The October Seizure of Power Flashcards

On what dates did the October Seizure of Power take place?

25-26 October 1917 (7-8 November in the modern calendar).

Which city was the centre of the October Seizure of Power?

Petrograd (now St Petersburg).

Who led and planned the Bolshevik takeover?

Lenin pushed for an uprising, and Trotsky organised it through the Petrograd Soviet's Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC).

What was the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC)?

A committee of the Petrograd Soviet set up to defend the city; Trotsky used it to direct the takeover.

Which groups carried out the takeover on the streets?

Red Guards, soldiers from the Petrograd garrison, and sailors, especially from Kronstadt.

What key sites did Bolshevik forces seize first?

Bridges, railway stations, the telephone and telegraph, post offices, power stations, and the State Bank.

What role did the cruiser Aurora play?

It fired a blank shot to signal the attack on the Winter Palace.

What happened at the Winter Palace on the night of 25-26 October?

Bolshevik forces entered and arrested the remaining ministers of the Provisional Government. There was little bloodshed.

What happened to Prime Minister Kerensky during the takeover?

He fled Petrograd to try to bring in loyal troops.

Where did the Bolsheviks run their operation from?

The Smolny Institute, the headquarters of the Petrograd Soviet.

What did the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets do after the takeover?

It approved the transfer of power and set up a new government, the Sovnarkom, led by Lenin.

What were the first two decrees announced by the new government?

The Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land.

You’ve used 10 of your 10 free revision notes for the month

Sign up to get unlimited access to revision notes, quizzes, audio lessons and more

Sign up