Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky were the two most prominent leaders of the Russian Revolution and the early Soviet state, but their relationship was complex and underwent significant changes over time. After Lenin's death, their diverging political philosophies led to a struggle for power with Joseph Stalin, which Trotsky ultimately lost.
February/March Revolution (1917): Food shortages, strikes, and anger over World War I led to mass protests in Petrograd. Soldiers refused to shoot at crowds and mutinied. Nicholas II abdicated, ending the Romanov dynasty.
Provisional Government: Formed after Nicholas stepped down, it promised elections, civil rights, and reforms. But it kept Russia in World War I, which made it very unpopular.
Dual power: At the same time, the Petrograd Soviet (workers’ and soldiers’ council) had real influence. The Soviet controlled food, transport, and the loyalty of soldiers, while the Provisional Government had little authority without it.
Problems of dual power: The Provisional Government wanted to continue the war, while the Soviet demanded peace. This split weakened the government.
Lenin’s return (April 1917): With German help, Lenin returned to Russia and issued his April Theses, calling for “peace, land, and bread,” “all power to the Soviets,” and an immediate socialist revolution.
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Lesson
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Note
The February/March Revolution of 1917 was a pivotal moment in Russian history, marking the end of over 300 years of Romanov rule. The revolution was sparked by a combination of factors, including food shortages, strikes, and widespread anger over Russia's involvement in World War I.
Mass protests erupted in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), with workers and women leading the demonstrations
Soldiers, who were supposed to suppress the protests, instead joined the revolutionaries
Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, was forced to abdicate, ending the Romanov dynasty
Analogy
Think of the revolution as a pressure cooker that finally exploded after years of building tension. The war, food shortages, and political repression were like heat sources that eventually became too much to contain.
Note
The revolution is called the February Revolution because Russia was still using the Julian calendar at the time, which was 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used in the West. In the West, it occurred in March.
