The events of the Russian Revolution of 1917, which comprise two main events that took place in February and October, were of a bourgeois-democratic character and were connected with the further solution of land and national issues, which had been the reasons for the revolution of 1905-1907. At the same time, the issue regarding the country's government was up in the air. The reasons which caused the revolution were further complicated by World War I that took place in 1914. The events that took place in 1917, however, are one of the most important landmarks of the history of Russia, the determinants that would pave the way for the country's subsequent development as a nation on the world stage. It is important, therefore, to analyze the major differences between the two revolutions of 1917 and reveal the reasons that contributed to the successful completion of the October revolution.
The Provisional government was expected to rule for several months before the elections of the constituent assembly. People were waiting for a quick solution to the problems accumulated throughout the years of autocratic rule. However, the Provisional government was not able to reduce prices, improve bread supply, conduct land reform and, what was of most importance, to conclude peace (Browder, Kerensky, 1961, pp. 29-34). As a result, people started to live even worse than it had been under the tsar's reign. During 8 months after the events of February, the country witnessed the change of 4 government structures. Hence, there was not any trust by either common people or the leaders of society.
The weakness of government, however, granted opportunities to the revolutionary parties. Common people who were tired of war, hunger and delinquency were ready to accept any power which would be able to relieve their standing, even if it was through violence. The most active revolutionary force was represented by the Bolsheviks headed by Vladimir Lenin, with his slogans "land for peasants, plants for laborers, and peace for nations" being understood by everyone (Marot, 2012, pp. 31-34). However, the majority of the Bolsheviks' supporters were people who perceived it as an opportunity to have their revenge on richer and luckier persons - the owners of plants and factories, as well as merchants.
In the night from 24 to 25 of October 1917 the troops of workers and soldiers occupied the Winter Palace were the Provisional government was in conference. As a result, the power of the Provisional government was put an end to. These events were called the October revolution. On the same day, the Congress of Soviets declared that the Provisional government had been overthrown, and adopted the crucial decrees on peace and land. After several months the Soviet power was established throughout the major part of Russia. With that, many considered the Bolsheviks' power illegitimate, and their government criminal. In a short time, the dissent caused by the October events led to the bloody Civil War.
Unlike the subsequent Bolsheviks' policies, the Provisional government, which in itself was the primary result of the February revolution, along with the overthrow of the monarchy, paid little attention to socio-economic problems (Lyandres, (2013, pp. 4-7). The solution of the land issue entailed a number of disputes. Most parties agreed that land should be passed into the hands of peasants, but the Provisional government insisted on the prohibition of the takeover of the landed estates (Marot, 2012, pp. 31-34). During the period between March and April of 1917 the Provisional government established land committees for the development of agrarian reform. There were passed laws directed against unauthorized estate takeovers, which by that time had become a common practice all over the country. However, these steps did not lead to any significant changes. The implementation of agrarian reform, as well as other crucial socio-economic reforms, was postponed till the election of the constituent assembly.
The Provisional government attempted to solve the supply problem and get the country out of the crisis that emerged as long as in 1915. For overcoming this crisis situation, the year of 1917 witnessed the establishment of food committees, food rationing and grain monopoly: all amounts of bread was to be sold to government at firm prices. However, these measures were not able to normalize the supply, and lack of bread led to government's necessity to double the prices of bread, which also proved useless (Browder, Kerensky, 1961, pp. 29-34).
Furthermore, the pivotal problems of Russia' withdrawal from the war was up in the air. The huge expenditures increase connected with Russia' participation in World War I, the hard plight in industry which could not meet the stated tasks due to lack of raw materials, collapse of structure and administration, increase of indirect taxes, the ruble depreciation - these were the factors that led to the severe economic and political crisis. The first crisis that took place on April 18 1917 was caused by Milyukov's statement about the pursuit to bring the World War to victory, which resulted in anti-war protests in Petrograd, Moscow, Kharkov, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities (Swain, 1996, pp. 27-39). Lavr Kornilov, the commander-in-chief of the Petrograd military district ordered to direct troops against the rebels, though officers and soldiers refused to execute the order. In the light of the occurred situation, the Bolsheviks were gaining more and more influence.
The failure of the offensive of the Russian army in June-July 1917 caused another wave of crisis. The Russian Social Democratic Labor Party took the opportunity and began the preparation of a mass demonstration, which made the Provisional government pass the power to the Soviet hands. July 3 of 1917 witnessed armed confrontations, during which more than 700 people were killed and wounded (McCauley, 1980, p. 85). The Provisional government accused the Bolsheviks of high treason, which led to the order for the arrest of Lenin, Trotsky, Kamenev and others. Moreover, under the influence of the cadets, death punishment was reestablished on July 12 1917 once again.
The third wave of crisis was connected with the military meeting and attempt of a military coup headed by Lavr Kornilov. Being the proponent of strict measures, Kornilov developed the requirements to the Provisional government, which included prohibiting meetings in the army, spreading death punishment on the surrounding parts, creating concentration camps for disobeying soldiers, and declaring martial law on the railroads (Swain, 1996, pp. 27-39). The requirements became known to the Bolsheviks who began the preparation for Kornilov's displacement. What is more, the other parties of monarchists, cadets and Octobrists supported the commander-in-chief. Under such conditions, the Provisional government tried to use Kornilov for the eradication of the Soviets. At the same time, the Bolsheviks started the preparation of an armed uprising.
However, the commander-in-chief had his own plans. After the requirements proposed by Kornilov regarding passing all power to him and dismissal of the Provisional government, Kerensky, a prominent politician and lawyer of that time, urged the general to hand over his authority. Kornilov refused to obey and accused the Provisional government of conspiracy with German government, and tried to send troops to St. Petersburg. After that, the government declared the general a rebel, which resulted in his arrest on September 1, with Kerensky becoming the post of commander-in-chief. Hence, the Provisional government managed to escape such an alternative as the military dictatorship of Kornilov. Instead of the discredited Provisional government there was established the Directory that proclaimed Russia as a republic.
Therefore, the main results of the February revolution were represented by the collapse of autocratic power and establishment of a dual power. This revolution resulted in the fall of the institution of monarchy and coming to power of new socio-political forces. Unlike the subsequent October revolution, the peculiarity of the February one was marked by the establishment of diarchy. The first branch of power, that is, the bourgeois-democratic, was represented by the Provisional government, which also included the representatives of the cadets and Octobrist parties. The second branch, the revolutionary-democratic one, was constituted by the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, along with soldier committees in the army and navy.
Still, the unresolved crucial problems, the passive character of the reformatory activity, political crises, as well as the ministerial reshuffle led to the collapse of the Provisional government's authority, with its alternative represented by the Bolsheviks who advocated more radical reforms. Under the conditions of the constantly emerging political crises, the Bolsheviks who were conducting anti-governmental and anti-military agitations appeared the opposition of the new regime. The proponents of the Bolsheviks advocated the passing of power to the Soviets. Lenin urged the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party to begin an immediate military rebellion. However, it was the government who provoked the rebellion: by trying to forestall another Bolsheviks demonstration, Kerensky started to gather troops to Petrograd. The Executive Committee headed by Trotsky, together with the Petrograd Presidium, support Lenin's course towards an armed insurrection.
For the proper government of the rebellion, there was created a politburo which encompassed Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Bubnov, Zinoviev, and Kamenev, with the latter two denying the necessity for the insurrection (Zinovyev et al, 1925, pp. 4-7). On October 12 there was established the Petrograd Revolutionary Military Committee for developing the plan of the rebellion, which was headed by Dzerzhinsky, Stalin, Sverdlov, and others (Cliff, 1985, p. 157). The preparation began with the appointment of the Bolshevik commissars in military units and in a number of important objects. At the same time, agitation was intensified, and the Soviets took measures for government's discredit. As a retaliation measure, the government ordered to destroy the Bolsheviks' printing houses which were spreading leaflets, and to arrest the members of the Petrograd Committee. Once again the city witnessed the confrontation between the proponents of the Bolsheviks and Kerensky. On October 24 the armed insurrection began. The Soviets managed to capture the drawbridges across the Neva, Nicholas station, central telegraph and state bank (Read, 2012, pp. 114-117). Furthermore, the activity of a number of military schools was suspended. In the night from October 25 to 26 of 1917 the Provisional government was given an ultimatum. After its refusal, the rebels started the assault of the Winter Palace, which resulted in the subversion of the Provisional government.
In the final analysis, it becomes clear that the October revolution appeared a logical stage that had been prepared by a number of prerequisites. The first alternative represented by Kornilov's tyranny was ruined by the Provisional government that did not want to allow the restoration of the monarchy or the reign of a single leader. The second alternative represented by the slow democratic development within the framework of the Provisional government's policy proved impossible due to its failure to implement crucial requirements and tasks, such as Russia' withdrawal from the war, overcoming of the economic and political crisis, the solution of the land and supply issues. The victory of the Bolsheviks was fostered by such factors as a properly adjusted agitation, their policy directed towards the discredit of the government, the radicalization of masses, the increasing authority of the Soviets, which in aggregate allowed them to use this opportunity to seize the power. Furthermore, the major part of population supported the newly established power, since the first steps taken by it was the immediate declaration of passing land in the hands of peasants, termination of war, and convocation of a constituent assembly.
Unlike its forerunner in the face of the February revolution, the next upheaval proved to be a consistently planned and prepared event that predetermined the subsequent development of Russia for many generations ahead. At the same time, many premises introduced by the February events appear crucial, since without the overthrow of the monarchical institution and establishment of the Provisional government the possibility of proclaiming the Soviet power would be impossible. With that, the main result of the October revolution is represented by the first attempt of Russia to establish a new socio-economic and political regime, the so-called "dictatorship of the proletariat". The results for common people were represented by civil war, which fostered the final establishment of the Bolsheviks' authority and formation of the USSR. In world history, of the October revolution became the first stage of the global communist movement in many countries.
References
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Cliff, T. (1985). All power to the Soviets: Lenin, 1914-1917 (p. 157). London: Bookmarks.
Kan, S. (2009). Lev Shternberg: Anthropologist, Russian Socialist, Jewish Activist (pp. 239- 241). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Lyandres, S. (2013). The Fall of Tsarism: Untold Stories of the February 1917 Revolution (pp. 4-7). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Marot, J. E. (2012). The October Revolution in Prospect and Retrospect: Interventions in Russian and Soviet History (Historical Materialism Book Series) (pp. 31-34). Brill Academic.
McCauley, M. (1980). The Russian Revolution and the Soviet State 1917–1921: Documents (p. 85). Springer.
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Zinovyev, G. Y., Stalin, J., & Kamenev, L. B. (1925). Leninism or Trotskyism (pp. 4- 7). Chicago: Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily Worker Pub.
