On November 7, 1917 (October 25 according to the Julian calendar), an event occurred, the consequences of which we are still seeing. The Great October Socialist Revolution, as it was commonly called in Soviet historiography, changed Russia beyond recognition, but did not stop there. She shocked the whole world, reshaped political map and on for many years has become the worst nightmare of capitalist countries. Even in remote corners their own communist parties. The ideas of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, with certain changes, are still alive in some countries today. Needless to say, the October Revolution was of enormous importance for our country. It would seem that such a grandiose event in the history of Russia should be known to everyone. But, nevertheless, statistics say the opposite. According to VTsIOM, only 11% of Russians know that the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government. According to the majority of respondents (65%), the Bolsheviks overthrew the Tsar. Why do we know so little about these events?
History, as we know, is written by the winners. The October Revolution became the main propaganda weapon of the Bolsheviks. The events of those days were carefully censored by the Soviet government. In the USSR, disgraced political figures were mercilessly deleted from the list of creators of the October Revolution (Trotsky, Bukharin, Zinoviev, etc.), and the role of Stalin during his reign, on the contrary, was deliberately exaggerated. It got to the point that Soviet historians turned the revolution into a real phantasmagoria. Today we have all the data for a detailed study of this period and everything that preceded it. On the eve of the centennial anniversary of the October Revolution, it's time to refresh your memory or learn something new. To understand how everything really happened, we will restore the chronology of the events of 1917.
How 1917 began
First world war(1914-1918) became main reason the spread of revolutionary sentiment throughout Europe. By the end of the war, 4 empires fell at once: Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian and a little later Ottoman.
In Russia, neither the people nor the army understood the war. And even the government could not clearly communicate its goals to its subjects. The initial patriotic impulse quickly faded away amid the spread of anti-German sentiment. Constant defeats at the front, retreat of troops, huge casualties and a growing food crisis caused popular discontent, which led to an increase in the number of strikes
By the beginning of 1917, the state of affairs in the state had become catastrophic. All layers of society, from ministers and members of the imperial family to workers and peasants, were dissatisfied with the policies of Nicholas II. The decline in the king's authority was accompanied by political and military miscalculations on his part. Nicholas II completely lost touch with reality, relying on the unshakable faith of the Russian people in the good Tsar-Father. But the people no longer believed. Even in remote provinces, everyone knew about the harmful influence of Rasputin on the imperial couple. In the State Duma, the tsar was directly accused of treason, and the autocrat's relatives seriously thought about eliminating Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, who constantly interfered in state affairs. In such conditions, radical left parties launched their propaganda activities everywhere. They called for the overthrow of the autocracy, the end of hostilities and fraternization with the enemy.
February Revolution
In January 1917, a wave of strikes swept across the country. More than 200 thousand people went on strike in Petrograd (St. Petersburg in 1914-1924). The government's response to everything was sluggish. On February 22, Nikolai generally left for the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Mogilev.
On February 17, in response to interruptions in food supplies, a strike began at the Petrograd Putilov plant. The workers spoke out with slogans: “Down with war!”, “Down with autocracy!”, “Bread!” Popular unrest intensified, strikes became larger and larger. Already on February 25, not a single enterprise was operating in the capital. The reaction of the authorities was slow, measures were taken very late. It looked as if the officials were deliberately inactive. In this situation, the words of Nicholas, who wrote from Headquarters, are sincerely surprising: “I command you to stop the riots in the capital tomorrow.” Either the tsar was really so poorly informed and naive, or the government underestimated the situation, or we are dealing with treason.
Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks (RSDLP (b)) actively agitated the Petrograd garrison, and these actions were successful. On February 26, soldiers began to go over to the side of the rebels, and this meant only one thing - the government lost its main defense. We should not forget that the February Revolution was carried out by all segments of the population. The parties that were members of the State Duma, the aristocrats, officers, and industrialists did their best here. The February revolution was general or bourgeois, as the Bolsheviks would later call it.
On February 28, the revolution achieved complete victory. The tsarist government was removed from power. The Provisional Committee took over the leadership of the country State Duma led by Mikhail Rodzianko.
March. Abdication of Nicholas II
First of all, the new government was concerned with the problem of removing Nicholas from power. No one had any doubt that the emperor must certainly be persuaded to abdicate. On February 28, having learned about the events that had taken place, Nikolai went to the capital. The revolution, which quickly spread throughout the country, met the monarch on the way - the rebel soldiers did not allow the royal train to Petrograd. Nicholas did not take any decisive steps to save the autocracy. He only dreamed of being reunited with his family, who were in Tsarskoye Selo.
The Duma deputies went to Pskov, where the Tsar’s train was forced to turn. On March 2, Nicholas II signed a manifesto of his abdication. Initially, the Provisional Committee intended to preserve autocracy by transferring the throne to the young Tsarevich Alexei during the regency younger brother Nicholas, but this could have caused another outburst of discontent and the idea had to be abandoned.
Thus fell one of the most powerful dynasties. Nikolai went to Tsarskoye Selo to his wife and children. Recent years The lives of the imperial family were spent in captivity.
At the end of February, simultaneously with the creation of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was formed - a body of democracy. The creation of the Petrograd Soviet was initiated by the Social Democrats and Socialist Revolutionaries. Soon such Councils began to appear throughout the country. They were engaged in improving the situation of workers, regulating food supplies, arresting officials and police officers, and repealing tsarist decrees. The Bolsheviks continued to remain in the shadows. In the newly formed Soviets they were inferior in number to representatives of other parties.
On March 2, the Provisional Government began its work, formed by the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. Dual power was established in the country.
April. Lenin in Petrograd
Dual power prevented the ministers of the Provisional Government from establishing order in the country. The arbitrariness of the Soviets in the army and in enterprises undermined discipline and led to lawlessness and rampant crime. The question of Russia's further political development remained unresolved. This problem was approached with reluctance. The convening of the Constituent Assembly, which was supposed to decide the future fate of the country, was scheduled only for November 28, 1917.
The situation at the front became catastrophic. The soldiers, supporting the decision of the Soviets, withdrew from the subordination of the officers. There was no discipline or motivation among the troops. However, the Provisional Government was in no hurry to end the ruinous war, apparently hoping for a miracle.
The arrival of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in Russia in April 1917 was a radical change in the course of the events of 1917. It was from this moment that the rapid increase in the number of the Bolshevik Party began. Lenin's ideas quickly spread among the people and, most importantly, were close and understandable to everyone.
On April 4, 1917, Lenin announced the program of action of the RSDLP (b). The main goal of the Bolsheviks was the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the transfer of full power to the Soviets. Otherwise, this program was called “April Theses”. On April 7, the theses were published in the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda. Lenin outlined his program simply and clearly. He demanded to end the war, not to provide support to the Provisional Government, to confiscate and nationalize the landowners' lands, and to fight for the socialist revolution. In short: land to the peasants, factories to the workers, peace to the soldiers, power to the Bolsheviks.
The position of the Provisional Government weakened even more after Foreign Minister Pavel Milyukov announced on April 18 that Russia was ready to wage war to a victorious end. Anti-war demonstrations of many thousands took place in Petrograd. Miliukov was forced to resign.
June-July. No support for the Provisional Government!
With the arrival of Lenin, the Bolsheviks began active activities aimed at seizing power. To achieve their political goals, members of the RSDLP (b) willingly took advantage of the government’s mistakes and miscalculations
On June 18, 1917, the Provisional Government launched a large-scale offensive at the front, which was initially successful. It soon became clear, however, that the operation had failed. The army began to retreat, suffering huge losses. Large-scale anti-war protests began again in the capital. The Bolsheviks accepted active participation in inciting anti-government sentiments.
Trying to restore order, the Provisional Government persecuted the RSDLP (b). The Bolsheviks were forced to go underground again. The attempt to eliminate his main political opponent, however, did not bring the desired effect. Power was slipping from the hands of the ministers, and confidence in the Bolshevik Party, on the contrary, was strengthening.
August. Kornilov mutiny
To stabilize the situation in the country, new chairman The Provisional Government, Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky, was vested with emergency powers. To strengthen discipline, the death penalty was reintroduced at the front. Kerensky also took measures to improve the economy. All his efforts, however, did not bear fruit. The situation continued to remain explosive, and Alexander Fedorovich himself understood this very well.
To strengthen the position of his government, Kerensky decided to enter into an alliance with the military. At the end of July, Lavr Georgievich Kornilov, popular in the army, was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Determined to fight left-wing radical elements (mainly the Bolsheviks), Kerensky and Kornilov initially planned to join forces to save the Fatherland. But this never happened - the chairman of the government and the commander-in-chief did not share power. Everyone wanted to lead the country alone.
On August 26, Kornilov called on troops loyal to him to move to the capital. Kerensky was simply cowardly and turned for help to the Bolsheviks, who had already firmly captured the minds of the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison. There was no clash - Kornilov’s troops never reached the capital.
The situation with Kornilov once again proved the inability of the Provisional Government to lead the state and the mediocrity of Kerensky as a politician. For the Bolsheviks, on the contrary, everything turned out as well as possible. The August events showed that only the RSDLP (b) was capable of leading the country out of chaos.
October. Bolshevik triumph
In September 1917, the moribund Provisional Government entered its last phase of life. Kerensky continued to frantically change ministers and convened a Democratic Conference to determine the future composition of the government. In reality, it again turned out to be stupid demagoguery and a waste of time. The Kerensky government, in reality, cared only about its own position and personal gain. Lenin expressed himself very precisely about those events: “Power was lying under your feet, you just had to take it.”
The Provisional Government failed to solve a single problem. The economy was on the verge of complete collapse, prices were rising, and food shortages were felt everywhere. Strikes of workers and peasants in the country grew into mass protests, accompanied by pogroms and reprisals against representatives of the wealthy strata. Councils of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies throughout the country began to go over to the Bolshevik side. Lenin and Trotsky advocated an immediate seizure of power. On October 12, 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee was created under the Petrograd Soviet - the main body for preparing a revolutionary uprising. Through the efforts of the Bolsheviks in short terms About 30 thousand people were put under arms.
On October 25, the rebels occupied strategically important sites in Petrograd: the post office, telegraph office and train stations. On the night of October 25-26, the Provisional Government was arrested in the Winter Palace. According to one of the Soviet legends, Kerensky, dressed in a woman’s dress, fled from the capital. Immediately after seizing power, the Bolsheviks held a Congress of Soviets, at which they adopted the main documents - the “Decree on Peace” and the “Decree on Land”. All local power was transferred to the hands of the Soviets of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies. Kerensky's attempts to seize power with the help of troops were unsuccessful.
The events of October 25, 1917 were the natural end of a period of virtual anarchy in the country. The Bolsheviks proved by deeds that only they were capable of taking over the government of the state. And even if you do not sympathize with the communists, it is worth recognizing that their superiority in 1917 was obvious.
We all know very well what happened next. The Soviet state lasted a full 68 years. It lived the life of an average person: it was born in pain, matured and hardened in constant struggle, and eventually, having grown old, fell into childhood and died at the dawn of the new millennium. But even after his defeat in Russia, Lenin’s cause still lives on in some places. And so far we have not gone that far, continuing to live on the ruins of Vladimir Ilyich’s major experiment.
Revolution of 1917 in Russia
The history of the October Socialist Revolution is one of those topics that attracted and continues to attract the greatest attention of foreign and Russian historiography, because it was as a result of the victory of the October Revolution that the position of all classes and strata of the population and their parties radically changed. The Bolsheviks became the ruling party, leading the work to create a new state and social system.
On October 26, a decree on peace and land was adopted. Following the decree on peace and land, the Soviet government adopted laws: on the introduction of workers' control over the production and distribution of products, on an 8-hour working day, and the “Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia.” The Declaration proclaimed that from now on in Russia there are no dominant nations or oppressed nations, all peoples receive equal rights to free development, to self-determination, even to the point of secession and the formation of an independent state.
The October Revolution marked the beginning of profound, all-encompassing social changes throughout the world. The land of the landowners was transferred free of charge into the hands of the working peasantry, and factories, plants, mines, railways- into the hands of the workers, making them public property.
Causes of the October Revolution
On August 1, 1914, the First World War began in Russia, which lasted until November 11, 1918, the cause of which was the struggle for spheres of influence in conditions where a unified European market and legal mechanism had not been created.
Russia was the defending party in this war. And although the patriotism and heroism of the soldiers and officers was great, there was no single will, no serious plans for waging war, no sufficient supply of ammunition, uniforms and food. This filled the army with uncertainty. She lost her soldiers and suffered defeats. The Minister of War was put on trial and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was removed from his post. Nicholas II himself became Commander-in-Chief. But the situation has not improved. Despite continuous economic growth (coal and oil production, the production of shells, guns and other types of weapons increased, huge reserves were accumulated in case of a prolonged war), the situation developed in such a way that during the war years Russia found itself without an authoritative government, without an authoritative prime minister. minister, and without an authoritative Headquarters. The officer corps was replenished educated people, i.e. intelligentsia, which was subject to oppositional sentiments, and daily participation in a war in which there was a shortage of the most necessary things gave rise to doubts.
The growing centralization of economic management, carried out against the backdrop of a growing shortage of raw materials, fuel, transport, and skilled labor, accompanied by the scale of speculation and abuse, led to the fact that the role of state regulation increased along with the growth of negative factors economics (History of the domestic state and law. Part 1: Textbook / Edited by O. I. Chistyakov. - M.: BEK Publishing House, 1998)
Queues appeared in cities, standing in which was a psychological breakdown for hundreds of thousands of workers.
The predominance of military output over civilian production and rising food prices led to a steady increase in prices for all consumer goods. At the same time wages could not keep up with rising prices. Discontent grew both in the rear and at the front. And it was directed primarily against the monarch and his government.
If we take into account that from November 1916 to March 1917, three prime ministers, two ministers of internal affairs and two ministers of agriculture were replaced, then the expression of the convinced monarchist V. Shulgin about the situation that prevailed in Russia at that time is indeed true: “autocracy without an autocrat” .
Among a number of prominent politicians, in semi-legal organizations and circles, a conspiracy was brewing, and plans were being discussed to remove Nicholas II from power. The plan was to seize the Tsar's train between Mogilev and Petrograd and force the monarch to abdicate.
The October Revolution was a major step towards transforming a feudal state into a bourgeois state. October created a fundamentally new, Soviet state. The October Revolution was caused by a number of objective and subjective reasons. The objective ones, first of all, include the class contradictions that worsened in 1917:
The contradictions inherent in bourgeois society are the antagonism between labor and capital. The Russian bourgeoisie, young and inexperienced, failed to see the danger of impending class friction and did not take sufficient measures in a timely manner to reduce the intensity of the class struggle as much as possible.
Conflicts in the village, which developed even more acutely. The peasants, who for centuries dreamed of taking the land from the landowners and driving them away themselves, were not satisfied with either the reform of 1861 or the Stolypin reform. They openly longed to get all the land and get rid of long-time exploiters. In addition, from the very beginning of the twentieth century, a new contradiction associated with the differentiation of the peasantry itself intensified in the countryside. This stratification intensified after the Stolypin reform, which attempted to create a new class of owners in the countryside through the redistribution of peasant lands associated with the destruction of the community. Now, in addition to the landowner, the broad peasant masses had a new enemy - the kulak, even more hated because he came from his environment.
National conflicts. The national movement, not very strong in the period 1905-1907, intensified after February and gradually grew by the autumn of 1917.
World War. The first chauvinistic frenzy that gripped certain sections of society at the beginning of the war soon dissipated, and by 1917 the overwhelming mass of the population, suffering from the diverse hardships of the war, longed for a speedy conclusion of peace. First of all, this concerned, of course, the soldiers. The village is also tired of endless victims. Only the top of the bourgeoisie, who made enormous capital from military supplies, advocated continuing the war to a victorious end. But the war had other consequences. First of all, it armed the millions of workers and peasants, taught them how to use weapons and helped overcome the natural barrier that prohibits a person from killing other people.
The weakness of the Provisional Government and the entire state apparatus created by it. If immediately after February the Provisional Government had some kind of authority, then the further it went, the more it lost it, being unable to solve pressing problems in the life of society, first of all, questions about peace, bread, and land. Simultaneously with the decline in the authority of the Provisional Government, the influence and importance of the Soviets grew, promising to give the people everything they longed for.
Along with objective important There were also subjective factors:
Wide popularity in society of socialist ideas. Thus, by the beginning of the century, Marxism had become a kind of fashion among the Russian intelligentsia. It found a response in wider public circles. Even in Orthodox Church At the beginning of the twentieth century, a movement of Christian socialism emerged, albeit a small one.
The existence in Russia of a party ready to lead the masses to revolution - the Bolshevik Party. This party was not the largest in number (the Socialist Revolutionaries had more), however, it was the most organized and purposeful.
The Bolsheviks have a strong leader, authoritative both in the party itself and among the people, who managed to become a real leader in a few months after February - V.I. Lenin.
As a result, the October armed uprising won victory in Petrograd with greater ease than the February Revolution, and almost bloodlessly as a result of the combination of all the factors mentioned above. Its result was the emergence of the Soviet state.
Legal side of the October Revolution of 1917
In the fall of 1917, the political crisis in the country worsened. At the same time, the Bolsheviks were actively working to prepare the uprising. It began and was carried out according to plan.
During the uprising in Petrograd, by October 25, 1917, all key points in the city were occupied by detachments of the Petrograd garrison and the Red Guard. By the evening of this day, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies began its work, proclaiming itself the highest authority in Russia. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee, formed by the First Congress of Soviets in the summer of 1917, was re-elected.
The Second Congress of Soviets elected a new All-Russian Central Executive Committee and formed the Council of People's Commissars, which became the government of Russia. ( World history: Textbook for universities / Ed. G.B. Polyak, A.N. Markova. - M.: Culture and Sports, UNITI, 1997) The congress was of a constituent nature: it created leading government bodies and the first acts of constitutional, fundamental significance were adopted. The Peace Decree proclaimed the principles of long-term foreign policy Russia - peaceful coexistence and “proletarian internationalism”, the right of nations to self-determination.
The decree on land was based on peasant orders formulated by the councils back in August 1917. A variety of forms of land use were proclaimed (household, farm, communal, artel), confiscation of landowners' lands and estates, which were transferred to the disposal of volost land committees and district councils of peasant deputies. The right of private ownership of land was abolished. The use of hired labor and land rental were prohibited. Later, these provisions were enshrined in the Decree “on the socialization of the land” in January 1918. The Second Congress of Soviets also adopted two appeals: “To the citizens of Russia” and “Workers, soldiers and peasants”, which spoke of the transfer of power to the Military Revolutionary Committee , the Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, and locally - local councils.
According to modern history There were three revolutions in Tsarist Russia.
Revolution of 1905
Date: January 1905 - June 1907. The impetus for the revolutionary actions of the people was the shooting of a peaceful demonstration (January 22, 1905), in which workers, their wives and children took part, led by a priest, whom many historians later called a provocateur, who deliberately led the crowd under rifles.
The result of the first Russian revolution was the Manifesto adopted on October 17, 1905, which provided Russian citizens with civil liberties based on personal integrity. But this manifesto did not solve the main issue - hunger and industrial crisis in the country, so tension continued to accumulate and was later discharged by the second revolution. But the first answer to the question: “When was the revolution in Russia?” it will be 1905.
February bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1917
Date: February 1917 Hunger, political crisis, protracted war, dissatisfaction with the tsar's policies, fermentation of revolutionary sentiments in the large Petrograd garrison - these factors and many others led to a worsening of the situation in the country. The general strike of workers on February 27, 1917 in Petrograd developed into spontaneous riots. As a result, the main government buildings and main structures of the city were captured. Most of the troops went over to the side of the strikers. The tsarist government was unable to cope with the revolutionary situation. The troops called from the front were unable to enter the city. The result of the second revolution was the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a Provisional Government, which included representatives of the bourgeoisie and large landowners. But along with this, the Petrograd Council was formed as another government body. This led to dual power, which had a negative impact on the establishment of order by the Provisional Government in the country exhausted by the protracted war.
October Revolution of 1917
Date: October 25-26, old style. The protracted First World War continues, Russian troops retreat and suffer defeat. Hunger in the country does not stop. The majority of people live in poverty. Numerous rallies are taking place at plants, factories and in front of military units stationed in Petrograd. The majority of the military, workers and the entire crew of the cruiser Aurora took the side of the Bolsheviks. The Military Revolutionary Committee announces an armed uprising. October 25, 1917 There was a Bolshevik coup led by Vladimir Lenin - the Provisional Government was overthrown. The first Soviet government was formed, later in 1918 peace was signed with Germany, already tired of the war (Brest-Litovsk Peace), and the construction of the USSR began.
Thus, it turns out that the question “When was the revolution in Russia?” You can briefly answer this: only three times - once in 1905 and twice in 1917.
The October Revolution of 1917 in Russia was the armed overthrow of the Provisional Government and the coming to power of the Bolshevik Party, which proclaimed the establishment of Soviet power, the beginning of the elimination of capitalism and the transition to socialism. The slowness and inconsistency of the actions of the Provisional Government after the February bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1917 in solving the workers', agrarian, national issues, Russia's continued participation in the First World War led to a deepening of the national crisis and created the preconditions for the strengthening of far-left parties in the center and nationalist parties on the outskirts of the country. The Bolsheviks acted most energetically, declaring a course towards a socialist revolution in Russia, which they considered the beginning of the world revolution. They put forward popular slogans: “Peace to the peoples,” “Land to the peasants,” “Factories to the workers.”
In the USSR, the official version of the October Revolution was the version of “two revolutions”. According to this version, the bourgeois-democratic revolution began in February 1917 and was completely completed in the coming months, and the October Revolution was the second, socialist revolution.
The second version was put forward by Leon Trotsky. While already abroad, he wrote a book about the unified revolution of 1917, in which he defended the concept that the October Revolution and the decrees adopted by the Bolsheviks in the first months after coming to power were only the completion of the bourgeois-democratic revolution, the implementation of what the insurgent people fought for in February.
The Bolsheviks put forward a version of the spontaneous growth of the “revolutionary situation.” The very concept of a “revolutionary situation” and its main features was first scientifically defined and introduced into Russian historiography by Vladimir Lenin. He named the following three objective factors as its main features: the crisis of the “tops,” the crisis of the “bottoms,” and the extraordinary activity of the masses.
The situation that arose after the formation of the Provisional Government was characterized by Lenin as “dual power”, and by Trotsky as “dual anarchy”: the socialists in the Soviets could rule, but did not want to, the “progressive bloc” in the government wanted to rule, but could not, finding themselves forced to rely on Petrograd a council with which it disagreed on all issues of domestic and foreign policy.
Some domestic and foreign researchers adhere to the version of “German financing” of the October Revolution. It lies in the fact that the German government, interested in Russia’s exit from the war, purposefully organized the move from Switzerland to Russia of representatives of the radical faction of the RSDLP led by Lenin in the so-called “sealed carriage” and financed the activities of the Bolsheviks aimed at undermining the combat effectiveness of the Russian army and disorganization of the defense industry and transport.
To lead the armed uprising, a Politburo was created, which included Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Andrei Bubnov, Grigory Zinoviev, Lev Kamenev (the latter two denied the need for an uprising). The direct leadership of the uprising was carried out by the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, which also included the Left Social Revolutionaries.
Chronicle of the events of the October Revolution
On the afternoon of October 24 (November 6), the cadets tried to open bridges across the Neva in order to cut off the working areas from the center. The Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) sent detachments of the Red Guard and soldiers to the bridges, who took almost all the bridges under guard. By evening, soldiers of the Kexholm Regiment occupied the Central Telegraph, a detachment of sailors took possession of the Petrograd Telegraph Agency, and soldiers of the Izmailovsky Regiment took control of the Baltic Station. Revolutionary units blocked the Pavlovsk, Nikolaev, Vladimir, and Konstantinovsky cadet schools.
On the evening of October 24, Lenin arrived in Smolny and directly took charge of the leadership of the armed struggle.
At 1:25 a.m. on the nights of October 24 to 25 (November 6 to 7), the Red Guards of the Vyborg region, soldiers of the Kexholm regiment and revolutionary sailors occupied the Main Post Office.
At 2 a.m. the first company of the 6th reserve engineer battalion captured the Nikolaevsky (now Moskovsky) station. At the same time, a detachment of the Red Guard occupied the Central Power Plant.
On October 25 (November 7) at about 6 o'clock in the morning, sailors of the Guards naval crew took possession of the State Bank.
At 7 a.m., soldiers of the Kexholm Regiment occupied the Central Telephone Station. At 8 o'clock. Red Guards of the Moscow and Narva regions captured the Warsaw station.
At 2:35 p.m. An emergency meeting of the Petrograd Soviet opened. The Council heard a message that the Provisional Government had been overthrown and state power had passed into the hands of the body of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.
On the afternoon of October 25 (November 7), revolutionary forces occupied the Mariinsky Palace, where the Pre-Parliament was located, and dissolved it; sailors occupied the Military Port and the Main Admiralty, where the Naval Headquarters was arrested.
By 18:00 the revolutionary detachments began to move towards the Winter Palace.
October 25 (November 7) at 21:45 on a signal from Peter and Paul Fortress a gun shot rang out from the cruiser "Aurora", the assault began Winter Palace.
At 2 a.m. on October 26 (November 8), armed workers, soldiers of the Petrograd garrison and sailors of the Baltic Fleet, led by Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, occupied the Winter Palace and arrested the Provisional Government.
On October 25 (November 7), following the victory of the uprising in Petrograd, which was almost bloodless, armed struggle began in Moscow. In Moscow, the revolutionary forces met extremely fierce resistance, and stubborn battles took place on the streets of the city. At the cost of great sacrifices (about 1,000 people were killed during the uprising), Soviet power was established in Moscow on November 2 (15).
On the evening of October 25 (November 7), 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies opened. The congress heard and adopted the appeal “To Workers, Soldiers and Peasants” written by Lenin, which announced the transfer of power to the Second Congress of Soviets, and locally to the Councils of Workers, Soldiers and Peasants’ Deputies.
On October 26 (November 8), 1917, the Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land were adopted. The Congress formed the first Soviet government - the Council people's commissars composed of: Chairman Lenin; people's commissars: by foreign affairs Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin and others for national affairs. Lev Kamenev was elected Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and after his resignation Yakov Sverdlov.
The Bolsheviks established control over the main industrial centers of Russia. The leaders of the Cadet Party were arrested, and the opposition press was banned. In January 1918, the Constituent Assembly was dispersed, and by March of the same year, Soviet power was established over a large territory of Russia. All banks and enterprises were nationalized, and a separate truce was concluded with Germany. In July 1918, the first Soviet Constitution was adopted.
1917 was a year of upheaval and revolution in Russia, and its finale came on the night of October 25, when all power passed to the Soviets. What are the causes, course, results of the Great October Socialist Revolution - these and other questions of history are in the center of our attention today.
Reasons
Many historians argue that the events that occurred in October 1917 were inevitable and at the same time unexpected. Why? Inevitable, because by this time in Russian Empire a certain situation arose that predetermined the further course of history. This was due to a number of reasons:
- Results of the February Revolution : she was greeted with unprecedented delight and enthusiasm, which soon turned into the opposite - bitter disappointment. Indeed, the performance of the revolutionary-minded “lower classes” - soldiers, workers and peasants - led to a serious shift - the overthrow of the monarchy. But this is where the achievements of the revolution ended. The expected reforms were “hanging in the air”: the longer the Provisional Government postponed consideration of pressing problems, the faster discontent in society grew;
- Overthrow of the monarchy : March 2 (15), 1917, Russian Emperor Nicholas II signed the abdication of the throne. However, the question of the form of government in Russia - a monarchy or a republic - remained open. The Provisional Government decided to consider it during the next convocation of the Constituent Assembly. Such uncertainty could only lead to one thing - anarchy, which is what happened.
- The mediocre policy of the Provisional Government : the slogans under which the February Revolution took place, its aspirations and achievements were actually buried by the actions of the Provisional Government: Russia’s participation in the First World War continued; a majority vote in the government blocked land reform and the reduction of the working day to 8 hours; autocracy was not abolished;
- Russian participation in the First World War: any war is an extremely costly undertaking. It literally “sucks” all the juice out of the country: people, production, money - everything goes to support it. The First World War was no exception, and Russia's participation in it undermined the country's economy. After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government did not retreat from its obligations to the allies. But discipline in the army had already been undermined, and widespread desertion began in the army.
- Anarchy: already in the name of the government of that period - the Provisional Government, the spirit of the times can be traced - order and stability were destroyed, and they were replaced by anarchy - anarchy, lawlessness, confusion, spontaneity. This was manifested in all spheres of the country’s life: an autonomous government was formed in Siberia, which was not subordinate to the capital; Finland and Poland declared independence; in the villages, peasants were engaged in unauthorized redistribution of land, burning landowners' estates; the government was mainly engaged in the struggle with the Soviets for power; the disintegration of the army and many other events;
- The rapid growth of influence of the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies : During the February Revolution, the Bolshevik party was not one of the most popular. But over time, this organization becomes the main political player. Their populist slogans about an immediate end to the war and reforms found great support among embittered workers, peasants, soldiers and police. Not the least was the role of Lenin as the creator and leader of the Bolshevik Party, which carried out the October Revolution of 1917.
Rice. 1. Mass strikes in 1917
Stages of the uprising
Before speaking briefly about the 1917 revolution in Russia, it is necessary to answer the question about the suddenness of the uprising itself. The fact is that the actual dual power in the country - the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks - should have ended with some kind of explosion and subsequent victory for one of the parties. Therefore, the Soviets began preparing for the seizure of power back in August, and at that time the government was preparing and taking measures to prevent it. But the events that happened on the night of October 25, 1917 came as a complete surprise to the latter. The consequences of the establishment of Soviet power also became unpredictable.
Back on October 16, 1917, the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party made a fateful decision - to prepare for an armed uprising.
On October 18, the Petrograd garrison refused to submit to the Provisional Government, and already on October 21, representatives of the garrison declared their subordination to the Petrograd Soviet, as the only representative of legitimate power in the country. Starting from October 24, key points in Petrograd - bridges, train stations, telegraphs, banks, power plants and printing houses - were captured by the Military Revolutionary Committee. On the morning of October 25, the Provisional Government held only one object - the Winter Palace. Despite this, at 10 o'clock in the morning of the same day an appeal was issued, which announced that from now on the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies is the only body state power in Russia.
In the evening at 9 o'clock, a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace and on the night of October 26, members of the Provisional Government were arrested.
Rice. 2. The streets of Petrograd on the eve of the uprising
Results
As you know, history doesn't like subjunctive mood. It is impossible to say what would have happened if this or that event had not occurred and vice versa. Everything that happens happens as a result of not a single cause, but of many, which at one moment intersected at one point and revealed the event to the world with all its positive and negative points: civil war, a huge number of dead, millions who left the country forever, terror, building an industrial power, eliminating illiteracy, free education, medical care, building the world's first socialist state and much more. But, speaking about the main significance of the October Revolution of 1917, one thing should be said - it was a profound revolution in the ideology, economy and structure of the state as a whole, which influenced not only the course of history of Russia, but of the whole world.
