Learning to Lead our Lives

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Learning to Lead our Lives
The Communist seizure of Power
Skill Chronology, Working with Others
NGfL Russia 1900-1924
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What do you need to take over a Government. . .
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November 1917 The Bolsheviks have taken over
Russia ! This incredible event has just happened
! To find out why, here are a series of
newsflashes from newspaper over the last 9
months. Create this table and use the newsflashes
to fill it in!
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NEWSFLASH 1! March 1917 - The Tsar has just
abdicated! Power over Russia has been given to 2
groups of people ! Group 1 The Duma led by
Alexander Kerensky ! This group will hold
elections soon, so they are only a Provisional
Government! Group 2 A large group of workers and
soldiers called the Petrograd Soviet ! The
Provisional government can only pass a law if
the Petrograd Soviet agree to it ! Order No. 1
means that the Petrograd Soviet have control of
the Army ! Both have agreed to introduce freedom
of speech and the press, and the right to strike
!
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Newsflash 2! Important decisions have just been
made! March 1917 The Provisional Governments
decisions ! Decision 1 The Provisional
Government will not end the war because the
Germans would make the Russians pay too great a
price if we surrender ! Decision 2 The
Provisional Government will not give the peasants
back their land. They worry that if they start
giving back land, Russian soldiers will desert
and return to claim their land!
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Newsflash 3! Lenin has returned Lenin, the
leader of the Bolsheviks, has just returned to
Russia in April 1917! He is desperate to see the
Bolsheviks take power ! He has made an important
speech from the train station as soon as he
arrived ! Here is a statue built later to show
him delivering his speech.
Picture courtesy of Keith McInnes
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Lenins ideas are Peace, Bread and Land!
and All Power to the Soviets So he wants An
end to the War Land given to the
peasants Soviets should take power - No
co-operation with the Provisional
government! These ideas have been written up as
the April Theses!
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NEWSFLASH 4! RIOTING ! The July Days Russians
are angry that the war and the shortages
continue, so they are rioting to get things
changed! The Bolsheviks are the only party that
are against the war, so the rioters asked the
Bolsheviks to lead them ! Kerensky sends in
troops against the rioters. Lenin flees to
Finland.
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NEWSFLASH 5! The Kornilov Revolt August 1917 A
general called Kornilov is so angry with the
weakness of the Russian Government that he has
threatened to take power himself ! He and his
troops got on trains to go to Petrograd to take
power! Kerensky was in a panic, and he gave
rifles to the Bolsheviks Army, the Red Guard, to
defend Petrograd against Kornilov ! However,
Kornilov didnt arrive the railway workers had
pulled up the tracks so the trains
stopped. The Bolsheviks look
like heroes and have kept the rifles!
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• The Bolsheviks take over Petrograd!
• 7th November 1917. Trotsky, a leading Bolshevik,
  organises the Red Guard so they take control of
• The train stations and bridges
• The main telegraph office
• Other key buildings in Petrograd !
• Kerensky fled and the Bolsheviks have taken the
  city! except for

The time is right! The Provisional Government
(P.G.) are unpopular because they shoot peasants
who take land by force. Crime is rocketing the
P.G. dont seem to be in control ! Winter is
coming The Bolsheviks are very popular in the
Petrograd Soviet, and have lots of support! Lenin
spends a whole night convincing reluctant
Bolsheviks that the time is right for Revolution !
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The Winter Palace where the Provisional
Government is ! Newsflash 6! The storming of
the Winter Palace At 9.00 pm the cruiser Aurora
(see picture) fired a shell to signal the start
of the takeover of the Palace! The Bolsheviks
marched on the Palace The defenders had either
fled or gave up ! The Provisional Government was
captured and the Bolsheviks had control!
Picture courtesy of Keith McInnes
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Test your partner
Describe the following events in the Bolshevik
seizure of power, but without using the actual
words! See how many they get right, then swap
over.

• Winter Palace
• Kornilov Revolt
• Order no 1

• Provisional Government
• July days
• Peace, bread and Land