The October Revolution - the beginnings of the Bolshevik state

On the night of 7th November (24/25 October by the Julian calendar) a coup organised by Lenin took place. The decision to undertake action was made on a secret meeting of the Military-Revolutionary Committee of Bolshevik Party - SDPRR(b). A small army of soldiers was commanded by Trotsky, who later became the creator of the Red Army. The revolutionaries quickly defeated the supporters of the democratic system. All ministers from the Provisional Government, except for the Prime Minister Alexander Kierensky, were arrested. 

Photo taken probably in 1918; staging showing events from October revolution: solders driving to winter palace.

The Bolsheviks did not liquidate the Provisional Government at first, but they de-legalised all remaining parties and created Czeka (Extraordinary Commission of revolutionary police), which was conducted by Felix Dzierżyński. Class enemies (middle classes, rich peasants, intelligentsia, priests were persecuted. Members of other parties, "counter-revolutionary" officers were often arrested. New, revolutionary, courts were created.

Russian postcard with prime minister of Provisional Government. The government Aleksandr Kierensky. Click the picture to see enlarge version of it.

At the beginning the country was governed by the Provisional Government and the soviets. Later the Council of People's Commissars replaced the Provisional Government.

In the middle of October an election to the Constituent Assembly, which had been planned by the Provisional Government, took place. In the election (the only free election in the Soviet Russia's history) the Bolsheviks got only 24%support. Lenin allowed for the summoning of the Assembly then closed it down. An era of Bolshevik dictatorship started.

The rebuilding of the country began. As early as in 1917 the nationalisation of farming and industry was implemented. At the beginning of 1918 two documents A Declaration of Rights of Working and Exploited People, On the Freedom of Conscience and on Church and Religious Organisations were issued. The former described the nature of the newly created state, the second declared the freedom of conscience, yet it did not prevent the Bolsheviks' fighting with the Russian Orthodox Church. At that time the Red Army, on which the Bolshevik dictatorship was based, came into being. In July 1918 the Bolsheviks murdered Tzar's family.

Made by Ania Zaremba, Vincent Yau and Kevin Jones