Lecture II: Political Parties and Political Struggle in the Turmoil of 1917

1
Lecture IIPolitical Parties and Political
Struggle in the Turmoil of 1917 

• In the framework of the course Crucial Issues of
  Russian Political History from the early XXth
  century up the present time
• Sergey Verigin, Ass. Prof.
• Petrozavodsk State University

2
Contents list

• The February Democratic Revolution. The nature of
  diarchy
• Three political crises in Russia
• The defeat of Kornilov. The process of the
  Soviets "bolshevisation" (the process when
  Bolsheviks began to play decisive role in the
  Soviets). 
• Victory of armed revolt in Petrograd

3
I. The February Democratic Revolution.February
revolution and political parties

• In February 1917 tsar monarchy, after having
  existed for more than 300 years, was ruined in
  several days. Many historians tried to explain
  this phenomenon. Western historiography states,
  that the revolution was spontaneous. Soviet
  historians persisted that the Bolshevik Party
  played an organising role in this revolution. But
  the analysis of the facts shows that Bolsheviks
  were not able to inspire people for the
  revolution in February.
• By the beginning of the February Revolution all
  democratic parties were in difficult situation.
  They didn't carry out any active propaganda
  their best leaders were either abroad or in
  exile. 
• Only 2 thousand Bolsheviks worked in Petrograd.
  The whole number of them was 24 - 25 thousand
  people. They were not guided from one centre.
  "Zagranichnaya League" (the part, which worked
  abroad) headed by Lenin and Zinovyev worked in
  Switzerland. In fact, it fulfilled the functions
  of the Central Committee of the RSDRP. The
  Russian Bureau of the Central Committee under
  the leadership of Shlyapnikov was at the head.
  Shlyapnikov had been closely connected with Lenin
  till February 1917.
• During the World War I there was no unity in the
  Menshevik's movement. It's Left wing consisted of
  mensheviks - internationalists, who worked abroad
  (Y.Martov, P.Acsel'rod), the Organising Committee
  and Menshevik's fraction of the IV State Duma
  (under the leadership of N.Chxeidze) worked in
  Petrograd. 
• Most of socialist - revolutionary leaders of all
  orientations (for example, Defending, Centristic,
  International movements) were either abroad
  (V.Chernov, B.Savinkov, N.Avkcentiev) or in
  Siberian exile (A.Gots, E.Breshko-Breshkovskay

4
I.Vladimirov. Generals arrested in February days
of 1917
5
February strikes

• Second half of February 1917 - main events took
  place in Petrograd.
• There were serious problems with the delivery of
  bread at that time. This caused a new wave of
  strikes, which started on the 23 th of February.
  On that day working people also celebrated the
  International Women's Day (the 8 th of March -
  according to a new style).
• Some 128 thousand women took part in the
  demonstration. Their slogans were "No war!",
  "Give us Bread!", "Bring back our husbands". The
  authorities did not pay any attention to this
  event.
• 24 25 of February - there were conflicts between
  strikers and police. The character of peaceful
  demonstrations ("Give us Bread") changed and
  become a revolutionary one ("Down with the
  tsarist autocracy"). On the 26th and 27th of
  February strikes spread out, and the Capital
  Garrison Units joined working people.
• The revolt grew into the change of political
  regime. 

6
State Duma and Provisional Government

• February 27 - the Soviet of Working Deputies
  was organised by revolting people. The menshevik
  Chxeidze was its first chairman.
• The same day members of the state Duma organised
  the interim Committee, which formed the
  Provisional Government headed by the prince
  L?vov.
• March 1 - the Petrogradsky Soviet issued the
  Order ? 1, according to which the troops of the
  Petrograd Garrison were placed under the command
  of Soviet and couldnt be called from the capital
  without its permission.
• The Provisional Government was led first by
  Prince Georgy Lvov and then by Aleksandr
  Kerensky. It succeeded in organizing the
  elections, but failed to end Russia's involvement
  in World War I, thereby weakening its popularity
  among Russia's war-weary people. It was also
  reluctant to make decisive policy decisions,
  because it was supposed to be provisional. This
  weakness led to challenges from right in the form
  of the Kornilov Affair, and from the left, which
  brought it to an end in the October Revolution.
  When the constituent assembly was disbanded, and
  the Mensheviks walked out of the Soviet meeting
  in the Smolny Institute, power was left to the
  Bolsheviks alone.

7
The state emblem of the Provisional Government
8
Abdication of Nicolas II

• The attempts to suppress the uprising in the
  capital with the help of military units, recalled
  from the front were not successful.
• March 2, 1917 - in Pskov, Nicolas II signed the
  Abdication Act in favour of his brother Michail
  Romanov.
• M.Romanov didn't take the throne and gave the
  Constituent Assembly the right to make a decision
  concerning the future state system. The
  Provisional Government had to call this Assembly.
• The change of the political regime was caused by
  a spontaneous burst of people's discontent. The
  majority of people believed in a future
  deliverance from the war. They believed in
  democracy and social justice, but it was an
  illusion. The country was in a very difficult
  situation.

9
Nicolas II.1868-1918

• Nicolas II was the eldest son of emperor
  Alexander III. He received home education, and
  though he had the best teachers Empire could
  offer him, he came to the throne in November 1894
  without any political ideas of his own.
• Nicolas II married Princess Alix of
  Hesse-Darmstadt, a German princess and a
  granddaughter of Brittish Queen Victoria. She
  took the name Alexandra when converted to Russian
  Orthodox Church. She gave birth to four daughters
  and a son, Alexis, who had hemophilia.
• Nicolas II signed the October Manifesto of 1905
  in which he gave Russia main constitutional
  freedoms including parliament (State Duma).
• Nicolas II was very negative towards two first
  Dumas which seemed too radical to him. They were
  closed and in June 1907 he limited the electorial
  law which allowed the 3rd and 4th Dumas to become
  more liberal and bourgeois.
• In 1914 Russia was dragged into the World War I.
  Crisis which followed the war led to the February
  Revolution. In March Nicolas II had no
  alternative but to abdicate from the throne.
• after the February revolution Nicolas II and his
  family were imprisoned and in April 1918 taken to
  Ekaterinburg. As the anti-Bolshviks detachments
  were approaching the city, local Bolsheviks
  killed the royal family in July of 1918, almost
  certainly under the order of Vladimir Lenin.

10
Nicolas II after abdication in March of 1917.
11
Historical conceptions of revolutions in history

• In modern historical literature there are
  different approaches to the analysis of the
  October period events. According to Lenin's
  saying revolution is "a locomotive of history",
  a creation of people.
• Many Soviet historians considered the October
  revolution to be a border line between the
  periods of New and Modern Histories. 
• Many historians abroad consider the World War I,
  but not the October revolution to be the
  beginning of Modern History (for example,
  Japanese historian Vada). 
• French historian Gorge Lephevr had a concept of
  the Great French Revolution as a complex of
  separate revolutions. According to Vada,
  Lephevr's concept fits completely the revolution
  of 1917, that is, this revolution is a complex of
  4 independent revolutions 
• 1. The Bourgeois and People's Revolution
• 2. The Workers and Soldiers Revolution
• 3. The Peasants Revolution
• 4. The Revolution of nationalists.
• The February Revolution won due to the
  combination of the first two revolutions, and the
  October revolution was a combination of the 2nd,
  3rd and 4th revolutions
• After February the revolution of workers and
  peasants took place. October revolution was a
  victory of Bolsheviks, workers and soldiers over
  the bourgeoisie. Russian peasants and peoples,
  living in national districts also contributed to
  the victory. 

12
Diarchy of power (two powers)

• As it was mentioned before, the diarchy (that is
  the power of Soviets and the Provisional
  Government after February revolution) was the
  result of the February revolution.  The Petrograd
  Soviet, formed in the revolution, had an
  opportunity to concentrate all the power in its
  hands, but failed to do that. Soviet leaders
  (mensheviks and socialist-revolutionaries)
  thought that a bourgeois revolution had taken
  place in Russia and they handed the power over to
  the bourgeois Provisional Government. 
• The majority of Bolsheviks had the same opinion,
  by the beginning of April 1917 2 factions
  (Bolsheviks and Mensheviks) had to merge into
  one, but Lenin prevented this event. 

13
Lenin and the February revolution

• On April 3, 1917 - Lenin returned from the
  emigration to Petrograd and on April 4 he
  announced a new programme. His ideas were not to
  stop at the bourgeois stage of the revolution,
  but to go over to a socialist one.
• The disputes about Lenin's return to Russia
  across Germany being in war with Russia are still
  in progress. The versions about the German
  pecuniary aid to Bolsheviks were widely spread, 
• as well as the information that Lenin was an
  agent of the German General Staff. We don't share
  these extreme points of view. But it is necessary
  to stress the fact that for Germany it was
  favourable to let Lenin pass through to Russia,
  because he spoke in support of tsarist defeat in
  the war and of Russia withdrawal from it.

14
Vladimir Lenin (Ulyanov) (1870-1924)

• Lenin's desire to destroy autocracy in Russia
  began when his brother Alexander was executed for
  anti-tsarist strikes. Lenin's revolutionary life
  dates to the late1880s. He was one of the
  founders of the "Union of struggle for
  deliverance of the Russian people" in 1895.
• In 1897 Lenin was sentenced to a 3-year exile in
  Siberia. In 1900 he left Russia. In 1903 after
  the split of the RSDWP he headed the Bolshevik
  faction. In 1905-7, during the first Russia
  revolution, was in Russia, in 1907 he had to flee
  to Europe again.
• In April 1917 Lenin came to Petersburg and in his
  "April Theses" stated that socialist revolution
  had to be the target of the Bolshivik Party.
  After the July crisis of 1917 was in hiding,
  because Kerensky, the head of the Provisional
  Government, accused him of anti-government
  activities. In October 1917 Lenin headed the
  revolt which gave a power to the Bolsheviks.
  After the revolt he headed the Soviet government
  and the Soviet of Defence.
• Lenin supervised the first 5 years of Bolsheviks'
  policy (war communism, NEP, peace with Germany,
  etc) till he got seriously ill in December of
  1922. Since that time Lenin did not participate
  in political life.

15
Vladimir Lenin (Ulyanov) (1870-1924)
16
II. Three political crisis in RussiaApril crisis

• The Provisional Government declared that it
  supported democratic principles The Government
  abolished the system of estates and national
  restrictions. But a final decision of those
  questions was put off till a calling of the
  Constituent Assembly.
• On April 18 - Milyukov sent a note to the Allied
  governments, promising to continue the war to a
  victorious conclusion. This pronouncement, in
  sharp contrast with the earlier declaration "to
  the people of the whole world" issued by the
  Petrograd Soviet on March 14. Contrary to the
  proposal of General Lavr Georgiyevich Kornilov to
  quell the demonstrations by force, the Petrograd
  Soviet, which assumed sole command of the
  garrison of the capital, ordered all troops to
  remain in their barracks. As a result of the
  political crisis, Milyukov and Guchkov resigned,
  and the government was reorganized on May 5 to
  include representatives of the socialist parties,
  which received 6 of the 15 portfolios Kerensky
  became minister of war.  

17
June crisis

• The crisis stimulated considerable growth in the
  Bolshevik Party, but it still held only a
  minority of the delegates to the first
  all-Russian Congress of Soviets, which was held
  in Petrograd on June 3. This congress was
  dominated by the Mensheviks and Socialist
  Revolutionaries.
• The workers responded with economic and political
  strikes and with demands that the government
  institute measures to cope with the crisis. The
  Congress of Soviets, which supported the
  government, declared in favor of state monopolies
  of bread and other necessary items. The
  government, however, like its predecessor,
  subordinated all problems to the prosecution of
  the war. On June 16 Kerensky ordered an offensive
  that ended in a complete defeat and the virtual
  disorganization of the armyall of which added
  credibility to Bolshevik propaganda. Discipline
  broke down, and millions of soldiers streamed
  home from the front to escape further fighting
  and to take part in the division of the land.

18
Trotsky's speech against the Provisional
Government
19
July crisis

• During the ill-fated offensive, the opposition by
  workers and soldiers in Petrograd to a renewal of
  military hostilities forced the Congress of
  Soviets to adopt a resolution calling for the
  abolition of the Dumathat is, the political base
  of the Provisional Governmentand setting
  September 30 as the date for the convocation of a
  constituent assembly. A demonstration of about
  400,000 Petrograd workers, organized by the
  Congress of Soviets during the offensive,
  unexpectedly revealed that the Bolshevik
  influence was very strong in the working class of
  the capital the prevailing slogans in the
  demonstrations were "Down with the Offensive" and
  again "All Power to the Soviets."
• On July 3, 4, and 5, there were a demonstrations
  of 500,000 workers, soldiers of the city
  garrison, and sailors of the nearby naval
  fortress of Kronstadt. The demonstrators
  denounced the government and converged on the
  Tauride Palace, where the Congress of Soviets was
  in session, to force it to assume sole power.
• The executive committee of the Congress of
  Soviets denounced the demonstration as a
  counterrevolutionary Bolshevik insurrection and
  summoned troops from the front to disperse the
  demonstrators. The troops, arriving on July 5,
  when the demonstration had run its course, placed
  themselves at the disposition solely of the
  Congress of Soviets, in effect recognizing it as
  the supreme governing authority in the country.
• On July 10 Kerensky succeeded Lvov as prime
  minister, and on July 23 a second coalition
  government, including the Socialist and Kadet
  wings, was formed, with Kerensky and his
  political friends holding the decisive posts.

20
Demonstration is fleeting from the troops loyal
to the Provisional Government. July 1917
21
III. The defeat of Kornilov. The process of the
Soviets "bolshevisation" (the process when
Bolsheviks began to play decisive role in the
Soviets).Kornilovs revolt

• End of the summer 1917 - the insolvency of the
  Provisional Government economic policy had become
  obvious. The unemployment increased there was a
  deficit of top priorities. The agrarian question
  was not solved in the country, peasants struggled
  against landowners. They captured land without
  any permission. The Bolsheviks encouraged these
  actions.
• The crisis became deeper. At the end of August
  1917 the right forces tried to undertake a coup
  d'etat and to establish a military dictatorship
  in the country.
• The July demonstration produced a wave of
  political reaction. Some land committees were
  dissolved by the government the death penalty,
  abolished during the first days of the
  revolution, was restored in the fighting zones
  although not enforced and the convocation of the
  constituent assembly was postponed to the end of
  November. Forceful methods were employed against
  the Bolsheviks. Lenin was denounced as a paid
  agent of German imperialism and went into hiding
  in Finland Trotsky and others were arrested.
• Nonetheless, the Sixth Congress of the Bolshevik
  Party opened in Petrograd on July 26, despite the
  absence of some of its leaders.

22
Kornilovs revolt

• Because the Kerensky government took no effective
  steps to overcome the economic situation,
  Bolshevik influence again began to increase.
  Convinced that Kerensky could not cope with the
  situation, some Kadet elements and the general
  staff, led by Kornilov, the newly appointed
  commander in chief, decided to bring loyal troops
  to Petrograd and establish a military
  dictatorship. For a time Kerensky was a party to
  the conspiracy, but when he learned that Kornilov
  proposed to remove him from the government, he
  appealed to the Petrograd Soviet for support.
• While Kornilov's forces advanced on the capital,
  the workers' and soldiers' militia prepared to
  defend it. With the approval of the Congress of
  Soviets, military organizations were established
  throughout the city, and the boldness and
  initiative of the Bolsheviks in these bodies made
  them the leaders of the defense. The railroad
  workers refused to transport Kornilov's force. As
  the troops advanced on foot, they encountered the
  soldiers and workers of the capital, who came out
  of the city to meet them with appeals to
  fraternize. Kornilov's army dissolved before it
  reached the capital he himself was arrested.
  These events left the workers of Petrograd
  organized and armed. And now, for the first time,
  the Bolsheviks secured a majority in the
  Petrograd Soviet.

23
Kornilov's defeat

• After Kornilov's defeat the Provisional
  Government was virtually powerless.
• Under growing Bolshevik pressure the All-Russian
  Soviet Executive Committee decided on the
  election of a new Congress of Soviets on October
  20 later it was postponed to October 25.
• A Bolshevik majority in the new congress was
  assured by the rising tide of support for Lenin's
  party among the soldiers and workers. On October
  16 the Petrograd Soviet created the Military
  Revolutionary Committee for the defense of the
  capital against the counterrevolution on this
  committee the Bolsheviks obtained a commanding
  majority, and the Mensheviks and Socialist
  Revolutionaries there upon refused to participate.

24
Bolshevisation of Soviets

• The Soviets under Bolshevik control found a way
  out.
• March 2, 1917 - only 19 members (the whole
  number of them was 400) of the Petrograd Soviet
  voted for the Bolshevik's Resolution against the
  assignation of power to the Provisional
  Government, but on the 31st of August the
  majority of this Soviet voted for the Bolshevik's
  proposal..

25
Provisional government's losing power

• September 1 - the Provisional Government
  declared Russia republic. On the same day A.
  Kerensky informed the Soviet Central Executive
  Committee about formation of a Directory,
  consisted of 5 people, as a provisional body for
  the operative country management. On the 2nd of
  September CEC (Central Executive Committee)
  passed a resolution about a calling of a
  Democratic Conference, which had to solve the
  question of power. And at that moment CEC called
  for the support of Kerensky's Government. But
  this government couldn't improve the country
  economy. The inflation increased, there were
  serious problems with food and fuel deliveries.
  All these events accelerated the loss of
  Kerensky's Government authority. And Kornilov's
  defeat demonstrated the power of the Left wing,
  headed by Bolsheviks.

26
Lavr Kornilov (1870-1918 )
27
Aleksandr Kerensky(1881-1970)
28
Democratic Conference

• September 14 - the Democratic Conference began
  its work. L.Trotsky being elected as a chairman
  of the Petrograd Soviet in September 1917 spoke
  at this meeting and demanded to transfer all
  power to the Soviets.
• There was a lot of debates during the conference.
  It didn't decide anything and passed the question
  of power to the pre-parliament, a working body,
  elected at the Democratic Conference.
• September 25 - the Government crisis ended with
  the organising of the 3d coalition government.
• A.Kerensky was a Head and Commander in Chief.
  They also decided to call the 2nd All-Russian
  Congress of Soviet on the 20 of October.

29
Bolsheviks and the Congress of Soviets

• Such after the beginning of the Democratic
  Conference Bolsheviks stood up for the quickest
  calling of the Congress and proclaimed the slogan
  "All Power to Soviets!" The meaning of this
  slogan was understood differently.
• Left wing Bolsheviks (such as Lenin, Trotsky)
  believed that the Congress of Soviets had to
  transfer the power to the Left Parties
  Government, which would immediately make peace
  and realise the programme of radical reforms.
• Right wing Bolsheviks (L.Kamenev, G.Zinovyev)
  considered the Congress to be a possibility to
  form a Government on a homogeneous socialist
  basis.

30
IV. Victory of armed revolt in
PetrogradPreparations for revolt

• After the Democratic Conference the Left wing
  Bolsheviks began an active preparation of a
  military revolt. A large amount of the Red Army
  Military forces and units appeared to be under
  their control. On the 10th of October the CK
  (Central Committee) of Bolshevik accepted an
  offer of the Left wing to prepare a military
  revolt.. The Military Revolutionary Committee
  (MRC-VRK) was formed for this purpose. It was
  planed to transfer the power to Petrograd Soviet
  by the 25th of October- the date of opening of
  the 2nd All-Russian Congress of Soviets. This
  Congress would sanction such a transfer. This
  tactics proved to be correct.

31
Kerenskys counteractions

• But Kerensky's Government tried to suppress a
  possible Left wing uprising. Loyal troops were
  concentrated in the capital, but the number of
  them was not enough.
• October 24 - Kerensky came to pre-parliament
  and demanded to put him confidence in struggle
  against Bolsheviks.
• Mensheviks and Socialist-revolutionaries
  suggested starting negotiations with Bolsheviks.
  Kerensky rejected these proposals and in the
  morning of the 25th of October he left Petrograd
  for Pskov. He moved to the North Front Head
  -quarters to assemble loyal units.

32
Troops of Provisional Government guarding a
telegraph station
33
October revolt

• It is generally believed that the insurrection
  was planned by the military organization of the
  party to coincide with the opening of the second
  Congress of Soviets. It was carried out during
  the night of October 24 to 25 and the following
  day by the Military Revolutionary Committee under
  the direction of Trotsky.
• Armed workers, soldiers, and sailors stormed the
  Winter Palace, headquarters of the Provisional
  Government. Although the seizure of power
  involved tens of thousands of men and women, it
  was virtually bloodless.
• On the afternoon of October 25 Trotsky announced
  the end of the Provisional Government. Several of
  its ministers were arrested later that day
  Kerensky escaped and subsequently went into
  exile.
• In the evening October 24 Bolsheviks started the
  revolt. During the night and the next day the
  headquarters, telegraph, telephone stations, post
  offices, bridges and so on had been captured by
  the workers.
• In the morning of the 25th of October the VRK
  (Military Revolutionary Committee) of Petrograd
  Soviet declared that the Provisional Government
  was overthrown. 

34
October revolt

• In the of October 25 - in Smolniy the 2nd
  All-Russian Congress of Soviet began its work.
• At 4 a.m. it was reported that Winter Palace was
  captured, and the Provisional Government was
  arrested. 
• 507 delegates out of 670 supported the power
  transfer to the Soviets.

35
New legislative acts. Soviet government

• The Congress passed two main documents the
  'Decree on Peace" contained proposals to all the
  belligerents to start the negotiation on just and
  democratic peace.
• The "Decree on Land" consisted of the mandate of
  242 peasant-deputies, according to which all land
  was transmitted to people's property, private
  property was abolished, and every man could
  cultivate land on the basis of equal land use.
• The Congress guaranteed a calling of the
  Constituent Assembly, the power in regions was
  transferred to local Soviets.
• A new membership of VCIK (All-Russian Central
  Executive Committee) -101 people (62 Bolsheviks
  and 29 Left socialist-revolutionaries among them)
  was formed at the Congress.
• The Soviet Government - that is the Soviet of
  People's Commissary (only Bolsheviks were members
  of it), was formed. Lenin became the head of the
  Government, the first people's commissars were
  Stalin, Trotsky, Rykov, in all - 13 people.

36
Spread of the Bolsheviks power 

• The period from October 1917 to March 1918 is
  characterised by the establishment of the Soviet
  Power all over the country. It was established
  peacefully in 79 cities out of 97.
• The organisation of the country government system
  was the main task.
• By the summer of 1918 VCIK (All-Russian Central
  Executive Committee) and Soviet of Peoples
  Commissaries had adopted about 700 decrees, which
  became the basis of a future legislation.
• Revolutionary Law-courts, elected by Soviets,
  were set up.
• In December 1917 the Russian Extraordinary
  (Emergency) Commission (VChK) headed by
  Dzerdjinsky, was formed. In fact it often
  exceeded its authority. From the first days of
  its existence the Soviet Government carried out
  several reforms in the interests of working
  people, such as 8 hours working day, the system
  of women and teenagers labour protections,
  education free of charge and medical care. They
  proclaimed equality and sovereignty of nations, a
  right for self-determination (even for State
  separation).

37
Constituent Assembly. Formation of RSFSR.

• January 5, 1918 - The Constituent Assembly
  started its work.
• Some 715 delegates, 412 -socialist-revolutionarie
  s and only 183-bolsheviks among them' were
  present at it.
• On behalf of SNK and VCIK Ia.Sverdlov proposed to
  adopt " The Declaration of Working and Oppressed
  People Rights", in which accepted decrees were
  reflected. He also suggested the Constituent
  Assembly to recognise the Soviet Power.
• But that didn't happen. After that Bolsheviks
  and Left wing socialist-revolutionaries made
  protest and left the conference hall. The other
  delegates decided to continue the work, but on
  the next day -on the 6th of January 1918 the
  Constituent Assembly was broken up by force.
• On the 10th of January 1918 the 3d All-Russian
  Congress of Soviet was opened. It accepted  "The
  Declaration of Working and Oppressed People
  Rights", declared Russia to be the Russian Soviet
  Federal Socialist Republic (RSFSR).

38
Soviet republic and World War I

• Having declared "The Decree on Peace", the Soviet
  Republic demonstrated its variant of withdrawal
  from the First World War. The essence of it is
  that people had to solve this problem themselves.
• Soviet proposals were rejected by Antanta
  (England and France), but accepted by Germany. 
• On the 14th of November 1917 Separate
  negotiations began in Brest-Litovsk and on the 3d
  of March 1918 a peaceful treaty was signed.
• Trying to hold up the power, the Soviet
  Government headed by Lenin agreed to a
  humiliating ultimatum of Germany the Ukraine,
  Finland, Poland, Georgia, Baltic countries were
  seized from the Soviet Russia. Nearly 75 of
  metallurgical industry, 27 of plough land were
  situated on this territory. They imposed a great
  contribution on Russia.
• Such a humiliating peace treaty intensified
  disunity of the Russian society. It accelerated
  the Civil War.

39
Russias economy. Provision units

• The Bolsheviks coming to power was not a
  stabilising factor in economy. The sabotage of
  officers and businessmen strengthened. The Soviet
  Government began a process of mass
  nationalisation of factories, plants, banks, and
  railways. This led to the industry
  disorganisation.
• There was a falling-of in relations with
  peasants. The desire to provide cities with
  food-staffs led to provisional dictatorship.
• Provision units were organised in cities,
  which were sent to villages to confiscate surplus
  grain. The Poor People Committees were organised
  in the villages. In fact they became powerful
  bodies in the country.
• Both Provision's Unites and Poor People
  Committees abused power and arms. Their actions
  caused military resistance of peasants in the
  spring and summer of 1918.

40
Rapture with left SRs

• Strict measures of Bolsheviks were the reasons of
  counteractions not only of the enemies but of the
  allies-left-wing socialist-revolutionaries as
  well. Brest peace and the agrarian reform caused
  the main disagreements
• .At the 5th Congress of Soviets (July 1918) Left
  wing socialist-revolutionaries tried to urge
  delegates to reject a peaceful treaty and the
  Poor People Committee's decree. They failed to do
  this. And on the 6th of July military uprising
  took place in Moscow and some other cities.
• The revolt was suppressed but the consequences
  were serious. One party system was finally
  formed. The desertion of the Left wing
  socialist-revolutionaries to the Bolshevik's
  enemies completed the polarization of political
  forces in the country.
• The October Revolution didn't stabilize political
  and economic situation in the country but put
  Russia on the brink of the Civil War.

41
Literature to the topic 2

• Charques R.D. The twilight of imperial Russia
  the reign of Tsar Nicolas II (1894-1917). London
  Phoenix House, 1958. 256 p.
• Crankshaw E. The shadow of the Winter Palace the
  drift to revolution, 1825-1917. London
  Macmillan, 1976. 429 p.
• Florinsky M.T. The end of the Russian Empire. New
  York Collier Book, 1961, 254 p.
• Floyd D. Russia in revolt, 1905 the first crack
  in Tsarist power. London Macdonalds, 1969. 127
  p.
• Frankland N. Crown of tragedy Nicholas II.
  London Kimber, 1960. 208 p.