2.3.2. The Revolution of October 1917

As the conflict between the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks grew, Lenin feared the Provisional Government would set up a dictatorship. In September, he began discussions for an uprising against the government. Bolshevik supporters in the army, soviets and factories were brought together.

In September 1917, Lenin became increasingly worried that the Provisional Government might impose a dictatorship, which would jeopardize the revolution. Therefore, he started planning an uprising. This involved mobilizing Bolshevik supporters across various sectors, including the army and workers in factories, to unite against the Provisional Government.

This was akin to a team preparing for a crucial final match. The coach (Lenin) sees that the rival team (Provisional Government) might cheat to win, so he gathers all his players (Bolshevik supporters) to strategize their approach before the match begins.

On 16 October 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure of power. A Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet under Leon Trotskii to organise the seizure. The date of the event was kept a secret.

Lenin successfully convinced the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party on October 16, 1917, to agree on an organized takeover of the government. To facilitate this, the Military Revolutionary Committee was formed, led by Trotskii, which would oversee the planned actions. Keeping the details secret was crucial to ensuring the element of surprise against the Provisional Government.

Imagine planning a surprise birthday party. The party organizer (Trotskii) sets up a committee and chooses a date, but keeps it a secret from the guest of honor (Provisional Government) to make the surprise effective.

The uprising began on 24 October. Sensing trouble, Prime Minister Kerenskii had left the city to summon troops. At dawn, military men loyal to the government seized the buildings of two Bolshevik newspapers. Pro-government troops were sent to take over telephone and telegraph offices and protect the Winter Palace. In a swift response, the Military Revolutionary Committee ordered its supporters to seize government offices and arrest ministers.

On October 24, 1917, the planned uprising was initiated. The Prime Minister, seeing the growing unrest, left Petrograd to gather troops for support. However, as the government was distracted, military loyal to the Bolsheviks quickly took over various strategic buildings, marking the start of the revolution. The Military Revolutionary Committee then commanded Bolshevik supporters to capture key government offices and arrest officials.

This is similar to a well-coordinated sports heist, where players suddenly take control of the ball and the plays while the referee (government) is distracted, leading to a sudden change in power during the game.

Late in the day, the ship Aurora shelled the Winter Palace. Other vessels sailed down the Neva and took over various military points. By nightfall, the city was under the committee’s control and the ministers had surrendered. At a meeting of the All Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd, the majority approved the Bolshevik action. Uprisings took place in other cities. There was heavy fighting – especially in Moscow – but by December, the Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow-Petrograd area.

The culmination of the October Revolution occurred late on October 24, with the ship Aurora firing on the Winter Palace, signaling the beginning of intense waterway engagements. By the end of the day, Petrograd was firmly under Bolshevik control, and other cities soon followed suit despite some resistance. The Bolsheviks' decisive actions led them to dominate the key areas by December 1917.

Think of it as an intense game of capture the flag, where the team not only secures their own base but manages to take over the opposing team's flag and their territory swiftly, claiming victory in the end.

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