were now in Trotsky's hand. Trotsky became the chief of the general staff of the Bolshevik insurrection. Trotsky took concrete action whislt there was still debates within the Central Committee of the Bolshevik. Lenin tried to persuade Kamenev and Zenoviev who wanted to wait until the meeting of the Constituent Assembly took place. Ominously, on October 20 Trotsky and the Bolsheviks left Kerensky's Preliminary Parliament. The new Bolshevik slogans were "Petrograd is in danger", "Revolution is in danger", "People are in danger"!On October 21 Lenin returned secretly disguised he participated in the Central Committee meeting of October 23. Only 12 people were present. Ten of them voted for immediate revolution, thus completely isolating Kamenev and Zenoviev. A new Politburo is elected, including Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Sokolnikov, Bubnov, Kamenev and Zenoviev resign a few days later.The Mensheviks delayed the All Russian Soviet Congress meeting on November 2 to November 7. which enormously helped the Bolsheviks. They had another week to prepare the revolution. The revolution took place on the evening of November 6. Support for Trotsky was shown on November 3, when St. Petersburg regiments voted to take orders only from Trotsky as the representative of the Military Revolutionary Committee, and On November 5 the Military Revolutionary Committee appointed commissars for all military units around St. Petersburg.The government delivered a counter-stroke on November 6 by occupying the newspaper offices of the Bolsheviks, but this merely gave Trotsky a pretext to strike the first blow. Bolsheviks troops occupied all bridges, railroad stations, post offices and other public buildings. The Winter Palace, seat of the Provisional Government, was taken. The insurgents fought against a battalion of women and a few others. This was all the government could get to defend itself. During the night of November 7-8 the government capitulated.Late in the evening of November 6 the Soviet Congress met as planned. Though the Bolsheviks did not have a absolute majority, they could rely on the support of the left wing Social Revolutionaries. That night the right wing Social Revolutionaries and the Mensheviks declared a protest against the insurrection and they left the hall. In so doing they surrendered the field to the Bolsheviks.Trotsky reject all cooperation with the moderate Socialists; "Your role is played out," he shouted. "Go where you belong from now on--into the rubbish-can of history." At this point the left wing Mensheviks under Martov had to leave the Congress. The Bolsheviks now had an absolute majority and could authorize what had happened. The rising in St. Petersburg had succeeded. The Bolsheviks were in power.