The Bolsheviks
By: Austin Weathers
Setting The Stage
When Czar Nicholas II dragged 11 million peasants into World War I, the Russian people became discouraged with their injuries and the loss of life they sustained. The country of Russia was in ruins, ripe for revolution.
Russian Revolution 1917 (Quick Summary)
The Provisional Government
- Began when Czar Nicholas was dethroned during the "February Revolution"
- Provisional government was put in to replace the void
- Made up of bankers, lawyers, industrialists and capitalists
- Very weak and failed to keep its promise about getting out of war
- Kept Russia in war and made everything worse
- Not very well liked
Bolsheviks
- A wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party
- Led by Lenin
- Based on Marxism
- Highly centralized form of government, very disciplines and professional
- Opponents were the Mensheviks (The minorities)
Rise of the Bolsheviks
- Lenin arrived back from exile in 1917
- Joined Bolshevik party
- Their goal was to overthrow the provisional government
- Bolsheviks educated Soldiers and workers try to seize power because of land but defeated
- Lenin in hiding and things not looking good
- Provisional Government began another big war which killed thousands
- Soldiers and workers leaning toward Bolshevik party
- "Kornilov Affair" Pro-Czar section of military invaded Petrograd (city occupied by Bolsheviks)
- Bolsheviks unite and fight against the military
- Now that they had support of the workers they were able to win important elections in early September
Bolshevik Revolution
- Early October
- Lenin convinced them to form an immediate insurrection against the provisional government
- The armed workers known as Red Guards and the other revolutionary groups moved on the night of Nov. 6-7 under the orders of the Soviet's Military Revolutionary Committee
- Seized telegraph offices, electric works, railroad stations and the state bank
- Once the shot rang out from the Battleship Aurora, the thousands of people in the Red Guard stormed the Winter Palace
- Provisional government had officially fallen
- Lenin announced his attempt to construct the socialist order in Russia
- New Bolshevik motto: "All power to the soviets"
Bolshevik Governemnt
- Lenin Became virtual dictator of first Marxist State
- His Government made peace with Germany, nationalized industrialization and distributed land
- 1918 had to fight a civil war against czarist forces
- Defeated czarists in 1920
- Established USSR
- Petrograd was named Leningrad in honor of him
- Stalin is his Successor
Connection to Animal Farm
The pigs do the same things as the Bolsheviks. George Orwell shows his hate for the Bolsheviks by making them look bad for example all the pigs are more equal than the others. Also they got all the milk and bread while the other animals starve and work harder and harder for the farm. In the Russian revolution the Bolsheviks got an unfair advantage over the population and that is what happened in Animal Farm.
Works Cited Page
"The Bolshevik Revolution." Bolshevik Revolution: 1917. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/EastEurope
"The Bolsheviks." The Bolsheviks. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/bolsheviks
"Bolshevik (Russian Political Faction)."Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/72272