Lenins Role in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 Essay

Lenins Role in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 After March 1917, the Russian revolution was yet to be completed. The Tsar had been overthrown, the power and responsibility of the government of Russia had been passed on duelly to the Provincial Government and the workers Soviet, the most powerful Soviet in Petrograd. In November 1917, the second revolution was planned, a Bolshevik revolution. Evidence around the Bolshevik revolution is not completely reliable, but it is widely agreed that events in November 1917 were not as the Bolsheviks later described and boasted. Soviet censored films, art and literature after 1917 record an incredibly contradictory image of the November revolution than†¦show more content†¦When Lenin returned from exile in April 1917 and gave his April Theses, his party was stunned. He was accused of anarchism and madness by the members, even by his wife as she later wrote, It seems that Ilyich is out of his mind. The April Theses consisted of four main arguments; that the Provincial Government should not be supported, anti-war propaganda should be carried on in the army, capitalism should be wiped out in Russia and that the land of Russia should be nationalised. His partys reaction suggests they did not have complete faith in him as a leader. However, Potresov, one of Lenins contemporaries states differently when describing Lenin. A man of iron will and indomitable energy, capable of instilling fanatical faith in the movement and the cause, and possessed of equal faith in himself. By November, Lenin had convinc ed the Bolsheviks that the time for action had come, a reflection that he had a party he could still push, inspire and control. But Harrison E. Sailsbury a correspondent form Moscow for the New York Times argues that Lenin only had the firm support of 15 of 25 members on the 15th of October. These two men give different pictures of the state of the belief the Bolsheviks had in their leader and therefore the importance of Lenin in his party. Potresov can not be treated as a completelyShow MoreRelatedHow Accurate Is It to Say That Lenin’s Leadership Was the Most Important Reason for the Bolshevik’s Success in the Revolution of November 1917?1413 Words   |  6 PagesHow accurate is it to say that Lenin’s leadership was the most important reason for the Bolshevik’s success in the revolution of November 1917? Lenin’s leadership was to a large extent an important cause of the Bolshevik’s success in the November 1917 revolution. This is because of Lenin’s great leadership skills, including his personality and timing, and his use of propaganda. 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