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5 revolutions in 1917. History and consequences of the October Revolution. The final weakening of the reputation of the Provisional Government

The history of the October Socialist Revolution is one of those topics that have attracted and are attracting the greatest attention of foreign and Russian historiography, because it was as a result of the victory of the October Revolution that the situation of all classes and sections of the population, their parties, radically changed. The Bolsheviks became the ruling party, leading the work to create a new state and social system.
On October 26, a decree on peace and land was adopted. In the wake of the decree on peace, on land Soviet authority adopted laws: on the introduction of workers' control over the production and distribution of products, on the 8-hour working day, the "Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia." The Declaration proclaimed that from now on in Russia there are no dominant nations and oppressed nations, all peoples receive equal rights to free development, to self-determination up to secession and the formation of an independent state.
The October Revolution marked the beginning of profound, all-encompassing social change throughout the world. The landlords' land was transferred free of charge into the hands of the working peasantry, and factories, factories, mines, railways - into the hands of the workers, making them public property.

Causes of the October Revolution

On August 1, 1914, the First World War began in Russia, which lasted until November 11, 1918, the cause of which was the struggle for spheres of influence in conditions when a single European market and legal mechanism had not been created.
Russia was on the defensive in this war. And although the patriotism and heroism of the soldiers and officers was great, there was no single will, no serious plans for waging war, no sufficient supply of ammunition, uniforms and food. This instilled uncertainty in the army. She lost her soldiers and suffered defeats. The Minister of War was put on trial, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was removed from his post. Nicholas II himself became commander-in-chief. But the situation has not improved. Despite continuous economic growth (the production of coal and oil, the production of shells, guns and other types of weapons grew, huge reserves were accumulated in case of a prolonged war), the situation developed in such a way that during the war years Russia found itself without an authoritative government, without an authoritative prime minister. minister, and without an authoritative Headquarters. The officer corps was replenished with educated people, i.e. intelligentsia, which was subject to oppositional moods, and everyday participation in the war, which lacked the most necessary, gave food for doubts.
The growing centralization of economic management, carried out against the backdrop of a growing shortage of raw materials, fuel, transport, skilled labor, accompanied by widespread speculation and abuse, led to the fact that the role state regulation increased along with the growth of negative factors in the economy (History of the domestic state and law. Part 1: Textbook / Edited by O. I. Chistyakov. - M .: BEK Publishing House, 1998)

Queues appeared in the cities, standing in which was a psychological breakdown for hundreds of thousands of workers and workers.
The predominance of military production over civilian production and the rise in food prices led to a steady increase in prices for all consumer goods. Wherein wage did not keep up with the rise in prices. Discontent grew both in the rear and at the front. And it turned primarily against the monarch and his government.
Considering that from November 1916 to March 1917, three prime ministers, two ministers of the interior and two ministers of agriculture were replaced, then the expression of the convinced monarchist V. Shulgin about the situation that developed at that time in Russia is really true: “autocracy without an autocrat” .
Among a number of prominent politicians, in semi-legal organizations and circles, a conspiracy was ripening, and plans were discussed to remove Nicholas II from power. It was supposed to seize the tsar's train between Mogilev and Petrograd and force the monarch to abdicate.
The October Revolution was a major step towards the transformation feudal state into the bourgeois. October created a fundamentally new Soviet state. The October Revolution was caused by a number of objective and subjective reasons. First of all, the class contradictions that aggravated in 1917 should be attributed to the objective ones:

The contradictions inherent in bourgeois society are the antagonism between labor and capital. The Russian bourgeoisie, young and inexperienced, failed to see the danger of coming class tensions and did not take sufficient measures in time to reduce the intensity of the class struggle as much as possible.
Conflicts in the countryside, which developed even more acutely. The peasants, who for centuries dreamed of taking away the land from the landowners and driving them away themselves, were not satisfied with either the reform of 1861 or the Stolypin reform. They frankly longed to get all the land and get rid of old exploiters. In addition, from the very beginning of the 20th century, a new contradiction escalated in the countryside, connected with the differentiation of the peasantry itself. This stratification intensified after the Stolypin reform, which attempted to create a new class of owners in the countryside through the redistribution of peasant lands associated with the destruction of the community. Now, in addition to the landowner, the broad peasant masses also had a new enemy - the kulak, even more hated, since he came from his environment.
National conflicts. The national movement, which was not very strong in the period 1905-1907, escalated after February and gradually increased towards the autumn of 1917.
World War. The first chauvinistic frenzy that gripped certain sections of society at the beginning of the war soon dissipated, and by 1917 the overwhelming mass of the population, suffering from the many-sided hardships of the war, longed for the speediest conclusion of peace. First of all, this concerned, of course, the soldiers. The village is also tired of endless sacrifices. Only the upper class of the bourgeoisie, which made huge amounts of money on military supplies, stood up for the continuation of the war to a victorious end. But the war also had other consequences. First of all, it armed the vast masses of workers and peasants, taught them how to handle weapons and helped overcome the natural barrier that forbids a person to kill other people.
The weakness of the Provisional Government and the entire state apparatus created by it. If immediately after February, the Provisional Government had some kind of authority, then the further, the more it lost it, being unable to solve the pressing problems of society, primarily questions about peace, bread, and land. Simultaneously with the decline in the authority of the Provisional Government, the influence and importance of the Soviets grew, promising to give the people everything they craved.

Along with objective factors, subjective factors were also important:

Widespread popularity in the society of socialist ideas. Thus, by the beginning of the century, Marxism had become a kind of fashion among the Russian intelligentsia. He found a response in wider popular circles. Even in the Orthodox Church at the beginning of the 20th century, a movement of Christian socialism, albeit a small one, emerged.
The existence in Russia of a party ready to lead the masses to revolution - the Bolshevik Party. This party is not the largest in number (the Socialist-Revolutionaries had more), however, it was the most organized and purposeful.
The fact that the Bolsheviks had a strong leader, authoritative both in the party itself and among the people, who managed to become a real leader in a few months after February - V.I. Lenin.

As a result, the October armed uprising won victory in Petrograd with greater ease than the February Revolution, and almost without bloodshed, precisely as a result of a combination of all the factors mentioned above. Its result was the emergence of the Soviet state.

The legal side of the October Revolution of 1917

In the autumn of 1917, the political crisis intensified in the country. At the same time, the Bolsheviks were actively working to prepare the uprising. It started and went according to plan.
During the uprising in Petrograd, by October 25, 1917, all key points in the city were occupied by detachments of the Petrograd garrison and the Red Guard. By the evening of that day, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies began its work, proclaiming itself the highest authority in Russia. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee, formed by the First Congress of Soviets in the summer of 1917, was re-elected.
The Second Congress of Soviets elected a new All-Russian Central Executive Committee and formed the Council of People's Commissars, which became the government of Russia. ( The World History: Textbook for universities / Ed. G.B. Polyak, A.N. Markova. - M.: Culture and Sport, UNITI, 1997) The congress was of a constituent nature: it created the governing state bodies and adopted the first acts that had constitutional, fundamental significance. The Decree on Peace proclaimed the principles of long-term foreign policy Russia - peaceful coexistence and "proletarian internationalism", the right of nations to self-determination.
The Decree on Land was based on peasant mandates formulated by the soviets as early as August 1917. A variety of forms of land use were proclaimed (household, farm, communal, artel), confiscation of landowners' lands and estates, which were transferred to the disposal of volost land committees and county councils of peasant deputies. The right to private ownership of land was abolished. The use of hired labor and the lease of land were prohibited. Later, these provisions were enshrined in the Decree “On the Socialization of the Land” in January 1918. The Second Congress of Soviets also adopted two appeals: “To the Citizens of Russia” and “To the Workers, Soldiers and Peasants”, which spoke of the transfer of power to the Military Revolutionary Committee , the Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, and locally - local councils.

The practical implementation of the political and legal doctrine of “breaking” the old state was sanctioned by a number of acts: the November 1917 Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the SNK on the destruction of estates and civil ranks, the October resolution of the Second Congress of Soviets on the formation of revolutionary committees in the army, the January 1918 Decree of the SNK on separation of the church from the state, etc. First of all, it was supposed to liquidate the repressive and administrative bodies of the old state, preserving for some time its technical and statistical apparatus.
Many of the provisions formulated in the first decrees and declarations of the new government were calculated in their actions for a certain period - up to the convocation of the Constituent Assembly.

Peaceful development of the revolution in the conditions of dual power

With the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, the legal system that had developed since 1906 ceased to exist. No other legal system regulating the activities of the state was created.
Now the fate of the country depended on political forces, the activity and responsibility of political leaders, their ability to control the behavior of the masses.
After the February Revolution, the main political parties operated in Russia: the Cadets, Octobrists, Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. The policy of the Provisional Government was determined by the Cadets. They were supported by the Octobrists, Mensheviks and Right SRs. The Bolsheviks, at their VII (April 1917) conference, approved the course for preparing a socialist revolution.
In order to stabilize the situation and alleviate the food crisis, the interim government introduced a rationing system, raised purchase prices, and increased the import of meat, fish and other products. The bread apportionment, introduced back in 1916, was supplemented by a meat appropriation, and armed military detachments were sent to forcibly seize bread and meat from the peasants in the countryside.
The provisional government in the spring and summer of 1917 experienced three political crises: April, June and July. During these crises, mass demonstrations took place under the slogans: “All power to the Soviets!”, “Down with the ten capitalist ministers!”, “Down with the war!”. These slogans were put forward by the Bolshevik Party.
The July crisis of the Provisional Government began on July 4, 1917, when a 500,000-strong demonstration took place in Petrograd under Bolshevik slogans. During the demonstration, there were spontaneous skirmishes, as a result of which more than 400 people were killed and wounded. Petrograd was declared under martial law, the Pravda newspaper was closed, an order was issued for the arrest of V.I. Lenin and a number of other Bolsheviks. A second coalition government was formed (the first was formed on May 6 (18), 1917 as a result of the April crisis), headed by A.F. Kerensky, endowed with emergency powers. This meant the end of dual power.
In late July and early August 1917, the Sixth Congress of the Bolshevik Party was held semi-legally in Petrograd. Due to the fact that the dual power was over and the Soviets were powerless, the Bolsheviks temporarily removed the slogan "All power to the Soviets!". The congress proclaimed a course towards an armed seizure of power.
On September 1, 1917, Russia was proclaimed a republic, power passed to the Directory of five people under the leadership of A.F. Kerensky. At the end of September, the third coalition government was formed, headed by A.F. Kerensky.
The socio-economic and political crisis in the country continued to grow. Many industrial enterprises closed, unemployment rose, military spending and taxes increased, inflation raged, food was scarce, the poorest sections of the population faced the threat of starvation. In the countryside there were mass peasant uprisings, unauthorized seizure of landowners' lands.

October armed uprising

The Bolshevik Party, putting forward topical slogans, has achieved an increase in influence among the masses. Its ranks grew rapidly: if in February 1917 it numbered 24 thousand, in April - 80 thousand, in August - 240 thousand, then in October about - 400 thousand people. In September 1917, the Bolshevization of the Soviets took place; The Petrograd Soviet was headed by the Bolshevik L.D. Trotsky (1879-1940), and the Moscow Soviet - the Bolshevik V.P. Nogin (1878-1924).
In the current conditions, V.I. Lenin (1870-1924) believed that the time was ripe for preparing and carrying out an armed uprising. This issue was discussed at meetings of the Central Committee of the RSDLP(b) on October 10 and 16, 1917. The Petrograd Soviet created the Military Revolutionary Committee, which turned into the headquarters for preparing the uprising. The armed uprising began on October 24, 1917. On October 24 and 25, revolutionary-minded soldiers and sailors, Red Guard workers seized the telegraph, bridges, railway stations, telephone exchange, and the headquarters building. The Provisional Government was arrested in the Winter Palace (except for Kerensky, who had previously left for reinforcements). The uprising from Smolny was led by V.I. Lenin.
On the evening of October 25 (November 7), 1917, the II All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies opened. The congress heard and adopted what V.I. Lenin's appeal "To the Workers, Soldiers and Peasants", which announced the transfer of power to the Second Congress of Soviets, and in the localities - to the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies. On the evening of October 26 (November 8), 1917, the Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land were adopted. The congress formed the first Soviet government - the Council of People's Commissars, consisting of: Chairman V.I. Lenin; people's commissars: for foreign affairs L.D. Trotsky, for nationalities I.V. Stalin (1879-1953) and others. L.B. was elected Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Kamenev (1883-1936), and after his resignation Ya.M. Sverdlov (1885-1919).
On November 3, 1917, Soviet power was established in Moscow and the “triumphal procession” of Soviet power began throughout the country.
One of the main reasons for the rapid spread of the Bolshevik Soviets throughout the country was the fact that the October Revolution was carried out under the sign not so much of socialist as of general democratic tasks.
So, the result of the February Revolution of 1917 was the overthrow of the autocracy, the abdication of the tsar from the throne, the emergence of dual power in the country: the dictatorship of the big bourgeoisie in the person of the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies, representing the revolutionary democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry.
The victory of the February Revolution was a victory for all active sections of the population over the medieval autocracy, a breakthrough that brought Russia on a par with the advanced countries in terms of proclaiming democratic and political freedoms.
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first victorious revolution in Russia and turned Russia, thanks to the overthrow of tsarism, into one of the most democratic countries. Arising in March 1917. the dual power was a reflection of the fact that the era of imperialism and the world war unusually accelerated the course of the country's historical development, the transition to more radical transformations. The international significance of the February bourgeois-democratic revolution is also extremely great. Under its influence, the strike movement of the proletariat intensified in many belligerent countries.
The main event of this revolution for Russia itself was the need to carry out long overdue reforms on the basis of compromises and coalitions, the rejection of violence in politics.

By the end of 1916, a deep economic, political and social crisis had matured in Russia, which in February 1917 resulted in a revolution.
On February 18, a strike began at the Putilov factory; On February 25 the strike became general; On February 26, an armed uprising began; On February 27, a significant part of the army went over to the side of the revolution.
At the same time, the revolutionary workers elected the Petrograd Soviet, which was headed by the Menshevik N.S. Chkheidze (1864-1926) and Socialist-Revolutionary A.F. Kerensky (1881-1970). A Provisional Committee headed by M.V. was created in the State Duma. Rodzianko (1859-1924). This committee, in agreement with the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, formed the Provisional Government headed by Prince G.E. Lvov (1861-1925). It included the leader of the Cadets party P.N. Guchkov (1862-1936) (military and naval minister), Socialist-Revolutionary A.F. Kerensky (Minister of Justice), and others. Most of the ministerial posts were occupied by representatives of the Cadets. Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918), under pressure from the revolutionary masses, abdicated on March 2 (15), 1917.
A characteristic feature of the February Revolution was the formation of dual power. On the one hand, the Provisional Bourgeois Government operated, and on the other, the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies (in July 1917 the Soviets ceded their power to the Provisional Government). The February revolution, having won in Petrograd, quickly spread throughout the country.
The year 1917 entered forever into the centuries-old annals of mankind as the date of the beginning of a new era - the era of transition from capitalism to socialism, the era of the struggle for the liberation of peoples from imperialism, for an end to wars between peoples, for the overthrow of the rule of capital, for socialism.

The October Revolution of 1917 took place on October 25 according to the old or November 7 according to the new style. The initiator, ideologist and protagonist of the revolution was the Bolshevik Party (Russian Social Democratic Bolshevik Party), led by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (party pseudonym Lenin) and Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Trotsky). As a result, power has changed in Russia. Instead of a bourgeois country, a proletarian government headed.

Goals of the October Revolution of 1917

Building a more just society than capitalist
Ending the exploitation of man by man
Equality of people in rights and duties
The main motto of the socialist revolution of 1917 is "To each according to his needs, from each according to his work"
Fight against wars
world socialist revolution

Revolution slogans

"Power to the Soviets"
"Peace to the nations"
"Land - to the peasants"
"Factories - to workers"

Objective causes of the October Revolution of 1917

Economic difficulties experienced by Russia due to participation in the First World War
Huge human losses from the same
Unsuccessfully developing affairs on the fronts
The mediocre leadership of the country, first by the tsarist, then by the bourgeois (Provisional) government
The unresolved peasant question (the issue of allocating land to the peasants)
Difficult living conditions for workers
Almost complete illiteracy of the people
Unfair national politics

Subjective causes of the October Revolution of 1917

The presence in Russia of a small, but well-organized, disciplined group - the Bolshevik Party
The primacy in it of the great historical Personality - V. I. Lenin
The absence in the camp of her opponents of a person of the same magnitude
The ideological throwing of the intelligentsia: from Orthodoxy and nationalism to anarchism and support for terrorism
The activities of German intelligence and diplomacy, which had the goal of weakening Russia, as one of Germany's opponents in the war
Passivity of the population

Interesting: the causes of the Russian revolution according to the writer Nikolai Starikov

Methods for building a new society

Nationalization and transfer to state ownership of the means of production and land
Eradication of private property
Physical elimination of political opposition
Concentration of power in the hands of one party
Atheism instead of religion
Marxism-Leninism instead of Orthodoxy

Trotsky led the direct seizure of power by the Bolsheviks.

“By the night of the 24th, the members of the Revolutionary Committee dispersed to the districts. I was left alone. Later came Kamenev. He was opposed to the uprising. But he came to spend this decisive night with me, and we remained together in a small corner room on the third floor, which looked like a captain's bridge on the decisive night of the revolution. There was a telephone booth in the adjoining large and deserted room. They called continuously, about the important and the trifles. The bells emphasized the wary silence even more sharply... Detachments of workers, sailors, and soldiers are awake in the districts. Young proletarians have rifles and machine-gun belts over their shoulders. Street pickets are basking around fires. Two dozen telephones concentrate the spiritual life of the capital, which squeezes its head from one era to another on an autumn night.
In the room on the third floor, news converges from all districts, suburbs and approaches to the capital. As if everything is foreseen, leaders are in place, connections are secured, nothing seems to be forgotten. Let's mentally check again. This night decides.
... I give the order to the commissars to set up reliable military barriers on the roads to Petrograd and send agitators to meet the units called by the government ... "If you don’t keep words, use weapons. You are responsible for this with your head.” I repeat this phrase several times…. The outer guard of Smolny was strengthened by a new machine-gun team. Communication with all parts of the garrison remains uninterrupted. Duty companies are awake in all regiments. Commissioners are in place. Armed detachments move from the districts through the streets, ring the bells at the gates or open them without ringing, and occupy one office after another.
... In the morning I pounce on the bourgeois and compromising press. Not a word about the uprising that had begun.
The government still met in the Winter Palace, but it had already become only a shadow of itself. It no longer existed politically. During October 25, the Winter Palace was gradually cordoned off by our troops from all sides. At one o'clock in the afternoon I reported to the Petrograd Soviet on the state of affairs. Here is how the newspaper report portrays this report:
“On behalf of the Military Revolutionary Committee, I announce that the Provisional Government no longer exists. (Applause.) Individual ministers have been arrested. ("Bravo!") Others will be arrested in the coming days or hours. (Applause.) The revolutionary garrison, at the disposal of the Military Revolutionary Committee, dissolved the meeting of the Pre-Parliament. (Loud applause.) We stayed awake here at night and watched over the telephone wire how detachments of revolutionary soldiers and the workers' guards silently carried out their work. The layman slept peacefully and did not know that at this time one power was being replaced by another. Stations, post office, telegraph, the Petrograd Telegraph Agency, the State Bank are busy. (Loud applause.) The Winter Palace has not yet been taken, but its fate will be decided in the next few minutes. (Applause.)"
This naked report can give the wrong impression of the mood of the meeting. That's what my memory tells me. When I reported on the change of power that had taken place during the night, there was a tense silence for several seconds. Then applause came, but not stormy, but thoughtful ... “Can we overcome it?” – many people asked themselves mentally. Hence a moment of anxious reflection. Let's do it, everyone replied. New dangers loomed in the distant future. And now there was a feeling great victory, and this feeling sang in the blood. It found its way out in a stormy meeting arranged for Lenin, who first appeared at this meeting after an absence of almost four months.(Trotsky "My Life").

Results of the October Revolution of 1917

In Russia, the elite has completely changed. The one that ruled the state for 1000 years, set the tone in politics, economics, public life, was a role model and an object of envy and hatred, gave way to others who before that really “was nothing”
The Russian Empire fell, but its place was taken by the Soviet Empire, which for several decades became one of the two countries (together with the United States) that led the world community
The tsar was replaced by Stalin, who acquired much more powers than any Russian emperor.
The ideology of Orthodoxy was replaced by communist
Russia (more precisely Soviet Union) within a few years turned from an agricultural into a powerful industrial power
Literacy has become universal
The Soviet Union achieved the withdrawal of education and medical care from the system of commodity-money relations
There was no unemployment in the USSR
In recent decades, the leadership of the USSR has achieved almost complete equality of the population in income and opportunities.
In the Soviet Union there was no division of people into poor and rich
In the numerous wars that Russia waged during the years of Soviet power, as a result of terror, from various economic experiments, tens of millions of people died, the fates of probably the same number of people were broken, distorted, millions left the country, becoming emigrants
The country's gene pool has changed catastrophically
The lack of incentives to work, the absolute centralization of the economy, huge military spending led Russia (USSR) to a significant technological, technical lag behind the developed countries of the world.
In Russia (USSR), in practice, democratic freedoms were completely absent - speech, conscience, demonstrations, rallies, press (although they were declared in the Constitution).
The proletariat of Russia lived materially much worse than the workers of Europe and America.

To understand when there was a revolution in Russia, it is necessary to look back at the era. It was under the last emperor from the Romanov dynasty that the country was shaken by several social crises that caused the people to oppose the government. Historians single out the revolution of 1905-1907, the February revolution and the October year.

Background of revolutions

Until 1905, the Russian Empire lived under the laws of an absolute monarchy. The king was the sole autocrat. It depended only on him to accept important government decisions. In the 19th century, such a conservative order of things did not suit a very small stratum of society from intellectuals and marginals. These people were guided by the West, where the Great French Revolution had long since taken place as a good example. She destroyed the power of the Bourbons and gave the inhabitants of the country civil liberties.

Even before the first revolutions took place in Russia, society learned about what political terror is. Radical supporters of change took up arms and staged assassination attempts on top government officials in order to force the authorities to pay attention to their demands.

Tsar Alexander II ascended the throne during Crimean War, which Russia lost due to the systematic economic lagging behind the West. The bitter defeat forced the young monarch to embark on reforms. The main one was the abolition of serfdom in 1861. Zemstvo, judicial, administrative and other reforms followed.

However, the radicals and terrorists were still unhappy. Many of them demanded a constitutional monarchy or even the abolition of tsarist power. The Narodnaya Volya organized a dozen assassination attempts on Alexander II. In 1881 he was killed. Under his son, Alexander III, a reactionary campaign was launched. Terrorists and political activists were severely repressed. This calmed the situation for a while. But the first revolutions in Russia were still just around the corner.

Mistakes of Nicholas II

Alexander III died in 1894 in the Crimean residence, where he improved his failing health. The monarch was relatively young (he was only 49 years old), and his death came as a complete surprise to the country. Russia froze in anticipation. The eldest son of Alexander III, Nicholas II, was on the throne. His reign (when there was a revolution in Russia) from the very beginning was overshadowed by unpleasant events.

First, in one of his first public speeches, the tsar declared that the desire of the progressive public for change was "meaningless dreams." For this phrase, Nikolai was criticized by all his opponents - from liberals to socialists. The monarch even got it from the great writer Leo Tolstoy. The count ridiculed the emperor's absurd statement in his article, written under the impression of what he heard.

Secondly, during the coronation ceremony of Nicholas II in Moscow, an accident occurred. The city authorities organized a festive event for the peasants and the poor. They were promised free "presents" from the king. So thousands of people ended up on the Khodynka field. At some point, a stampede began, which killed hundreds of passers-by. Later, when there was a revolution in Russia, many called these events symbolic allusions to a future big trouble.

The Russian revolutions also had objective reasons. What were they? In 1904, Nicholas II got involved in the war against Japan. The conflict flared up due to the influence of two rival powers on Far East. Inept preparation, extended communications, a hatred attitude towards the enemy - all this became the reason for the defeat Russian army in that war. In 1905, a peace treaty was signed. Russia gave Japan the southern part of Sakhalin Island, as well as lease rights to the strategically important South Manchurian Railway.

At the beginning of the war, there was a surge of patriotism and hostility to the next national enemies in the country. Now, after the defeat, the revolution of 1905-1907 broke out with unprecedented force. in Russia. People wanted fundamental changes in the life of the state. Discontent was especially felt among the workers and peasants, whose standard of living was extremely low.

Bloody Sunday

The main reason for the start of the civil confrontation was the tragic events in St. Petersburg. On January 22, 1905, a delegation of workers went to the Winter Palace with a petition to the tsar. The proletarians asked the monarch to improve their working conditions, increase salaries, etc. Political demands were also voiced, the main of which was to convene a Constituent Assembly - a popular representation on the Western parliamentary model.

The police dispersed the procession. Firearms were used. According to various estimates, between 140 and 200 people died. The tragedy became known as Bloody Sunday. When the event became known throughout the country, mass strikes began in Russia. The dissatisfaction of the workers was fueled by professional revolutionaries and agitators of leftist convictions, who until then had carried out only underground work. The liberal opposition also became more active.

First Russian Revolution

Strikes and strikes had different intensity depending on the region of the empire. Revolution 1905-1907 in Russia, it raged especially strongly on the national outskirts of the state. For example, the Polish socialists managed to convince about 400,000 workers in the Kingdom of Poland not to go to work. Similar riots took place in the Baltic States and Georgia.

The radical political parties (Bolsheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries) decided that this was their last chance to seize power in the country with the help of an uprising of the masses. The agitators worked not only on peasants and workers, but also on ordinary soldiers. Thus began the armed uprisings in the army. The most famous episode in this series is the uprising on the battleship Potemkin.

In October 1905, the united St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers' Deputies began its work, which coordinated the actions of the strikers throughout the capital of the empire. The events of the revolution took on a most violent character in December. It led to battles on Presnya and other parts of the city.

October 17 Manifesto

In the autumn of 1905, Nicholas II realized that he had lost control of the situation. He could suppress numerous uprisings with the help of the army, but this would not help get rid of the deep contradictions between the government and society. The monarch began to discuss with those close to him measures to reach a compromise with the dissatisfied.

The result of his decision was the Manifesto of October 17, 1905. The development of the document was entrusted to a well-known official and diplomat Sergei Witte. Prior to that, he went to sign peace with the Japanese. Now Witte needed to have time to help his king as soon as possible. The situation was complicated by the fact that two million people were already on strike in October. Strikes covered almost all industries. Rail transport was paralyzed.

The October 17 Manifesto introduced several fundamental changes to the political system. Russian Empire. Nicholas II had previously held sole power. Now he has transferred part of his legislative powers to a new body - the State Duma. It was supposed to be elected by popular vote and become a real representative body of power.

Also established such public principles as freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, as well as the inviolability of the person. These changes became an important part of the basic state laws of the Russian Empire. Thus, in fact, the first domestic constitution appeared.

Between revolutions

The publication of the Manifesto in 1905 (when there was a revolution in Russia) helped the authorities to take the situation under control. Most of the rebels calmed down. A temporary compromise was reached. The echo of the revolution was still heard in 1906, but now it was easier for the state repressive apparatus to cope with its most implacable opponents who refused to lay down their arms.

The so-called inter-revolutionary period began, when in 1906-1917. Russia was a constitutional monarchy. Now Nicholas had to reckon with the opinion of the State Duma, which could not accept his laws. The last Russian monarch was a conservative by nature. He did not believe in liberal ideas and believed that his sole power was given to him by God. Nikolai made concessions only because he no longer had a way out.

The first two convocations of the State Duma never completed their legal term. A natural period of reaction set in, when the monarchy took revenge. At this time, Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin became the main associate of Nicholas II. His government could not reach an agreement with the Duma on some key political issues. Because of this conflict, on June 3, 1907, Nicholas II dissolved the representative assembly and made changes to the electoral system. III and IV convocations in their composition were already less radical than the first two. A dialogue began between the Duma and the government.

World War I

The main reasons for the revolution in Russia were the sole power of the monarch, which prevented the country from developing. When the principle of autocracy remained in the past, the situation stabilized. Economic growth has begun. Agrarian helped the peasants to create their own small private farms. A new social class has emerged. The country developed and grew rich before our eyes.

So why did subsequent revolutions take place in Russia? In short, Nicholas made the mistake of getting involved in World War I in 1914. Several million men were mobilized. As in the case of the Japanese campaign, at first the country experienced a patriotic upsurge. When the bloodshed dragged on, and reports of defeats began to arrive from the front, society began to worry again. No one could say for sure how long the war would drag on. The revolution in Russia was approaching again.

February Revolution

In historiography, there is the term "Great Russian Revolution". Usually, this generalized name refers to the events of 1917, when two coup d'etat took place in the country at once. The First World War hit hard on the country's economy. The impoverishment of the population continued. In the winter of 1917 in Petrograd (renamed because of anti-German sentiment) mass demonstrations of workers and townspeople began, dissatisfied with the high prices for bread.

This is how the February Revolution took place in Russia. Events developed rapidly. Nicholas II at that time was at Headquarters in Mogilev, not far from the front. The tsar, having learned about the unrest in the capital, boarded a train to return to Tsarskoye Selo. However, he was late. In Petrograd, the disgruntled army went over to the side of the rebels. The city was under the control of the rebels. On March 2, delegates went to the king, persuading him to sign his abdication. So the February Revolution in Russia left the monarchy in the past.

Restless 1917

After the beginning of the revolution was laid, the Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd. It included politicians previously known from the State Duma. They were mostly liberals or moderate socialists. Alexander Kerensky became the head of the Provisional Government.

Anarchy in the country allowed other radical political forces, such as the Bolsheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries, to become more active. The struggle for power began. Formally, it was supposed to exist until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, when the country could decide how to live on by a general vote. However, the First World War was still going on, and the ministers did not want to refuse to help their allies in the Entente. This led to a sharp drop in the popularity of the Provisional Government in the army, as well as among the workers and peasants.

In August 1917, General Lavr Kornilov tried to organize a coup d'état. He also opposed the Bolsheviks, regarding them as a radical left-wing threat to Russia. The army was already moving towards Petrograd. At this point, the Provisional Government and Lenin's supporters briefly united. Bolshevik agitators destroyed Kornilov's army from within. The rebellion failed. The provisional government survived, but not for long.

Bolshevik coup

Of all domestic revolutions, the Great October Socialist Revolution is best known. This is due to the fact that its date - November 7 (according to the new style) - has been a public holiday on the territory of the former Russian Empire for more than 70 years.

At the head of the next coup stood Vladimir Lenin and the leaders of the Bolshevik Party enlisted the support of the Petrograd garrison. On October 25, according to the old style, the armed detachments that supported the communists captured the key communication points in Petrograd - the telegraph, post office, and railway. The Provisional Government found itself isolated in the Winter Palace. After a short assault on the former royal residence, the ministers were arrested. The signal for the start of the decisive operation was a blank shot fired on the Aurora cruiser. Kerensky was not in the city, and later he managed to emigrate from Russia.

On the morning of October 26, the Bolsheviks were already the masters of Petrograd. Soon the first decrees of the new government appeared - the Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land. The provisional government was unpopular precisely because of its desire to continue the war with Kaiser's Germany, while the Russian army was tired of fighting and was demoralized.

The simple and understandable slogans of the Bolsheviks were popular with the people. The peasants finally waited for the destruction of the nobility and the deprivation of their landed property. The soldiers learned that the imperialist war was over. True, in Russia itself it was far from peace. The Civil War began. The Bolsheviks had to fight for another 4 years against their opponents (whites) throughout the country in order to establish control over the territory of the former Russian Empire. In 1922 the USSR was formed. The Great October Socialist Revolution was an event that heralded a new era in the history of not only Russia, but the whole world.

For the first time in contemporary history, radical communists came to power. October 1917 surprised and frightened Western bourgeois society. The Bolsheviks hoped that Russia would become a springboard for starting a world revolution and destroying capitalism. This did not happen.

The most important event in the history of Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century was the October Revolution. The consequences of this coup changed the country beyond recognition, redrawn the political map and became the biggest nightmare for the capitalists. The ideas of V. I. Lenin, in various variations, live in different parts of the world to this day. Today we will get acquainted with the history and consequences of the October Revolution.

Name

The October Revolution, which at that time acted in Russia, took place on October 25-26. Despite the fact that literally at the beginning of next year the state switched to the Gregorian calendar, according to which the events took place on November 7-8, the name of the coup remained unchanged. And this is despite the fact that the first anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution was already celebrated on November 7th. In order not to get confused, let's consider the chronology of events according to the old calendar, which at that time was considered the only correct one. The revolution took place in just two days, but public discontent had been brewing since the beginning of 1917. Yes, and it lasted at least another year. But we will talk about the consequences of the October Revolution later, but for now let's get acquainted with the prerequisites.

Early 1917

The First World War (1914-1918) was the main reason for the spread of protest moods throughout Europe. By the end of hostilities, four empires fell at once: German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and a little later - Ottoman.

In Russia, the war was not perceived by both the people and the army. Even the government could not formulate its true goals. The initial patriotic impulse, reinforced by the spread of anti-German propaganda, quickly faded away. Regular defeats on the fronts, retreats of troops, huge casualties and a growing food crisis - all this aroused popular discontent and an increase in the number of strikes.

At the beginning of 1917, the state situation was simply catastrophic. All sectors of society, from peasants to ministers, were dissatisfied with the policies of Nicholas II. Political and military miscalculations of the king only reduced his authority. The faith of the people in the king-father quickly lost its steadfastness. Information about the harmful influence of Rasputin on the imperial couple reached even remote provinces. Representatives of the State Duma accused the sovereign of treason, and his relatives began to seriously think about the liquidation of Alexandra Feodorovna, who now and then intervened in state affairs. Taking advantage of the prevailing conditions, the radical left parties launched large-scale campaigning activities. Their slogans included the need to overthrow the autocracy, end the war and fraternize with the enemy.

February Revolution

In January 1917, a wave of strikes took place throughout the country. In Petrograd (from 1914 to 1924 that was what St. Petersburg was called), over 200,000 Russians took part in the protests. The government practically did not react to popular discontent.

On February 17, due to constant interruptions in food supplies, a serious strike began at Petrogradsky. All enterprises were located in the capital. The reaction of the authorities was still slow, and any measures were taken with a significant delay. One got the impression that the officials deliberately let things take their course. In this situation, the king spoke with the words: “I command you to stop the unrest in the capital tomorrow!”. According to historians, he was poorly informed or underestimated the level of popular discontent. One way or another, such statements only exacerbated the situation.

Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks were engaged in active agitation of the Petrograd garrison. As a result, on February 26, the military began to go over to the rebel side, which for the government meant the loss of the main protection. It is important to note that all segments of the population took part in the February Revolution. For a common goal, the parties of the State Duma, and industrialists, and officers, and aristocrats worked hard. Therefore, later the Bolsheviks will call it universal.

On February 28, the revolutionaries won a complete victory. Royal power has lost its power. The country was led by the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, headed by Mikhail Rodzianko.

Abdication of Nicholas II

The first thing the new government took care of was the removal of the king from power. No one had any doubts that the emperor should be persuaded to abdicate. On February 28, having learned about what was happening, Nikolai went to Petrograd. Echoes of the revolution, which quickly spread throughout the country, met the monarch on the way - the soldiers stopped the royal train at the entrance to the capital. The emperor did not take any decisive action to save the autocracy. He only thought about reuniting with his family, which was at that time in Tsarskoye Selo.

The royal train was forced to turn to Pskov, where the deputies of the State Duma also went. On March 2, Nicholas II signed a renunciation manifesto. Initially, the interim government intended to maintain autocracy and transfer the throne to Tsarevich Alexander, but due to the likelihood of another surge of popular discontent, this idea had to be abandoned. Thus ended the history of one of the most powerful royal dynasties. The last years of his life, the former emperor and his family spent in prison.

Simultaneously with the creation of the Provisional Government, the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (Petrosoviet) was formed, which became the key body of democracy. The creation of this council was an initiative of the Social Democrats and Socialist-Revolutionaries. Soon, similar self-government bodies began to appear throughout the state. Their tasks included: improving the situation of workers, adjusting the food supply, canceling royal decrees, arresting policemen and officials, and other state affairs. The Bolsheviks, meanwhile, continued to remain in the shadows.

Problems of Dual Power

On March 2, when the emperor abdicated the throne, the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet officially began to operate in the country, that is, dual power was established.

Due to the dual power, the ministers of the Provisional Government could not establish order in the state. The self-government of the Soviets in enterprises and in the army led to the undermining of discipline and rampant crime. The question of the further political development of the country remained unresolved. The new government approached this problem without much enthusiasm. The Constituent Assembly, which was supposed to determine the future fate of the country, was assembled only at the end of November 1917.

The situation at the front also worsened greatly. Supporting the decisions of the Soviets, the soldiers ceased to obey the officers. The level of discipline and motivation among the troops dropped sharply. However, the Provisional Government was in no hurry to end the war.

Lenin in Petrograd

A radical turning point in the life of the country and the first significant prerequisite for the October Revolution of 1917 was the arrival of V. I. Lenin in Russia (April 1917). It was then that the rapid growth of the Bolshevik Party began. Lenin's ideas quickly received the support of the people, as they were understandable to everyone.

On April 4, Lenin announced his party's program of action. The main task of the Bolsheviks was to overthrow the Provisional Government and transfer power to the Soviets. In history, this program was called the "April Theses". On April 7, it was published by the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda. Lenin's program was simple and understandable. He demanded the transformation of hostilities, the confiscation and nationalization of landowners' lands and the struggle for socialism. From the stands, Lenin spoke with the slogan: "Land to the peasants, factories to the workers, peace to the soldiers, power to the Bolsheviks!"

Milyukov's miscalculation

On April 18, Pavel Milyukov—then Minister of Foreign Affairs—announced that Russia was ready to fight the war to victory, further damaging the reputation of the Provisional Government. Anti-war demonstrations were organized in the capital, in which more than one thousand people took part. Milyukov had to resign.

The final weakening of the reputation of the Provisional Government

To achieve their goal, the Bolsheviks willingly used the miscalculations of the authorities. On June 18, the front launched a large-scale offensive, which began successfully, but as a result completely failed. Forced to retreat, the Russian military suffered huge losses. The discontent of the people again broke out in the capital, fully supported by the Bolsheviks. In order to restore order, the government persecuted the Bolsheviks. They again had to go underground. Nevertheless, despite the apparent elimination of the political opponent, the government was systematically losing the trust of citizens.

Kornilov rebellion

To stabilize the situation, the newly minted Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky used emergency powers. The death penalty was reintroduced at the front, and the economy began its “recovery”. Kerensky's efforts did not bear fruit, but only aggravated the situation. Then, in order to strengthen the position of the government, the chairman decided to make an alliance with the military. At the end of July 1917, Lavr Kornilov, who enjoys a good reputation among the soldiers, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army.

Determined to resist the radical left elements, Kerensky and Kornilov planned to save the fatherland by joint efforts. However, due to the fact that they failed to share power among themselves, the goal was never achieved.

On August 26, Kornilov sent his troops to Petrograd. Then Kerensky had no choice but to seek help from his ideological enemies - the Bolsheviks, who could influence the soldiers of the capital's garrison. The clash never happened, but this situation once again illustrated the incompetence of the Provisional Government and its inability to lead the country. This case played into the hands of the Bolsheviks, because thanks to him the whole country saw that they were able to lead it out of chaos.

The triumph of the Bolsheviks

In September 1917, the overthrow of the Provisional Government was only a matter of time. Kerensky's attempts to improve the situation through a change of ministers proved futile. The people were well aware that the only motive of the government was personal gain. Regarding the events of that time, Lenin said absolutely precisely: "Power was lying underfoot, you just had to take it."

The country's economy was on the verge of collapse, prices were rising, and food shortages were getting worse. Mass strikes of workers and peasants were accompanied by pogroms and reprisals against wealthy fellow citizens. All over the country the Soviets of workers' and military deputies went over to the side of the Bolsheviks. Choosing the most opportune moment, Lenin and Trotsky advocated the seizure of power. On October 12, the Petrograd Soviet created a Military Revolutionary Committee, called upon to prepare a mass uprising. AT short time 30,000 activists received weapons.

On October 25, the revolutionaries occupied the key strategic objects of the capital: railway stations, telegraph and post office. On the night of October 25-26, the Provisional Government was arrested. Having seized power, the Bolsheviks immediately held a Congress, at which two decrees were adopted: “On Peace” and “On Land”. Local power was transferred to the workers, peasants and soldiers' deputies. The October Revolution of 1917 was the logical conclusion of the period of total anarchy in the country, the chronology of which we have examined. The new government has proven in practice that only it is capable of taking responsibility for running the state. The superiority of the communists in the events of that year is noted even by those who are not close to their ideology.

Consequences of the October Revolution

The government formed was headed by V. I. Lenin. The decree of January 15, 1918 marked the beginning of the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and the decree of January 29 - the Workers' and Peasants' Fleet. Gradually, the country introduced free medical care and education, an eight-hour working day, as well as insurance for employees and workers. Estates, ranks and titles were eliminated. and the school comes from the church. It is also important to note that after the October Revolution, the government gave women and men equal rights in all areas of activity.

In January 1918, the All-Russian Congresses merged, which made it possible to unite the Soviets of Peasants' and Workers' Deputies. Shortly after the October Revolution, the authorities proclaimed Russia a Republic of Soviets. By adopting the decision "On federal institutions of the Russian Republic", the Congress formalized the creation of the RSFSR. The state was established on the basis of a free union of peoples. In the spring of 1918, the process of registration of the peoples inhabiting the territories of the RSFSR was launched.

On January 21, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted a decree on the annulment of foreign and domestic loans from the two previous governments. Decrees after the October Revolution also annulled treaties made by previous governments.

After the conclusion of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Soviet Russia lost 780,000 km2 of area, which was inhabited by 56 million people. At the same time, Russia began to withdraw its troops from these territories, while the enemy, on the contrary, entered there and established control. November 13, 1918, when Austria-Hungary and Germany still lost the war, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was annulled.

The preparation of the Constitution after the October Revolution began quite quickly - in January 1918. On July 10 of the same year, the text of the document was approved by the All-Russian Congress of Soviets.

Despite the fact that the majority of the population supported the Bolsheviks, there were those who did not want another change of power. Therefore, speaking about what happened after the October Revolution, it is important to mention civil war. It began with and continued, according to various sources, until October 1922 / July 1923. The cause of the war was a deep social, ideological and political split. As a result " white army”, which opposed the Bolsheviks, lost. Thus, for some, November 7 is the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, and for some, the anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

Revolution of 1917 in Russia

On October 26, a decree on peace and land was adopted. Following the decree on peace and land, the Soviet government adopted laws: on the introduction of workers' control over the production and distribution of products, on an 8-hour working day, and the "Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia." The Declaration proclaimed that from now on in Russia there are no dominant nations and oppressed nations, all peoples receive equal rights to free development, to self-determination up to secession and the formation of an independent state.

The October Revolution marked the beginning of profound, all-encompassing social change throughout the world. The landlords' land was transferred free of charge into the hands of the working peasantry, and factories, plants, mines, railways into the hands of the workers, making them public property.

Causes of the October Revolution

Russia was on the defensive in this war. And although the patriotism and heroism of the soldiers and officers was great, there was no single will, no serious plans for waging war, no sufficient supply of ammunition, uniforms and food. This instilled uncertainty in the army. She lost her soldiers and suffered defeats. The Minister of War was put on trial, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was removed from his post. Nicholas II himself became commander-in-chief. But the situation has not improved. Despite continuous economic growth (the production of coal and oil, the production of shells, guns and other types of weapons grew, huge reserves were accumulated in case of a prolonged war), the situation developed in such a way that during the war years Russia found itself without an authoritative government, without an authoritative prime minister. minister, and without an authoritative Headquarters. The officer corps was replenished with educated people, i.e. intelligentsia, which was subject to oppositional moods, and everyday participation in the war, which lacked the most necessary, gave food for doubts.

The growing centralization of economic management, carried out against the backdrop of a growing shortage of raw materials, fuel, transport, skilled labor, accompanied by a scale of speculation and abuse, led to the fact that the role of state regulation increased along with the growth of negative factors in the economy (History of the domestic state and law. Ch. 1: Textbook / Under the editorship of O. I. Chistyakov - Moscow: BEK Publishing House, 1998)

Queues appeared in the cities, standing in which was a psychological breakdown for hundreds of thousands of workers and workers.

The predominance of military production over civilian production and the rise in food prices led to a steady increase in prices for all consumer goods. At the same time, wages did not keep pace with rising prices. Discontent grew both in the rear and at the front. And it turned primarily against the monarch and his government.

Considering that from November 1916 to March 1917, three prime ministers, two ministers of the interior and two ministers of agriculture were replaced, then the expression of the convinced monarchist V. Shulgin about the situation that developed at that time in Russia is really true: “autocracy without an autocrat” .

Among a number of prominent politicians, in semi-legal organizations and circles, a conspiracy was ripening, and plans were discussed to remove Nicholas II from power. It was supposed to seize the tsar's train between Mogilev and Petrograd and force the monarch to abdicate.

The October Revolution was a major step towards the transformation of a feudal state into a bourgeois one. October created a fundamentally new, Soviet state. The October Revolution was caused by a number of objective and subjective reasons. First of all, the class contradictions that aggravated in 1917 should be attributed to the objective ones:

The contradictions inherent in bourgeois society are the antagonism between labor and capital. The Russian bourgeoisie, young and inexperienced, failed to see the danger of coming class tensions and did not take sufficient measures in time to reduce the intensity of the class struggle as much as possible.

Conflicts in the countryside, which developed even more acutely. The peasants, who for centuries dreamed of taking away the land from the landowners and driving them away themselves, were not satisfied with either the reform of 1861 or the Stolypin reform. They frankly longed to get all the land and get rid of old exploiters. In addition, from the very beginning of the 20th century, a new contradiction escalated in the countryside, connected with the differentiation of the peasantry itself. This stratification intensified after the Stolypin reform, which attempted to create a new class of owners in the countryside through the redistribution of peasant lands associated with the destruction of the community. Now, in addition to the landowner, the broad peasant masses also had a new enemy - the kulak, even more hated, since he came from his environment.

National conflicts. The national movement, which was not very strong in the period 1905-1907, escalated after February and gradually increased towards the autumn of 1917.

World War. The first chauvinistic frenzy that gripped certain sections of society at the beginning of the war soon dissipated, and by 1917 the overwhelming mass of the population, suffering from the many-sided hardships of the war, longed for the speediest conclusion of peace. First of all, this concerned, of course, the soldiers. The village is also tired of endless sacrifices. Only the upper class of the bourgeoisie, which made huge amounts of money on military supplies, stood up for the continuation of the war to a victorious end. But the war also had other consequences. First of all, it armed the vast masses of workers and peasants, taught them how to handle weapons and helped overcome the natural barrier that forbids a person to kill other people.

The weakness of the Provisional Government and the entire state apparatus created by it. If immediately after February, the Provisional Government had some kind of authority, then the further, the more it lost it, being unable to solve the pressing problems of society, primarily questions about peace, bread, and land. Simultaneously with the decline in the authority of the Provisional Government, the influence and importance of the Soviets grew, promising to give the people everything they craved.

Along with objective factors, subjective factors were also important:

Widespread popularity in the society of socialist ideas. Thus, by the beginning of the century, Marxism had become a kind of fashion among the Russian intelligentsia. He found a response in wider popular circles. Even in the Orthodox Church at the beginning of the 20th century, a movement of Christian socialism, albeit a small one, emerged.

The existence in Russia of a party ready to lead the masses to revolution - the Bolshevik Party. This party is not the largest in number (the Socialist-Revolutionaries had more), however, it was the most organized and purposeful.

The fact that the Bolsheviks had a strong leader, authoritative both in the party itself and among the people, who managed to become a real leader in a few months after February - V.I. Lenin.

The legal side of the October Revolution of 1917

In the autumn of 1917, the political crisis intensified in the country. At the same time, the Bolsheviks were actively working to prepare the uprising. It started and went according to plan.

During the uprising in Petrograd, by October 25, 1917, all key points in the city were occupied by detachments of the Petrograd garrison and the Red Guard. By the evening of that day, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies began its work, proclaiming itself the highest authority in Russia. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee, formed by the First Congress of Soviets in the summer of 1917, was re-elected.

The Second Congress of Soviets elected a new All-Russian Central Executive Committee and formed the Council of People's Commissars, which became the government of Russia. (World History: Textbook for High Schools / Edited by G.B. Polyak, A.N. Markova. - M .: Culture and Sport, UNITI, 1997) The Congress was of a constituent nature: it created the governing state bodies and adopted the first acts of constitutional, fundamental importance. The Decree on Peace proclaimed the principles of Russia's long-term foreign policy - peaceful coexistence and "proletarian internationalism", the right of nations to self-determination.

The Decree on Land was based on peasant mandates formulated by the soviets as early as August 1917. A variety of forms of land use were proclaimed (household, farm, communal, artel), confiscation of landowners' lands and estates, which were transferred to the disposal of volost land committees and county councils of peasant deputies. The right to private ownership of land was abolished. The use of hired labor and the lease of land were prohibited. Later, these provisions were enshrined in the Decree “On the Socialization of the Land” in January 1918. The Second Congress of Soviets also adopted two appeals: “To the Citizens of Russia” and “To the Workers, Soldiers and Peasants”, which spoke of the transfer of power to the Military Revolutionary Committee , the Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, and locally - local councils.