The Growth of the Bolsheviks
History: KS3, topic 17.4.5
The Kornilov Revolt
After the failed June Offensive resulted in 200,000 Russian casualties, General Kornilov tried to seize power himself.
General Kornilov
- Kornilov was more conservative than the Petrograd Soviet.
- Kornilov wanted to restore order and overthrow the revolutionary forces in Petrograd.
- Kerensky gave weapons to protesters in order to defend against the coup.
- These armed workers would turn on him in October.
The revolt
- Kerensky seemed to know about the plans for a coup, but did not act until the coup was underway.
- In August 1917, Kornilov ordered the Petrograd garrison to clamp down on protests but the soldiers had stopped following orders.
- The workers also wanted to defend the revolution in Petrograd and went on strike.
- The combination of opposition from workers and soldiers caused too much disruption and Kornilov's coup failed.
The effect on the Provisional Government and Bolsheviks
- This coup weakened the Provisional Government.
- People thought that Kerensky supported and even helped Kornilov.
- Support for the Bolsheviks increased.
- The Bolsheviks were seen as being the only defenders of the revolution and the Soviet.
- This radical party had never supported the Provisional Government and was seen as the best representative of the workers' wishes in Petrograd.
Red Guards
- Workers formed units of ‘Red Guards’, who were armed to defend against Kornilov and to stop any takeover of the Soviet.
- The Red Guards contained many Bolsheviks which meant that the revolution was now armed against the Provisional Government.
The July Days
A protest that was not organised by the Soviets demanded a takeover by the Petrograd Soviet.
The Red Guards
- The Red Guards were particularly supportive of the Bolsheviks.
- Germany gave Russian protestors funds to cause unrest in Russia.
- Using these funds, the Bolsheviks had 41 different newspapers in circulation by June.
- As the war situation worsened, the Bolsheviks became more and more popular.
The July Days
- Protesting the summer offensive, soldiers from the Petrograd garrison refused to fight for Russia in the war.
- The soldiers combined with workers and sailors from the nearby Kronstadt naval base, to march to the Tauride Palace on 3 July in a demonstration which became known as the July Days.
- The soldiers demanded a takeover by the Petrograd Soviet.
- But this protest was not organized by the Soviets.
Soviet reaction
- If anything the July Days had taken the Soviets by surprise, and they had been divided at first about how to react.
- Yet they were able to present themselves as the organisers, and were certainly blamed for it.
- Lenin was charged as a spy by the government and had to return to Finland for a short period of time.
- Trotsky and Kamenev were arrested and the Bolshevik party was weakened.
Test yourself on The Growth of the Bolsheviks
What happened to support for the Bolsheviks following the Kornilov revolt?
What happened to the Bolsheviks as the war situation worsened?
The July Days