by Adam White

Created on: June 19, 2007

The Bolsheviks successfully made a revolution and seized power at the end of October 1917. This revolution was not just chance; it was planned from the beginning, with several factors contributing to the success of the revolution. It was these contributions made it possible for the Bolsheviks to seize power.

The Provisional government was the unfortunate authority that was "in control" at the time of the Bolshevik revolution. This aided the Bolsheviks to success, as they were already very unpopular. When the peasants tried to claim land, the Provisional government, led by Alexander Kerensky, tried to stop them. This decision and many others, made the Provisional government very unpopular, with the support for the Bolsheviks now growing. With the Provisional government not allowing peasants land and the Bolsheviks opposing this, (Peace, Bread and Land!) the popularity of the Bolshevik party could only grow, and the Provisional governments support could only drop, making the Bolsheviks seem even better, as they opposed the unpopular government.

One of the most important things that happened for the Bolsheviks was when they defended the Provisional government from Kornilov's revolt. Kornilov had a larger army with more man-power than that of the Red Guard (Bolshevik's forces) and more armoured vehicles and other assets. Although the Red Guard had a much smaller defence force than that of Kornilov, the Bolshevik force was superior in many ways. The Red Guard were very highly disciplined, with excellent training, which made them better-quality soldiers than the forces of Kornilov. Also, the Red Guard were dedicated to the cause of the revolution, with each one determined to fight to the bitter end, as they were fighting for a cause they each firmly believed in. Kornilov's troops however, were just recruited, and weren't as determined for there cause, as many of them wouldn't have had a cause, they were just fighting because they were ordered to. Kornilov's soldiers weren't too keen on the idea of the assault on the Provisional government, and they weren't all that pleased to be fighting, especially against those who were so determined for their cause, which the Bolsheviks were. Kornilov wasn't that much of a political leader either, described as a "man with a lion's heart but the brains of a sheep," which didn't help his soldiers appreciate the orders he gave them.

When the Kornilov forces tried to attack the Provisional government the Bolsheviks resisted the attack,

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