LENIN’S RETURN
Lenin first arrived at Finland Station on 3rd April 1917
MAIN POINTS OF THE APRIL THESES
• Create a workers’ administration to replace the bourgeoise bureaucracy
• Confiscation of large estates and nationalisation of banks
• End to WW1
• Bolsheviks did not support the PG
WHY DID HIS ARRIVAL IN PETROGRAD HAVE SUCH A LARGE IMPACT?
• Radical demands that appealed to soldiers and workers
• Welcomed the revolution but said it was far from complete
o Mensheviks claimed he was ignoring the teachings of Marx.
• Provided a radically different alternative to PG and moderate socialists
• Offered immediate solutions to problems
• His ideas meant the Bolsheviks were easily distinguished from other parties
• Large crowds (many were offered free beer to turn up)
• Lenin can be seen to have been the spark of inspiration that people needed
JULY DAYS
Important Dates Important People
3rd June: First All-Russian Congress Lenin
of Soviets begins
3-4 July: July Days Chernov
5-6 July: Lenin flees, Bolsheviks Kerensky
arrested in Petrograd
8th July: Kerensky becomes Prime Kamenev & Zinoviev
Minister
Trotsky
CAUSES
1. Failure of the Summer Offensive
2. Petrograd Garrison feared being sent to the front line
3. Worker’s growing anger over the economic plight
, BOLSHEVIK COUP OR CIVIL UNREST?
July Days were a Planned Bolshevik Coup July Days were just civil unrest
Lenin was forced into hiding in Finland Lack of coherent leadership
Leaking of PG letter that showed Lenin was in Lenin was on holiday when rioting began
the pay of Germans and had been sent to
undermine the war effort
Izvestia denounces Bolsheviks Lenin appealed to Bolshevik Central Committee
for restraint and they called off the
demonstration planned for the next day
Sukhanov talks of armed groups led by Lenin bottled it when he was giving a speech
'Bolshevik lieutenants'
Lenin didn't dissociate himself from the Trotsky argued it had not been started by
demonstrations Bolsheviks, and instead argued that they had
come to the aid of workers and Kronstadt sailors
Trotsky, and Kamenev were all arrested Once the crowd had been broken up by the
Cossacks on the Liteiny Prospekt and people had
scattered, the crowd turned into a mob and
began looting shops, houses and attacking well-
dressed passers-by
A month before at the first All Russian Congress The Soviet Chairman, Chkheidze, calmly handed
of Soviets, Lenin had argued that the Bolshevik the mob's hysterical leader a manifesto that had
party was ready to take power been printed the evening before.
A number of non-Bolshevik revolutionaries had When Chernov was 'kidnapped', people shouted
been demanding for some time that the "Take power you son of a bitch when it is
Petrograd Soviet should seize power handed you"
Demonstrators chanted the Bolshevik slogans Neither Lenin nor Trotsky believed the
('All power to the Soviets' and 'Peace, Bread, Bolsheviks could keep power should they take it
Land') following the July Days
Bolshevik newspapers were banned following Bolsheviks tried to transform rising into peaceful
the uprising and Bolsheviks were discredited as demonstration (until the shooting started)
traitors and spies
800 Bolsheviks were imprisoned Proletariat felt betrayed by the Bolsheviks and
easily believed in PG's claim that they work for
Germans
Bolshevik Military Organisation in the
Petrograd Garrison encouraged an uprising;
Lenin first arrived at Finland Station on 3rd April 1917
MAIN POINTS OF THE APRIL THESES
• Create a workers’ administration to replace the bourgeoise bureaucracy
• Confiscation of large estates and nationalisation of banks
• End to WW1
• Bolsheviks did not support the PG
WHY DID HIS ARRIVAL IN PETROGRAD HAVE SUCH A LARGE IMPACT?
• Radical demands that appealed to soldiers and workers
• Welcomed the revolution but said it was far from complete
o Mensheviks claimed he was ignoring the teachings of Marx.
• Provided a radically different alternative to PG and moderate socialists
• Offered immediate solutions to problems
• His ideas meant the Bolsheviks were easily distinguished from other parties
• Large crowds (many were offered free beer to turn up)
• Lenin can be seen to have been the spark of inspiration that people needed
JULY DAYS
Important Dates Important People
3rd June: First All-Russian Congress Lenin
of Soviets begins
3-4 July: July Days Chernov
5-6 July: Lenin flees, Bolsheviks Kerensky
arrested in Petrograd
8th July: Kerensky becomes Prime Kamenev & Zinoviev
Minister
Trotsky
CAUSES
1. Failure of the Summer Offensive
2. Petrograd Garrison feared being sent to the front line
3. Worker’s growing anger over the economic plight
, BOLSHEVIK COUP OR CIVIL UNREST?
July Days were a Planned Bolshevik Coup July Days were just civil unrest
Lenin was forced into hiding in Finland Lack of coherent leadership
Leaking of PG letter that showed Lenin was in Lenin was on holiday when rioting began
the pay of Germans and had been sent to
undermine the war effort
Izvestia denounces Bolsheviks Lenin appealed to Bolshevik Central Committee
for restraint and they called off the
demonstration planned for the next day
Sukhanov talks of armed groups led by Lenin bottled it when he was giving a speech
'Bolshevik lieutenants'
Lenin didn't dissociate himself from the Trotsky argued it had not been started by
demonstrations Bolsheviks, and instead argued that they had
come to the aid of workers and Kronstadt sailors
Trotsky, and Kamenev were all arrested Once the crowd had been broken up by the
Cossacks on the Liteiny Prospekt and people had
scattered, the crowd turned into a mob and
began looting shops, houses and attacking well-
dressed passers-by
A month before at the first All Russian Congress The Soviet Chairman, Chkheidze, calmly handed
of Soviets, Lenin had argued that the Bolshevik the mob's hysterical leader a manifesto that had
party was ready to take power been printed the evening before.
A number of non-Bolshevik revolutionaries had When Chernov was 'kidnapped', people shouted
been demanding for some time that the "Take power you son of a bitch when it is
Petrograd Soviet should seize power handed you"
Demonstrators chanted the Bolshevik slogans Neither Lenin nor Trotsky believed the
('All power to the Soviets' and 'Peace, Bread, Bolsheviks could keep power should they take it
Land') following the July Days
Bolshevik newspapers were banned following Bolsheviks tried to transform rising into peaceful
the uprising and Bolsheviks were discredited as demonstration (until the shooting started)
traitors and spies
800 Bolsheviks were imprisoned Proletariat felt betrayed by the Bolsheviks and
easily believed in PG's claim that they work for
Germans
Bolshevik Military Organisation in the
Petrograd Garrison encouraged an uprising;
