Was the October Revolution a popular revolution?

Soviet historians pre 1991
1. Popular uprising led/carried out by working class.
  1. They created the soviets, provided power base.
  2. Supported by peasants.
  3. Bolshevik Party guided working classes to success, Lenin as inspired leader who directed party.
Leonard Schapiro, Robert Conquest, Richard Pipes- during Cold War post 1945
1. Small number of revolutionaries seized power in coup d'etat
  1. Revolution led directly to totalitarian communist state
  2. Then imposed their ideology on unwilling population
  3. Lenin architect of the revolution, head of well-drilled party
Revisionists 1970's
1. Stephen Smith
  1. More active role for lower ranks of Bolshevik Party in pushing forward revolution
  2. Lenin not so firmly in control. Poor party discipline.
2. Sheila Fitzpatrick
  1. People- workers, soldiers, peasants, created circumstances
    1. Thus creating circumstances for Bolsheviks to operate in
Robert Service, Christopher Read- recent
1. Accepts ideas of Cold War historians AND revisionists
2. Lenin was key figure
3. Hallmarks of a coup
4. Independent action at local levels in Party and soviets
5. Radicalism of peasants, workers, sailors, soldiers
6. Beryl Williams
  1. Workers might support October Revolution, vote for Bolsheviks in elections, does not imply support for one-party rule

Resource summary

	Created by Declan Wiseman over 8 years ago