Why was Lenin important in bringing about the October revolution?

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Why was Lenin important in bringing about the October revolution?

In my essay, I am going to answer the above title by looking at several factors. These include Lenin’s early revolutionary ideas, his influence on the Bolsheviks, and his decision to seize power. Russia used to have a Tsar but people were not satisfied with him. The treatment of the people and Nicholas’ poor decision making were very important in the downfall. The people no longer trusted or respected their Tsar who continued to make bad decisions. The actual takeover of Petrograd was organised by Trotsky, Lenin’s right hand man. On 24th October, units of the Red Guards took control of the city. Key buildings, power stations, railway and tram stations, important bridges were in Bolshevik hands. On the night of the 25th/26th October, the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and arrested the Provisional Government.

Lenin was one of the leading political figures and revolutionary thinkers of the 20th century, who masterminded the Bolshevik take-over of power in Russia. Lenin excelled at school and went on to study law. At university, he was exposed to radical thinking, and his views were also influenced by the execution of his elder brother, a member of a revolutionary group. Lenin was exiled to Siberia for his radical policies. Lenin spent most of his time in Western Europe, where he emerged as the leader of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Worker’s Party. The Bolsheviks were a revolutionary party, committed to the ideas of Karl Marx. They believed that the working classes would, at some point, liberate themselves from the economic and political control of the ruling classes. Once they had achieved this, a genuine socialist society based on equality could be established. In their view, this process was bound to take place, sooner or later.

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When Lenin returned to Russia on 3rd April 1917, he announced his ideas (his April Theses). In the short document, there were then points being made.

1. The war being fought is an imperialist war and a peaceful, democratic ending to the war will only be possible if capital is overthrown. With "particular thoroughness, persistence and patience" this has to be explained to the masses.

2. The unfolding revolution is passing from the first stage where power was put into the hands of the bourgeoisie to the second stage where power must be placed into the hands of the ...

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