Developments between the Revolutions of 1917 (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Trotsky and Preparations for Revolution
Trotsky's organisational role
Once the decision for action had passed, Trotsky assumed primary responsibility for organising the insurrection. His approach combined political mobilisation with military preparation.
Trotsky dispatched Bolshevik speakers to factories throughout Petrograd to generate support for the uprising and gauge worker sentiment. Simultaneously, he coordinated with the Soviet Executive, gaining institutional backing for what would formally appear as a Soviet-led rather than purely Bolshevik action.
On 5 October, Trotsky arranged for the Soviet Executive to establish the Military Revolutionary Committee. This body, officially created on 16 October, served as the command structure for the insurrection. The Committee comprised 66 members, of whom 48 were Bolsheviks, ensuring that the party maintained control while preserving a multi-party façade.
Trotsky shared leadership of the Military Revolutionary Committee with Felix Dzerzhinsky. The Committee operated from the Smolny Institute, which became the headquarters for Bolshevik forces during the uprising.
Trotsky's strategy was politically sophisticated: by establishing the Military Revolutionary Committee through the Soviet Executive and including non-Bolshevik members, he created the appearance of broad socialist support for the uprising. However, with 48 of 66 members being Bolsheviks, the party maintained firm control over all revolutionary operations.
Military preparations
Trotsky organized concrete military measures to ensure the success of the insurrection. He concentrated troops at the Bolshevik headquarters in the Smolny Institute, creating a defensible command center.
The Committee established Bolshevik militias by incorporating several existing armed groups:
- Red Guards: factory-based paramilitary units
- Former Tsarist soldiers who had joined the Bolsheviks
- Former policemen who had defected to the revolutionary cause
The Committee sent Commissars to Petrograd's garrison units with instructions to secure their allegiance. These Commissars performed multiple functions: ensuring loyalty to the Soviet rather than the Provisional Government, issuing orders to military units, and organizing weapons and ammunition supplies.
The strategy succeeded in neutralizing the Provisional Government's military strength. Of the 18 garrison units stationed in Petrograd, 15 declared their allegiance to the Soviet instead of the government. This effectively meant that the Provisional Government could not rely on military forces to defend itself against insurrection.
The Collapse of Government Military Support
The success of the Commissars was devastating for the Provisional Government. With 15 of 18 garrison units declaring allegiance to the Soviet, the government lost its ability to defend itself militarily. This strategic victory was achieved before the official revolution began, making the actual seizure of power on 25 October largely a formality.
Forces assembled
By the time preparations concluded, the Military Revolutionary Committee controlled substantial military strength:
- 200,000 Red Guards
- 60,000 Baltic sailors
- 150,000 soldiers from the remaining Petrograd Garrison units
These forces created what amounted to a state of mutiny and armed revolution even before the official "Bolshevik Revolution" commenced on 25 October. The groundwork laid by Trotsky meant that when the actual seizure of power occurred, the outcome was already determined by the balance of forces.
The Revolution Before the Revolution
The sheer scale of forces assembled—over 400,000 armed personnel loyal to the Soviet—transformed Petrograd into a revolutionary stronghold weeks before the official uprising. The Provisional Government faced not a sudden coup, but a gradual military takeover that had already shifted the balance of power decisively in favor of the Bolsheviks.
Key figure: Felix Dzerzhinsky (1877-1926)
Felix Dzerzhinsky joined the Social Democrats in 1895 and spent extended periods in exile before 1917. His reputation for unwavering loyalty to Lenin and his ruthlessness made him well-suited for roles requiring decisive action. He co-led the Military Revolutionary Committee alongside Trotsky during the October Revolution. In December 1917, Lenin appointed him head of the Cheka, the new secret police force. In this position, Dzerzhinsky became responsible for implementing the "Red Terror" of the 1920s, conducting mass arrests, executions, and suppression of opposition.
Remember!
- Lenin returned to Petrograd on 10 October 1917 and successfully persuaded the Central Committee to vote for immediate armed insurrection (ten votes to two), overcoming opposition from Kamenev and Zinoviev.
- Trotsky assumed primary responsibility for organising the practical details of the revolution, establishing the Military Revolutionary Committee on 16 October with 66 members (48 Bolsheviks).
- The Committee sent Commissars to garrison units throughout Petrograd; 15 of 18 units declared allegiance to the Soviet rather than the Provisional Government, effectively neutralising government military strength.
- By 25 October, Trotsky had assembled 200,000 Red Guards, 60,000 Baltic sailors, and 150,000 soldiers, creating a state of armed revolution before the official uprising began.
- Lenin justified immediate action by arguing that political circumstances had ripened, masses were exhausted with the Provisional Government, and waiting for the Constituent Assembly would needlessly complicate their task.