All parts of this final prompt should be completed by the end of exam week in order to be included in your semester grades - there will be no late work for this final prompt.
Consider this a pre-assessment as we get into the Russian Revolution. We will come back to this in the fall as we start 20th Century World History.
Prompt 5: Analyse the reasons for the success of the Bolsheviks in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution.
Candidates should attempt to define the term nationalism in its nineteenth century context. It usually meant the desire for small states to assert their unity and independence in opposition to any ruler, (whether foreign or not), who was denying them this right. Candidates should note that nationalism took many forms -- including cultural as well as political -- and frequently was linked to liberal constitutionalism. They should then select two countries and show why nationalism was so important to them by making specific reference to policies and events within these countries.
The question deliberately asks for the whole of the nineteenth century to be included to prevent candidates from focusing on a very narrow time frame. If only one country is included candidates should not receive more than 12/20 marks.
The Bolsheviks were primarily made up of the proletariat people. The proletariats were not happy with the outcomes of the war or the way the government was being run. The Bolsheviks were the majority and desired a socialist state. Because the Bolsheviks were the majority, they had a much larger following. Because they were working to achieve a socialist state, they were all working toward a common goal. This gave them focus and a single goal that everyone could get behind, allowing them to be much more productive. Finally, in 1917, the Bolsheviks seized mail communications, train stations, etc. which gave them the power and supplies that were necessary to succeed. The Bolsheviks succeeded in the Russian revolution because they had a large following, a common goal, and the supplies that they needed.
ReplyDeleteEmily, you have a nicely organized intro, but sometimes your sentences start with Because... and are a simple statement of something. Wordsmith this a little more, and elaborate on the implications a little more.
DeleteThe Bolsheviks had success in the second Russian revolution (October/November, 1917) due to a weak current government, strong leadership, and strong support. The provisional government in the time of the second Russian revolution was in a state of decline. By November the provisional government was in complete collapse. When Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik party, moved to take over in a similar style to that on a of a coup d'etat. While the government was in a state of collapse the Bolshevik party was receiving funding from the German government because of the fact they knew Lenin, whose only aim was to overthrow the government, wanted to take the Russians out of war. Support and organization within the Bolshevik was especially strong. The party ran their own propaganda newspaper called Pravda (meaning truth, as well as creating several slogans including "Peace, Bread, Land." and "All power to the Soviets." The Bolshevik army (also known as the Red Guards) was dedicated to the revolution and trained under Leon Trotsky. Lastly the organization of the Bolshevik was masterfully executed, a central committee sent orders to the soviets, who then passed on orders to the factories. The membership grew to 2 million in 3 months, all of whom were well disciplined!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good start! I think your paragraph is very insightful. Good work! I think mentioning the leaders made your argument really strong.
DeleteThanks! I really wanted to focuse on the leadership because it was Trotsky's tarining that made him such a strong leader. I think if I were to revise it I would include more about the support of the people and the provisional governments weaknesses to make my argument strong all around.
DeleteThe Bolshevik's success in the second 1917 Russian Revolution was due to planning and preparation. Considering the Bolshevik's already made up the majority, this gave them a predisposed advantage. They had already infiltrated a majority of the army, including the lower ranks, promising peace with Germany. The had extensive funding from outside donations and bank robberies. They had great amounts of propaganda to convince the people of their cause. They also had very intelligent leaders (Lenin and Trotsky) who were very strategic with how they approached the revolution, and were willing to go to great lengths to insure the success of their cause, giving them a great advantage.
ReplyDeleteThis would be better if you included specifics regarding the promising peace with Germany (why and how?) and where they received outside donations from.
DeleteOk thanks EB! I'll be sure to include that, I just didn't want to put too much detail into the intro paragraph and then have nothing to add into my body paragraphs.
DeleteBefore the Bolsheviks were even a revolutionary force the perfect storm for a revolution was brewing in Russia. The war had put the nation in a state of poverty, especially for those who were already among the lower classes. Fuel for heat was hard to obtain because the Russian troops were consuming it for transportation and heat of their own. However, the supplies were few and far between for the military as well leading to a nationwide lack of food and heat accompanied by an upset military. Since the Bolsheviks represented the majority they easily came to power against the scattered Mensheviks once they started to revolt. The czar also did not put up much of a fight against the Bolsheviks and had far less passion for the issue than the revolutionaries. In the end, the bad circumstances leading up to the Bolshevik Revolution was what gave them the power to beat out the old government.
ReplyDeleteThis is really well written, I love your use of metaphors. I think that you could add a little bit more detail toward the end though on exactly what caused the success of the Bolsheviks. You have a lot of good info, but I think you could go deeper. Overall, good job! Very eloquent!
DeleteDespite repeated failure over the summer of 1917 to take control of the Russian government, the leadership of Vladimir Lenin is the main reason for the success of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution in Russia. Lenin's radicalism and persistence led to an organized Bolshevik party that could not be opposed by the divided people of Russia. His success in uniting a large group of people for the sake of turning Russia socialist all under his tightly knit and elite core of leaders enabled him to take over control of crucial points in the capital; these included telephone and telegraph offices, banks, railroad stations, post offices, and several important bridges. His radicalism led to increasing support from the military who desperately wanted out of World War I. Even in light of initial failures and lacking support, his persistence and highly organized efforts led to increasing support from all over Russia which eventually resulted in the success of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution of 1917 with very minimal resistance.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that the power and leadership of Vladimir Lenin was one of the major reasons that the Bolshevik party was successful during this time in history. Maybe talk about whether he was liked by the people or not/ and why. This is a strong way to begin an essay and I think you would have no problem writing an entire essay out of this! Just make sure you talk about how his leadership effect others outside of the Bolshevik party, just to give another perspective. Other than that I think this is solid.
DeleteOk thanks. I talked a little bit about the different ways he gained support through his radicalism and strengths as a leader which included his organization skills and strategically planning. Although he was originally less popular he was only disliked by the Russian government who he was trying to overthrow.
DeleteThere were many reasons for the success of the Bolsheviks in the second 1917 Russian Revolution. First, the group had good motivation. They had good slogans such as “Peace, Bread, Land” and “All Power to the Soviets.” This helped them gain public support, which was a very important factor. The Bolsheviks were also united by the common goal of overthrowing the government to create the Soviet Union. Because of this goal, the Bolsheviks were able to receive financial help from the Germans because Germany aimed to decrease Russia’s power. Lenin rose up as a strong leader who focused on the goal of the Bolsheviks. Trotsky became a strong military leader of the Red Guards, the Bolshevik army. When this strong, well commanded army faced an unprepared and weak government, the government fell. All of these factors aided in the failure of the capitalist government, ultimately helping the Bolshevik’s succeed.
ReplyDeleteYour facts are really solid however I feel like your answer is a little hard to follow. Try tying the ideas together and elaborate on how the Germans were involved and you should have a very very good paragraph. Overall, great job though!
DeleteThanks for the feedback! To make this better, I would organize my answer more by making clearer transitions. For more information on Germany, I would say that they wanted to decrease Russia as a world power to increase their own status. However, this happened to work for the best for Bolsheviks because they were able to receive funds from the Germans as they were united by the common goal of tearing down the Russian government at that time.
DeleteThe Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 was primed for success due to the multiple advantages the Soviet party held over the Provisional Government. After the fall of the Tsarist regime in 1917, the Provisional Government came to power. Its reign, however, would prove to be short-lived: after only eight months, the inadequacy of the government in addressing the nation's economic needs had driven the citizenry to a breaking point. Skyrocketing food prices coupled with mass unemployment had left the population in dire economic straits, and continued participation in World War I left the government more unpopular than ever. It was at this critical time, when the population was in its most vulnerable, that the Bolshevik party was able to establish itself as a ruling power. Excellent political and military organization, strong leadership by Vladimir Lenin (whose German support provided the funding necessary for the party's propaganda-fueled campaign), and a unified aim to overthrow the government all contributed to Bolshevik success.
ReplyDeleteI really like your take on this, its sounds like a different percpective more of how the weaknesses of the government contributed to the bulsheviks success. I was wondering if you could go into more detail on how the strength within the bolshevik party contributed to their success.
DeleteThanks Katie! I think I could definitely add more detail about the Bolshevik party itself, maybe along the lines of their propaganda campaign or about Trotsky's contribution to the army.
DeleteThe Bolshevik Revolution in Russia was a major turning point in modern history. There were many reasons for its success, all stemming from its two leaders, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Leon Trotsky. With Lenin's intellect and Trotsky's oratory skills, the Bolsheviks had very strong leaders, and Lenin himself believed that revolution was determined more by leadership than by historical laws. Lenin picked the perfect time for the Bolshevik revolution because in late 1917, Russia was in anarchy, creating a power vacuum. Using this opportunity was one of the most important tactics of the revolution, and it can be attributed to Lenin. Trotsky contributed most to the revolution with his leadership as the Commissioner of War. Trotsky used his control of the army to extinguish all opposition. Trotsky and Lenin, with their strong leadership and specialized abilities, were integral parts to the success of the Bolshevik Revolution.
ReplyDeleteI think your answer is well thought out and organized, but I'm confused as to what your arguments would be. Perhaps you bring out too much background information here, and should instead withhold some of the information about Lenin picking the correct time for revolution, because that starts to sound like another argument. Really solid.
DeleteThanks for the feedback! It makes sense that background information in the body paragraphs of the, would-be FRQ. I feel like the FRQ would could analyze other events more thoroughly without the information about the time for revolution.
DeleteIn the revolutions of 1917, the Bolsheviks lead by Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin, was a very organized and disciplined group gaining much support from Russians. They were a communist party. They had much success from the fact that they were popular amongst the common people. They ignored czarist rule, causing for support from people who also did not like czarist rule. They had demanded "Peace, Bread, and Land" for peasants and soldiers and many other Russian people. For the simple fact that they "demanded" such things for the people of Russia, made them very popular; that they were sticking up for people who could not stick up for themselves. Through their support they gained political power, allowing them to establish a regime in November of 1917.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thesis and how you formed the topic statement, where you discussed the organization of the revolution. It is important to note that the revolution was successful for a myriad of reasons, and the organization of the Bolsheviks is often left out.
DeleteThank you! I will be sure to add that in!
DeleteIn 1917, the Bolsheviks were successful in the revolution due to an unstable government, large popular support, and strong leadership. After the first revolution that happened earlier, the nation's government was weaker, and in an ideal circumstance for the Bolsheviks. The party, carrying the majority of the country's support, had the kind of following that would facilitate overthrow of the government, and when united under strong leaders, as it was, the party was able to organize itself and take control of the necessary supplies, which would lead them to ultimate victory.
ReplyDeleteI think you have really good ideas! Maybe add some specifics so the reader knows directly what your talking about and then you can expound on them in your body paragraphs?
DeleteIn 1917, the Bolsheviks were very successful in the revolution revolution due to multiple different circumstances. These circumstances include a government that was unable to support itself, an overwhelming amount of support, and leadership that was able to stand a strong front against the government. The Bolsheviks were led by Leon Trotsky and Vladmir Lenin. These two men led the Bolsheviks to a revolutionary victory. The success of this revolution was a turning point for modern Russia and created a civilization that was heavily into art, music, dance, and theatre.
ReplyDeleteYou have a good start but expand on why the Bolsheviks had lots of support. What about the Bolsheviks appealed to the rest of Russia and why didn't people like the current government?
DeleteThe main reasons that the Bolsheviks were successful in their revolution of 1917 were support from outside sources, strong leaders, and weakness of the provisional government they were taking over. Germany supported the Bolsheviks because they knew if they went into power it would effectively end the war which would benefit Germany so they gave the Bolsheviks financial support. The leaders of the Bolshevik revolution such as Lenin had a strong presence and overshadowed the leaders of Russia at the time who were running the provisional government. Also, the strength of the provisional government that the Bolsheviks were trying to dethrone was very weak in almost every way including finances, support, and resources. This made this revolution relatively easy when combined with strong leaders and outside support.
ReplyDeleteI think your response demonstrates knowledge and understanding. However, it does not contain a decisive thesis statement that can focus your essay and keep it on point. By adding a sentence at the end or the beginning, your intro paragraph would be good.
DeleteGood job Weston! I thought you summarized the events very well and provided many good reasons as to why they succeeded. If anything, I would add more information about Lenin and Trotsky and their role in the success of the Bolsheviks.
DeleteThanks for the feedback Hanna. I agree with the second part of your comment. It would be a better more well rounded introduction if I included more about Lenin and Trotsky.
DeleteAnalyse the reasons for the success of the Bolsheviks in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution.
ReplyDeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful because of great planning and preparation. When revolutionizing, its important to all be united under the same ideals and beliefs about the proposed topic. The Bolsheviks took the military people and promised peace with Germany. This sounded great to them so they agreed to help. Also, by robbing banks, they were well funded. Their leaders were also very strong and well prepared for the revolution. One of the major leaders of the Red Army was Leon Trotsky. He was a well read Marxist. With all of these advantages over their opponents, they Bolsheviks were clearly very successful.
You explain well some of the factors that led for the Bolsheviks' success, but didn't mention Vladimir Lenon. He took advantage of the crumbling government and confused people to claim success. Besides that, you go into good detail about the other advantages the Bolsheviks had
DeleteThe success of the Blosheviks was possible mainly because of the fact that the had a strong leader, came into power during a time when the opposing counties had a lack of power in government, and because of the fact that they were a large group of proletariats. There strong leading figure was Valdimir Lenin, whose radicalism lead the Blosheviks to ultimately be successful in the second 1917 Russian revolution. He had the ability to bring together a large group of separated people which lead him to gain a large amount of power and become successful. Lenin came into take power at a time when the pre-standing government was basically crumbling at his feet. He was able to come in at an opportune moment when he could gain control of the power easier. The proletariat people were not in favor of the outcomes of the previous revolutions and where therefore easy to unite by Lenin. It was easy for him to harness all of this energy and use it to create and build up his control.
ReplyDeleteI like this a lot! What are some specific things that succeeded due to Lenin's leadership skills, and how were they improvements from before him?
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second 1917 Russian Revolution was primarily due to it's strong leadership. With Vladimir Lenin as the leading figure, and the Bolsheviks making up the majority of the population, they were easily able to overpower the czar government, which had been weakened after the first war. Through Lenin's persistence and radical ideas, there was a surge of modernization throughout the country. He also gained the support of Germany through promising them to end the war if they gained the lead role in the government. This overall lead to a radical modernization of Russia that was highly successful.
ReplyDeleteThis is good. Talk more about the weaknesses of the Provisional Government though to help show how the Bolsheviks came to power.
DeleteThanks Adam! I think I could add that after I talk about overpowering the czar government by giving some specific examples about how the Provisional Government was weak I kind of said that when I referred to the war, but I can go off of that and add on.
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks and their revolution can be attributed to a multitude of factors. While it was due in no small part because of the powerful leadership of Vladimir Lenin and his ability to rally the proletariats of the nation, the success can also be attributed to the serendipitous timing. Russia was simultaneously facing some of the most strife-ridden years, and caught between dictatorship and reform, the changes were too little, too late. The futility of Czar Nicholas II's reforms set the stage for a powerful new leader to embrace radical revolution, leading to the success of the October Revolutions. Between the powerful decisions of Vladimir Lenin and the meek choices of the previous regime, the Bolsheviks were able to form a successful revolution, changing the course of Russian history.
ReplyDeleteThis is very good; you provide enough details and information to set the essay but not so many you don't leave yourself room for more analysis later on. Just as a formality I would be sure to include a time period somewhere in your thesis.
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in gaining power in the October Revolution can be attributed to the political and social stage in which the revolution occurred. At the time of the revolution, there was a large call for change within the proletariat people and it was because the Bolshevik school of thought has a focus on creating a democracy and power going for the working man. And since Russia had recently experienced the boom in population without the land and industry to support work for this large amount of working class, the proletariat was prime to try to get rid of the tsarist system of government and the Bolshevik principles fit into this desire to bring about socialism and were able to step in and fill the power vacuum. Because of their efficiently ran propaganda, and support from revolutionary leaders such as Lenin, they had little opposition that was able to prevent them from taking to power.
ReplyDeleteThis brings up some good points regarding the success of the Bolsheviks, but the ideas could be organized a bit better to more effectively outline an essay format.
DeleteThe Bolshevik party was successful for a number of reasons. Their ideas appealed to the common Russian citizen and seemed to offer an alternative to the oppression they had experienced during the rule of the czars. Additionally, the Bolsheviks placed heavy emphasis on the role of the working class in the revolution, inspiring the proletariat to rise up in their support. Bolshevism encouraged a sense of identity and community between workers, who were united by their contribution to Russia, and their investment in the success of the revolution.
ReplyDeleteYour post is well but together, but I think one thing that you need to be sure to remember is that we are supposed to be organizing the reply in a way that it would be a topic paragraph for an essay. I think the content, and information is all very good and would work very well as a topic paragraph, but I just think that it could be improved by changing the way it is organized, to act like you are laying out what you would cover in an essay.
DeleteThe success of the Blosheviks was possible to due an unstable and weak government. This lack of leadership was taken advantage of with the Blosheviks' strong leadership. Their leader, Vladimir Lenin was responsible for the Blosheviks' success in the second Russian Revolution. The people, still shaken from the outcomes of the last Revolution were eager to be united by Lenin and the Blosheviks
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good so far! I think maybe you could say why the government was weak by tying in facts about how they were unorganized after the first revolution and the slump in the economy that caused the division between classes to reappear. This division helped the Bolsheviks gain the popular support they needed.... Just an idea. Otherwise, nice job.
DeletePrior to the second 1917 Russian Revolution, the first Revolution had left the country in turmoil. The economy was in terrible condition causing the lower class to be even poorer than before, and the gap widened between the upper and lower class, almost eliminating the middle class. The provisional government that had been in charge at the start of the second Russian Revolution was very weak, and the majority of the country (mainly the lower class), desired a new government. The Bolsheviks led by Lenin and Trotsky, offered the type of government that the majority of Russia desired. Lenin and Trotsky were strong leaders with a voice, who favored a socialist party, and had the funds to acquire power. Their strong leadership appealed to Russians as they would often describe a country where leaders would guide their workers and a small disciplined group would be in charge. The Bolsheviks easily gained support from the majority of Russia and due to the weakness of the current government; it did not take long for them to gain power, and for the second Russian Revolution to succeed.
ReplyDeleteVery good argument, Stacey, but maybe you should combine all of your points into a thesis at the beginning, instead of spreading them throughout the paragraph.
DeleteA thesis I could put into my paragraph is: Due to the weak government and poor economy, the Bolsheviks were able to gain immediate support by the majority of Russia as their strong leadership and extensive funding gave lower class Russians hope for the future, ultimately allowing the second Russian revolution to succeed.
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks during the second 1917 Russian revolution was primarily due to large popular support, the strong leadership of Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, and the relative weakness of the hastily implemented Provisional Government. The Bolshevik party was composed primarily of the proletariat, the working class, who formed the majority of the population of Russia in 1917. The ideals of the Bolshevik party appealed strongly to this group of people, as their ideas regarding distribution of wealth and equal treatment of all citizens were much more attractive than the ambiguous and weak policies of the Provisional Government. Both Lenin and Trotsky demonstrated effective leadership policies which encouraged the rest of the Bolshevik party to act forcefully. Finally, the Provisional Government was not able to stop this revolution form occurring, as it was very weak and lacked popular support.
ReplyDeleteI really like your argument Lucas. The only thing I would do is you explained why there was such a large popular support for the Bolsheviks and why Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky were such strong leaders, but you didn't explain why the government was weak.
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks during the second 1917 Russian revolution was primarily due to large popular support, the strong leadership of Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, and the relative weakness of the hastily implemented Provisional Government. The Bolshevik party was composed primarily of the proletariat, the working class, who formed the majority of the population of Russia in 1917. The ideals of the Bolshevik party appealed strongly to this group of people, as their ideas regarding distribution of wealth and equal treatment of all citizens were much more attractive than the ambiguous and weak policies of the Provisional Government. Both Lenin and Trotsky demonstrated effective leadership policies which encouraged the rest of the Bolshevik party to act forcefully. Finally, the Provisional Government was not able to stop this revolution form occurring, as it was very weak and lacked popular support. It was implemented so quickly that its leaders were not committed sufficiently enough to writing strong policy or exercising significant power.
DeleteThe success of the Blosheviks was due to a number of reasons. The main reason being the political power of Valdimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky who led them to success. Lenin and Trotsky were strong leaders with radical ideas and were accepted by the majority of Russia because of the instability of the current government. It was also a time of change for the proletariat people and the other countries government was weak at the time, creating a good time for a revolution. Lenin and Trotsky were able to gain the support of Germany and persuade them to provide financial support by promising to end the war and this led to an ultimate modernization of Russia. This modernization led to new ideas about music, art, and thought.
ReplyDeleteReally good on analyzing how Lenin and Trotsky led to political power. I liked how you interpreted the other countries government, and how weak they were during this time. Overall great job!
DeleteOverall, this was pretty clear and straightforward. The only thing I would say is that it could be a good idea to include some specific examples. For instance, what were some of Lenin and Trotsky's radical ideas?
DeleteThanks for the feedback! I think I should add more on how Lenin was the leader in the October Revolution and also how he was the chairman of the Council of the People's Commissars. This shows how he held many positions of power. Also I would add more on how his good public speaking skills led to his success, even when his changes angered some citizens. An example of this is how he would seize land from its owners and redistribute it to the peasants
DeleteAnalyse the reasons for the success of the Bolsheviks in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution.
ReplyDeleteAfter the fall of Tsarism in the spring of 1917, a Provisional Government took control of Russia. The first revolution in the spring had caused a lot of instability in Russia and there was a lot of tensions rising. When the Provisional Government took over, the economy in Russia was in really bad shape, and there was almost no middle class. The Provisional Government could not handle all of these problems, and on top of their weak leadership, they fell in the fall of 1917. The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government because of how weak the Provisional Government was. Lenin and Trotsky organized the Bolshevik Revolution and because of their strong leadership, the Bolsheviks were quickly successful. Lenin had a lot of German support, which contributed to the Bolshevik strength, and ultimately their power.
You started off good but you should also talk about other factors that helped them rise to power not just strong leadership.
DeleteALEX KERKHOFF - this is Alex's emailed post
ReplyDeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful during the second 1917 Russian Revolution because they had a lot more resources than the other nations during this time. They had a lot of money that was used to fund their military, which was strong in all classes, including the lower classes. They had strong leaders who knew how to handle the people in this group. The two leaders, Lenin and Trotsky controlled the government in a orderly manner, and they knew how to lead the military and take care of different war efforts.
You have good ideas, but try elaborating more on how Lenin and Trotsky were good leaders.
DeleteThere were several reasons for the success of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Prior to this time, although the Russian army was the largest in Europe, it was unorganized because it was poorly trained and several soldiers left after losing their interest in fighting. There was much rebellion in the cities where citizens suffered from inflation and food shortages. In 1917, the Bolsheviks were under the leadership of Lenin, who believed the development of Russian capitalism would help make a socialist revolution happen. He found support of industrial workers, soldiers and peasants with “Peace, Land and Bread Now”. With unemployment and starvation on the rise, the condition of Russia led to a widely supported Bolshevik party. On October 25, 1917, the provisional government was attacked by the Bolsheviks at the Winter Palace. They were now able to rule socialist Russia. Soon they would succeed in giving peasants their own land, nationalizing banks, and surrendering to Germany with a treaty to save its communist regime.
ReplyDeleteThere were many reasons for the accomplishment of the Bolsheviks Revolution of 1917. The main reason was that the Provisional Government which consisted of members of the forth Duma and its assumed power system of dyarchy after the fall of the Tsarism in the February/March of 1917 Russian Revolution. The Revolution can include its lack of authority or endorsement which led to the weakness/failure to address problems such as land reform and war. The Kornilov affair helped Bolsheviks by the power an rising support for the Soviets. The opposition of Lenin and his determination to oust it, continued participation in the first world war which led to disintegration of the army due to food shortages, riots and general disorders and diseases. The Germans support Lenin, they sent him back in a sealed train and gave him financial support; the organization of Trotsky and Lenin resulted in the ousting of the Provisional Government in a Bloshevik's coup, which enabled in the Bolsheviks to obtain power albert in a limited geographical area.
ReplyDeleteThe success of Bolshevik Russian Revolution in 1917 was due to several reasons. First of all the Bolsheviks were under the strong leadership of Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. Lenin and Trotsky both allowed for the majority of the country’s support. These leaders were a blessing for the military in comparison to the lack of passion that soldiers had previous to their leadership. There was much support for these leaders because of their views for the common people. Because of all the combined support, it allowed for the success of the Bolshevik Revolution. It was because the ideas of the Bolsheviks supported the working class that the revolution was also successful. This is because the majority of the people were the working class, and because the Bolshevik ideas supported them, they had popular support.
DeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful in their revolution in 1917 because of several different reasons. The current government was unable to support itself, the revolution had a lot of support, and there was strong leadership to stand up against the government. The main reason that the revolution was successful was because of Vladmir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. Lenin's radicalism led to an organized Bolshevik party that was stronger than the other divided people of Russia. This unification allowed for Lenin to take control of crucial points in the capital. Also, he had support from the military because of their desire to be out of World War I. The successful revolution was a turning point for modern Russia because it led to a civilization that was heavily into the arts.
ReplyDeleteI like the amount of support you give but I feel as if you need a better structure for it because it is an intro paragraph. So if it was more organized then it would be much stronger as an intro!
DeleteThis could be a better introduction paragraph if your talked more about your three main points other than the strong leadership. This would make it a more well rounded introduction paragraph that would lead into the argument better.
DeleteI like the underlying idea of your answer, but it needs a little more organization and depth. To do this, try to be a little more specific in your thesis and then follow that. Also, you brought up Trotsky, but never mentioned any details specific to him, which you should try to do.
DeleteThanks! Hows this?...
DeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful in their revolution in 1917 because of several different reasons. The main reason that the revolution was successful was because of Vladmir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. Lenin's radicalism led to an organized Bolshevik party that was stronger than the other divided people of Russia. This unification allowed for Lenin to take control of crucial points in the capital to weaken the current government. Also, he had support from the military because of their desire to be out of World War I. The current government was unable to support itself, the revolution itself had a lot of support, and there was strong leadership. The successful revolution was a turning point for modern Russia because it led to a more modern civilization that was heavily into the arts.
At the time of the 1917 Revolution, Russia was in a state of discontent and turmoil that created the ideal setting for the Bolsheviks to be successful as a political party. The food shortages and poverty present for the majority of the population, led the way for people to be open to changes in the political structure and the bolsheviks promise of bread just encouraged it. The Bolsheviks were able to take control successfully almost entirely because of the state of Russia rather and that they had effective leaders capable of publicizing their campaign.
ReplyDeleteYou have a good start, but I would add more about what the Bolsheviks themselves did to be successful in the revolution in addition to the current conditions of the country.
DeleteI think your answer is organized and you make a good, strong point. Maybe just elaborate more on the state of Russia right before the 1917 revolution. You mention the food shortages and the poverty, but it might help to explain how Russia got to that point, who was mostly affected by the poverty, etc. You also might want to re-word the last sentence because it's a little confusing. But overall, I like how you stick to one strong point.
DeleteHi Erika!
DeleteWhat were some of the other reasons for the Russian population to be discontent besides food shortages and poverty? And how did the Bolsheviks resolve these other problems?
The underlying causes of the 1917 Russian Revolution included a desire to end Czarist absolutism and repression, a want for improved economic conditions, and the need to end discrimination and Russification. A provisional government was installed in March of 1917, but it fell after insisting upon continuing the war, being unable to provide cities with enough food, and its refusal to approve land seized by peasants. These ideas were largely unpopular among the Russian public, especially among Communists, many of whom emerged from Serbian prison camps.
ReplyDeleteThe Communist Party originated from the Bolsheviks, who were primarily left-wing Russian Socialists, and their shared views made it easy for the Communists to appeal to the masses. Under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, the second Russian Revolution in October/November of 1917 was a success. Demanding "Peace, Bread, and Land" for soldiers and city workers and peasants quickly attracted considerable support for the Bolsheviks. Once the Bolsheviks started advertising Communist fundamentals, their influence grew, particularly among newer nationalist organizations. Lenin came into power by the end of 1917, and Germany was one of his financial and military supporters. Germany lended aid to Lenin and his ideals as it was in their best interest - they believed there was an opportunity to gain land and influence Russian politics, and they were correct to an extent. The Bolshevik's ability to identify with the Russian public, Lenin's enticing ideas and promises, and backing from Germany all contributed greatly to Bolshevik success in the second Russian Revolution of 1917.
I do, but then I don't like how you organized this. The information that you put in both of these paragraphs were really good and you used great examples to back your points up, but I think you could have put them into one paragraph. This is after all supposed to be an introduction paragraph and I think if you used a transition between the background detail in the first paragraph, to the main points in the second paragraph, it could still flow well.
DeleteThis is a really good response to the question. Your incorporation of the Communist party and absolutism ideals gives for a more broad perspective of what went on in this time period and what had to be fixed. If I were to expand this, I would add more information and detail about Trotsky and his ideals and what about him led to the success of the Bolsheviks.
DeleteYeah, that was a typo. When I finished reviewing my post, I must have hit "Enter", and then again when the post wasn't submitted. I'm just more used to using the Enter key rather than clicking on "Publish." However, I definitely agree that I could have used more of a transition between the two lines.
DeleteAs for the content, I feel that I could have made more of an effort to make the points appear to have some connection, but thank you for the feedback, Tim.
Thank you Scarlett. I didn't see your comment until now. I definitely agree that I could elaborate a bit more on how Trotsky reached the position he had, and what he specifically advertised to the Russian peoples.
DeleteBy the time of the second Russian Revolution of 1917, many political groups had formed under the two major parties, the Socialists and the Liberals. However, the Bolshevik Party, one of the two divisions of the Social Democrats, was successful in the revolution over the other parties. Their success was largely due to the fact that they had become increasingly popular with many Russian citizens who were tired of the current state of Russia and recognized the need for drastic change. During this period, many people were feeling the strain of World War 1 along with frustration with food shortages and continuing poverty. The Bolshevik Party, which stressed violent revolution to overthrow tsarism and establish a workers’ state, seemed like a solution to these problems. Ultimately, because the aims of the Bolshevik Party aligned with the desires of many struggling Russians, the Bolsheviks were able to become successful in the Revolution of 1917.
ReplyDeleteLauren, the way you wrote this is good because you gave a brief background of the Bolsheviks and still got the point that they were successful. I would suggest maybe giving a little more detail about how the Bolsheviks seemed like a better choice for the people and include some of the leaders but other than that it is well written.
DeleteThanks Charlie! I think to improve it, I would just mention that the peasants were in such a desperate situation after experiencing the poverty and food shortages for so long that they felt the only solution was a violent revolution. Non-violent strikes hadn't been working so they knew something drastic was needed. Also, I could explain that establishing a workers' state was appealing to the peasants because they thought they might finally get the rights they deserved. Lastly, I could mention how Lenin was a successful leader of the Bolsheviks and further helped them achieve their success in the revolution.
DeleteThe Bolsheviks succeeded in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution by the lack of authority that was presented. The collapse of the Stolypin showed the cracks that were held within Russia’s social and political system. This showed how the tsarist government was not succeeding in solving the countries social and economic problems. The tsarists were unable to address problems such as poverty, oppression and a lack of human rights that were being imposed on the population. In this time of chaos, the Bolsheviks emerged with a platform that was fully in line with the interests of the working class. Because the Bolsheviks had such a strong support system, they were able to influence the people in creating strikes, as a revolution was the “only way out”. Because of the fall of Tsarism, the Bolsheviks had great success in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution.
ReplyDeleteMallory, I think your introduction holds many valid points, but I like how you seem to condense it down to putting the fault on tsarism and its limitations. The only thing that worries me is the possibility that this may be too narrow. This is an introductory paragraph, and one "reason" may not be enough to have a full FRQ.
DeleteOne way to improve it would be to possibly elaborate on Prime Minister Stolypin's faults or you could evaluate the laws enacted by Alexander II in contrast to those enacted by Nicholas I, Nicholas II, Alexander III. Maybe you could even expand upon the social problems that were in play. Other than that, this is well written and contains good detail.
This is a very good intro paragraph Mallory, I agree with all of your ideas about why the Bolsheviks succeeded. However, try not to summarize how the Bolsheviks succeeded, more analyze the ideas of how they succeeded.
Delete1917 was a time of hatred and turmoil in Russia. The people were in a state of discontent because of how poor they were and they needed a new government that would be able to fit in with the changing times. The great leader Lenin came in with perfect timing to give the people what they wanted by using his extremely skilled techniques to get the word out to everyone that he had one goal in mind, to overthrow the government. The organization and propaganda used by these men got the word out of what exactly they were trying to do, and fired the people up which gave them the motivation and momentum they needed. Last, the most important trait about the Bolsheviks was that they had an extremely powerful army led by Trotsky. His ideals and strategies about war set the Bolsheviks over the edge and gave them the advantage that was needed to win the war.
ReplyDeleteNice job outlining the strengths of Lenin and Trotsky! I think one way that you could improve the paragraph would be to add more detail regarding the shortcomings of the Provisional Government/expanding on why the Russian citizenry was unhappy.
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second Russian Revolution was because of many factors that were not present throughout the string of previous unsuccessful revolutions. This time around, they had more money available to them from Germany that helped them publicize their campaigns. They also had smart and clever leaders, Lenin and Trotsky. Lenin was a professional revolutionary that was dedicated, ruthless and had an organized plan to overthrow the government, while Trotsky trained the military to win. Over all, Russians were looking for stability. The Bolsheviks, having established themselves as popular against the weak Provisional Government, took advantage of the opportunity to put Russia back on track. The Bolsheviks held complete control over each and every aspect of their process, growing in members, and training to win.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good introductory paragraph; it included support of the prompt that could be elaborated on if you had to write an entire FRQ. The only critique I have is that the first paragraph was confusing and didn't really accomplish anything. I would rephrase it and list a few of the things that you think were absent from unsuccessful revolutions but were present in this one. Overall, nice job! I liked your last sentence the best.
DeleteThanks Emily! Rereading the first couple sentences I see how it was confusing and crowded. And I will definitely be more specific and detailed about pieces in the future.
DeleteIn the second Russian Revolution (1971), the Bolsheviks were successful for several reasons. The provisional government was completely collapsed by November because of inadequate leadership, which led to the success of Bolshevik leader Valdimir Lenin’s take over. Lenin was also successful because the German government wanted Russia out of the war, so they funded his take over. Leon Trotsky trained and led the Bolshevik army, which caused their organization to be extremely strong. Internal support was important to their success as well. Their newspaper used propaganda to alleviate fears of current members and inspire new members. Factors such as these caused membership of the Bolsheviks to increase dramatically, adding to their strength. Due to strong leadership from Lenin, and organization and support from within the Bolshevik party, they successfully gained control of Russia.
ReplyDeleteI think your answer to this question was correct and very clear. I liked how you included the fact that propaganda was used to recruit new members. Perhaps you could include what date the provisional government collapsed to give a clear chronology of events.
DeleteI think you did a good job organizing your paragraph and providing a clear thesis at the end.
DeleteIt might be a good idea to incorporate the sentence about the newspaper into the paragraph more. You might even want to make it a part of your thesis.
Jessie, thanks for your feedback! I'm not sure about the actual day, but the provisional government collapsed during the October revolutions of 1917, so in October. I agree that specifying the chronological order of events would help.
DeleteEmily, thank you for your feedback too! To incorporated that into my thesis, I would say "Due to strong leadership from Lenin, organization and support from within the Bolshevik party, and the use of propaganda to recruit new members, they successfully gained control of Russia." I don't think I would directly mention the newspaper in the thesis because this would allow me to expand on my ideas with propaganda more in a real essay.
For the reasons of adequate preparation, funding and propaganda, the Bolsheviks in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution were successful. Funding was adequate for this group due in part to bank robbing, money abroad and fundraising. This allowed them the advantages of what excess money can be allotted to buy. The word Bolsheviks translates to "majority" in Germany, this was very tactile as far as propaganda went during this time. The group was easily able to receive support. Two men, Lenin and Trotsky, were savy and quicker than those of the other factions. The Kerensky government was in an impossibly sustainable position, with a war and great lack of trust from all directions. In contrast, the Bolsheviks put their faction ahead of anything else as most important, including the war effort. As well as these reasons, the Bolsheviks had infiltrated the military, which made manipulation an easy task. For these contributing reasons, the Bolsheviks in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution were successful.
ReplyDeleteThis is really thorough Sara. I like it!! I would however maybe narrow down your topics a little because it seems like you're trying to cover a lot. Otherwise though nice job!!
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second Russian Revolution can be attributed to many things. First and foremost, their private Bolshevik army set up by Leon Trotsky which gave them military power and authority. Also, under the leadership of Lenin, the Bolsheviks where led successfully as Lenin was very ruthless and a good planner in all aspects. The Bolsheviks also had great success due in part to the weaknesses of the Provisional Government. The government was extremely unpopular and very weak. It was unprepared to defend itself. At this point in time, Russian citizens were desperate to fix their current situations and the Bolsheviks decided to take the opportunity to reform Russia.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think this is a solid response. I would just go into more detail on a couple of things. Maybe explain the current situation in Russia. Also, elaborate on what the Bolsheviks stood for/ what they wanted. Finally, explain why the government was extremely unpopular and very weak. If you tied all of these things together into your response, I think you would have a strong, well-supported answer.
DeleteThe Bolsheviks were considered successful in the second 1917 Russian Revolution since they achieved a Socialist Government with a Council of People’s Commissars. This success can be attributed to a few key factors in the revolution. The Bolsheviks were led, at this point, by Vladimir Lenin, who proved to be an extremely strong leader. With his strong ideals of giving land back to the peasants and giving power to the Soviets, he found much support in the working class and the peasants. As a result, the Bolsheviks gained power in numbers against the government. They became a large threat since they had so many people ready for revolutions and had connections that enabled them to take control of the telegraph, power station, strategic bridges, post office, train station, and state bank. Without these means of communication, the government was helpless and gave into the strength of the Bolsheviks. Therefore, strength in leadership, numbers, and anger towards the government of the Bolshevik population powered the second 1917 Russian Revolution to victory.
ReplyDeleteVery in-depth analysis of how the Bolsheviks overpowered the Russian government. You cover the Bolshevik's strengths very well, but perhaps you could talk about the weaknesses of the Russian government as well.
DeleteI really like how you include the ways that the Bolsheviks were able to put pressure on the existing government. You have a clear thesis and a well constructed introduction. To make it stronger I think you could go into more detail about why there was anger towards the government by the Russian people.
DeleteOkay, both of those comments are valid and I agree that I should have given reasons that there was anger towards the government. Kieran, I had a question about you comment. If I'm writing an FRQ arguing the success of the Bolsheviks, then do you think that it is beneficial to include information about the downfalls of the Bolsheviks? I was wondering about that while I was writing the paragraph because it doesn't support my claim, yet it's still important information.
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ReplyDeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks is due to many factors and reasons. Firstly, the Russian citizens appreciated and understood their ideas. The Bolsheviks encouraged revolution in attempt to overthrow Tsarism and focused on the working class with ideas to give a sense of community. The Bolsheviks also utilized slogans such as ‘Peace, Bread, and Land.’ Because of the simplicity of their slogans and ideas, it made it easier for the public to understand. Additionally, the Germans financed the Bolsheviks campaign because they understood that Lenin wanted to take Russia out of the war; the money made a significant effect on the campaign. Lastly, Lenin was a very good speaker and overall leader, which also made the Bolsheviks succeed.
Since it is the introduction to an essay you may want to end with more of a closing idea to the paragraph that could lead more into the rest of your paragraph.
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second Russian Revolution can be attributed to many varied factors, mainly because of the weakness of the Provisional Government, financing from other nations, and the organization of the Bolshevik Party, led by Lenin. The Provisional Government was weak and not favored by much of the general Russian population, so not many people were prepared to defend the government when the Bolsheviks gained power. The main reason for the large amount of public support backing the Bolshevik Revolution was because of a brilliant publicity campaign, and the financing for this campaign came from Germany. Germany contributed funds to the Revolution because they knew that Lenin wanted to take Russia out of World War I, which would benefit Germany. Also, the Bolsheviks were very well organized, with a central committee led by Lenin sending out orders to soviets who in turn, gave orders to the factories. The members of the Bolshevik party were also very dedicated to their cause, so they gave total obedience to their party, unlike members of the Provisional government. These are the main reasons that the Bolshevik Revolution succeeded.
ReplyDeleteYou have the basis of a strong essay, but finish your paragraph as if it were the conclusion. Keep in mind that this is the introductory paragraph, and therefore should flow into your first point.
DeleteThanks for the input, Brett. I'll make sure to use more appropriate transitions in between my paragraphs, in order to improve the coherency of my thoughts.
DeleteBolshevik success in the second Russian Revolution can be credited to a lot of things. Firstly, they had control over the government before them which had basically collapsed, which led to the easy transition into the rise of a Bolshevik leader, Vladmir Lenin. Lenin led the Bolsheviks to be strong and united, unlike most of divided Russia. This strong unification let Lenin take over crucial points and places in the government, including telephone and telegraph offices, banks, railroad stations and other important places. Because of Lenin's strong united Russia, the Bolshevik revolution was a great success.
ReplyDeleteHow was Lenin able to so efficiently unite the Bolsheviks into a strong centralized group?
DeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful in the second Russian Revolution of 1917 for many reasons. First of all the Provisional Government in power at the time wanted to continue participation in the Great War which was becoming extremely unpopular among the people. The Bolshevik party, under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, greatly appealed to poor working class citizens and soldiers with the promise of “Peace, Bread, Land”. Also the Provisional Government, which consisted of Social Revolutionaries, split up into two parties making the government weaker than before because they had less support. The more radical side joined the Bolsheviks who were becoming the majority in the soviets. Because of an increasingly unpopular war, the split of a major political party and the promise of a better future for working class citizens, the Bolsheviks were able to stage a successful coup and take over the government in 1917.
ReplyDeleteGood analysis. Seems a bit unfocused, you cover the weaknesses in the Russian state and the strengths of the Bolshevik revolutionaries, but there is a disconnect when you start talking about the split between the revolutionaries. Overall good coverage however.
DeleteIn the second 1917 Russian Revolution, the Bolshevik party was successful due to a multitude of reasons, the major ones being a combination of rising support for the Soviets, German support for Lenin, the Russian participation in World War I and the organization of Russian leaders resulting in the Bolshevik coup. First, Russian support for the revolution and for Leninist thought grew tremendously. The Russians found the strength they sought in Lenin and his determination to overthrow the Provisional Government that had taken power after the fall of Tsarist Russia. The Provisional Government was weak and did not hold the population's support due to internal strife and mismanagement. German support for Lenin also aided in the success of the Bolsheviks as they gave Lenin financial and moral aid. Another main cause of the success was the Russia continued support in World War I. This participation in the war led to food shortages, riots, a breakdown of the Russian army and unrest in the homeland. The last main reason for the success of the Revolution was the organization and strength of leadership of both Trotsky and Lenin. This organization enabled the Bolsheviks to carry out a coup of the Provisional government giving them the power and strength, although in a limited space, that spurred the success of the Russian Revolution. These three main events allowed the Bolshevik party to be successful in the second 1917 Russian Revolution.
ReplyDeleteYou have good organization of your ideas, but I'm confused as to how Russian participation in WWI led to the success of the Bolshevik Revolution. I understand what you are trying to say, but you need to be more clear when you present that idea, especially because this is an introductory paragraph in which you should be straightforward in the presentation of the various reasons for the success of the Bolshevik party.
DeleteI feel as though I should organize the entire paragraph better as introductory rather than a bunch of ideas. I feel like it was more of a mini-essay than an actual introductory paragraph. I should definitely be more clear about the whole Russian participation in WWI therefore weaker Russia equals success of the Bolsheviks as well as elaborate on it. Thanks!
DeleteAs Russia progressed further into the 20th century, they became more modernized, especially in relation to their demands for the rights of the worker. In this way, the old system of government became antiquated, in that it supported far too much the ideals and desires of the upper class. The peasants were still largely ignored as systematic improvements were made. In addition, the lowering of bread prices and wages in the early 1900's put major strain on the workers. Because of this, there was a large gap between the leaders and those being led. In this way, the Bolsheviks were able to succeed in that they offered unparalleled leadership (under Lenin) and an effective organization system that though propaganda promised the people a more hopeful future.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the Bolsheviks would have been as successful had they not had the strong leadership of Lenin?
DeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful in the Russian Revolution of 1917 because of a number of reasons. The reasons are the weakness and dislike of the provisional government by the people and the appeal of the Bolshevik party, led by Lenin to the working class people. The provisional government was very disliked by the general working class because of their want to continue in The Great War. Also they were split up into two parties within the greater government making them weaker. This led to their dislike by the general population and because of their lack of power they couldn't fight back as well when the Bolsheviks started gaining power. Which lends to the next idea in the the Bolsheviks were very popular with the working class and because of this it allowed them to gain power and succeed in the Revolution of 1917.
ReplyDeleteMany factors contributed to the Bolsheviks' success in the second Russian Revolution of 1917. The number of Bolsheviks members was small and so this made party discipline much easier to control and maintain. The party had a central body of authority called the National Council. In addition to having a easy group to control, the leader, they were led by Vladimir Lenin, who proved to be an effective leader. Public support also helped the Bolsheviks. Under the solgan "Peace, Bread, Land" the party gained the support of peasants who were starving and tired of the war.
ReplyDeleteExplaining how Lenin was a strong leader and also explaining how the Bolsheviks were able to gain support over the existing government would strengthen your paragraph. Why was the existing government susceptible to revolution?
DeleteThinh - this answer was short and mostly informative. You have the overarching reasons as to why the Bolsheviks were sucessful but you don't have a lot of detail. Explain why Vladimir Lenin was an effective leader. Lastly, I think this needs some organization so it reads more nicely and doesn't sound quite as choppy.
DeleteDuring 1971 Russia was very unstable due to the majority of the population being discontent with how the country was being run by Tsar leadership. This lead to a successful emergence of the Bolsheviks in Russia. There were many important factor that lead to this immediate success including strong leadership, good policies, and the bad state of the country prior to their introduction. These leaders included Lenin and Trotsky, Lenin was the political leader and Trotsky was a very skilled military leader. Lenin was successful due to his policy plans for the country which included spreading out the resources to all the people and he had money because of financial support from countries like Germany. The state of the country was so poor before that this seemed great to the people of Russia and the successful propaganda also helped rally the people.
ReplyDeleteThe Bolshevik revolution was successful due to popular support, strong Bolshevik leadership and Russia's weakness as a nation. Russia's economic weakness due to near-serfdom like conditions created large amounts of support for the revolutionaries. On top of this, the Bolshevik's had Lenin and Trotsky for leadership, Lenin being a strong figurehead and Trotsky being a great orator. This generated further support. But because of Russia's military weakness as a nation, and participation in unpopular military conflicts, the Russian government could not quell the rebellion. Thus, the Bolsheviks were able to overthrow the government, simply by being more popular and powerful.
ReplyDeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second Russian Revolution can be accredited to many things. The previous government had little public support and because the Bolsheviks were good at using propaganda to gain support for their cause, there was little resistance in the transition to Bolshevik rule. Their propaganda appealed to many working class citizens as well as soldiers using words such as "peace, Bread and Land" to win working them over. This hope of a better future and the increasingly unpopular war led the majority of the population of Russia, who were mostly in the working class, is what gave the Bolsheviks the ability to overthrow the existing government in 1917.
ReplyDeleteThe Bolsheviks had success in the second 1917 Russian Revolution because of the weak current government and the huge following the Bolsheviks had. At the time, the current government was in turmoil due to the war across Europe. This is what created the opportunity for a strong party to overthrow the government. While the government was on the decline, the Bolsheviks were being funded by countries such as Germany to take Russia out of the war. With the funding and support they received, they began large amounts of propaganda to spread their cause. When their followers grew by the millions, the Bolsheviks began taking government building and using them to further weaken the government and to further strengthen their party.
ReplyDeleteNice job Tyler! I think you have a solid intro to further develop your points in your body paragraphs. I would have included Lenin's role in the Bolsheviks success and his importance. But it is good!
DeleteThanks Natasha! Ya I should definitely include the strong leadership role involved in the Bolsheviks success, thanks!
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second 1917 Russian Revolution was largely due to the combination of a strong leader and outstanding organization within the group. One of Russia's primary Bolshevik leaders, Vladimir Lenin, was a professional revolutionary with an iron will. He was a ruthless man, as well as a brilliant speaker with well developed planning skills. Part of what made Lenin a powerful leader was the fact that he had one very particular, centralized goal, which was to overthrow the Provisional Government. Lenin was a powerful driving force behind the Bolshevik success. In addition, the Bolsheviks were well organized with a central committee, controlled by Lenin & other leading Bolsheviks, which sent orders to the Soviets who then gave orders to factories. Unlike the Provisional Government, the Bolsheviks demanded total obedience from their members, so members were well disciplined and therefore easier to control. With a strong leader and obedient followers, the Bolsheviks were able to obtain the power necessary to gain success in the second 19717 Russian Revolution.
ReplyDeleteCORI REID'S POST:
ReplyDeleteAnalyze the reasons for the success of the Bolsheviks in the second (October/November) 1917 Russian Revolution.
The Bolsheviks were successful in the October revolution of 1917 because of the lack of stability in the Provisional Government. Bolsheviks began to take majority in all of the political parties in Russia and became the majority of the population’s beliefs. The Provisional government was more conservative causing people to be drawn closer to the more liberal beliefs of the Bolsheviks. Lenin was also a major reason as to why they succeeded because people liked Lenin and his reforms and views on society.
The Bolsheviks were successful in the second Russian Revolution because of many factors, but mainly due to the weakness of the unstable Provisional Government. The government was weak and had little public support so it was easy for the Bolsheviks to gain power right away. They used propaganda to appeal to the people and gained support because of it. They used “Peace, Bread, and Land” and other campaigning with their financial aid from Germany to win the public’s support. The Bolsheviks were organized and had strong leadership from Vladimir Lenin, who focused on gaining support from the working class and soldiers, which was very important. Through power and popularity, the Bolsheviks were able to overthrow the current government and were successful in the second Russian Revolution of 1917.
ReplyDeleteTasha - I think this is a great start to a paper. You have plenty of information and it's condensed so the paragraph isn't a mile long, making it easier to read. However, the one comment I would make is that you have an unclear thesis. I know that your thesis is the last sentence of the paragraph, but it's the first sentence that I would change. "The Bolsheviks were successful in the second Russian Revolution because of many factors, but mainly due to the weakness of the unstable Provisional Government." This sentence can be confusing because it appears as if it is the thesis because you restate teh question and give an answer to it. I would just be aware of that, no change is necessary (at least in my amateur opinion).
DeleteThanks Marissa, I agree that I do need to make my thesis more clear. I did try to make my intro short and simple so it wasn't too long! But thanks again for the advice!
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second Russian Revolution can be attributed to many different factors. Firstly, Russia had a Provisional Government that was not favored by the people. The Provisional Government kept Russia involved in World War I even when a majority of the population didn’t want to be involved. The Provisional Government was weak and ultimately because it wasn’t well liked, there wasn’t much effort put forth in trying hard to defend the government when the Bolsheviks gained power. Also, the Provisional Government eventually split into two parties making the government weaker, simply because the support that they did have was now divided again. The Bolsheviks were also successful because Vladimir Lenin was a strong leader who appealed to the working class citizens with the promise of “peace, bread, and land.” The peasants were still ignored when it came to changes being made in the government and Lenin was offering them a chance at it all. The Russian government before the Bolsheviks instilled a large economic and social gap between the peasants and the upper class, which only enraged the peasants adding more fuel to the flame. Ultimately the Bolsheviks were successful because they were organized, had a strong leader, and were easily accessible for the greater Russian population.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good argument you are making! Perhaps it could use more academic language in some areas (I'm not sure "Lenin was offering them a change at it all" would really be accepted in a historical thesis), but the argument made is still fairly clear. Perhaps a clearer organizational structure would help you with word count too. For example there is a little repetition in saying "Russia had a Provisional Government that was not favored by the people" and "The Provisional Government was week and ultimately because it wasn't well liked". To shorten this you could put these together by starting out saying "Russia's provisional Government was weakened by it's unpopular policies. The Provisional Government continued involvement in the widely unpopular World War I..." etc
DeleteHey, thanks Iona. I agree with you, I do need some more organization and "proper" language worthy of an IB history paper. I certainly think I need to work on the structure of my paper more than my content I put into it. Thanks again for the advice!
DeleteThe Bolsheviks' success in the 1917 revolution was due to conditions of Russia as it deteriorated during WWI. Russian peasants were being conscripted and being introduced to the world and how bad the motherland is. As the war progresses and more peasants are conscripted, labor in the agricultural industry decreases and food shortages begin. Tsar Nicholas was no where to be found as he was at the front lines, and the peasants began to see him as not a person chosen by god to lead them. The Bolsheviks took the opportunity to step in and lead the peasants and provoked their ideals. All of the elite troops stationed in Russia also began to favor the revolution. Some were ignoring orders or aiding the opposition. The Russian Monarchy couldn't fight this force and lost power which the Bolsheviks took.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you add some leaders of the Bolsheviks'and how they led this group into further success. Another thing would be to add some of the Bolshevik's success. But good job on focusing on other things such as agriculture.
DeleteThe success of the Bolshevik party during the Russian Revolution of 1917 largely followed a dialectic model of revolution in which the inefficient and insufficiently changed policies of the moderate revolutionary leaders led to the success of radical revolutionary parties. The faults of the Provisional Government, both in continuing in the widely unpopular war and their inability to address the hardships faced by the peasantry decreased their political power while adding to the support of the radical socialist Bolsheviks. This shift in power culminated in the October Revolution giving Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin clear power in the Russian Civil War and ultimately the revolution.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very nice introductory paragraph. It was really clear and kept everything short and sweet. The only thing I think you could improve on would be the creation of more ideas and structuring the last sentence a bit more. If you want to be boring go Simard DBQ style and flat out state what you will talk about or be more creative but I would definitely state your intent and topic. But nice job!
DeleteThe success of the Bolsheviks in the second Russian Revolution of 1917 can be attributed to many factors, especially to its great leadership. During this time the Provisional Government existed, it was not favored by the people. Although this government kept Russia involved in World War I, the majority of people weren’t happy about the choice, therefore it was even more disliked. Due to its lack of popularity, this government became weak and this allowed the Bolsheviks to overpower this government. Due to its great leadership under Vladimir the Bolshevik’s became successful. Lenin became popular due to the working class. Lenin’s radicalism led the Bolshevik’s party to be an organized and stronger government. Lenin’s popularity and control over the Bolsheviks allowed them to make a stronger government that was well organized.
ReplyDeleteYou have really nice information regarding the reasons for success. To improve it, I would try to incorporate all of your reasons into the thesis. Your reasons to me seemed to be leadership, social discontent, and a weak provisional government. So I would try to make it clear that they are the three reasons.
DeleteThe Bolsheviks were successful in the second 1917 Russian Revolution because the Provisional Government was so weak. It did not have very much public support. This allowed the Bolsheviks to easily become more popular and win support of the Russian people over the current government. When they did try to take power, the Provisional Government wasn’t defended much making the change much easier. The leader, Vladimir Lenin, gained support from the working class citizens by promoting “Peace, Bread, and Land.” He gave the people who previously didn’t have any a say in the changes being made. There was a large gap between the peasants and the upper class at the time so the peasants were already upset. All of these things allowed for the Bolsheviks to be successful in the second 1917 Revolution.
ReplyDeleteGina, I think you have some good information here, but I would just add a little more detail. I also would include all of the reasons into your thesis instead of just the weak Provisional Government. However I do still think you did a nice job!
DeleteThere are numerous reasons for the success of the Bolshevik Revolution including strong leadership, a weak provisional government, and social unrest. First, the Bolshevik Movement was led by Lenin who had immense leadership and power in their movement. His charisma and charm helped to win over the general public. In addition he used propaganda to assure that the government would be replaced by the Bolsheviks and the public’s demands would be met. Secondly, the government in place had very little power/authority over the general public. The provisional government no longer had a strong control of the nation and didn’t have strong organization. And finally, the general public supported the Bolshevik Party and the principles that they wanted to implement. The Bolsheviks wanted to abolish Tsarism and help the majority of Russia. This meant helping the lower/working class because they composed the majority of Russia. They proposed more rights for them and used propaganda to win them over. Ultimately, the Bolsheviks won over the support of Russia and were able to find success in their revolution.
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