Jessica- the successful attempt by an exteremist

The October Revolution was a successful attempt by an extremist group that fooled the people by dangling their wants and needs above their heads, then snatching them back to seize power through the use of strong-armed tactics.

Lenin began getting support from the people by making empty promises with the April Thesis to gain their approval as a new leader (class notes). The Provisional Government had failed in satisfying the wants and needs of the people as they grew poorer and hungrier; this allowed the opening Lenin had been waiting for from exile. Lenin then reentered the country with the help of Germany, as both agreed in their desires of wanting Russia out of the war (class notes). Lenin reached out to the people with his April Thesis, promising them more civil liberties, food, equality, freedom from the war, and power in the government; everything the people were asking for (April Thesis). After the Provisional Government failed to handle the Kornilov Affair on their own and had to resort back to Lenin and the Bolsheviks for help, the people began truly looking towards Lenin as a potential leader of Russia (class notes). The people wanted a strong leader who could provide for them as well as protect them and since the provisional government could no longer accomplish this, the people decided it was time for a change. Lenin was that change.

After coming into office, Lenin began the immediate disposing of political opposition. As chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, Lenin made sure that the council was “packed with Bolsheviks,” allowing “some left-wing Social Revolutionaries to join, but they had left by October 27, unable to agree with what they called Bolshevik ‘political terrorism’” (Book Source). This insured that Lenin would face no political opposition while in office and would not have to worry about any political resistance. This was a method Lenin used to remain in full power over Russia, with the assurance that no one of opposing power could disagree with him. Lenin did not want to worry about opposing groups disliking his ideas and methods so he decided to rid the office of them. With the other opposition out of the way, Lenin began fulfilling his promise as a “dictator of the proletariats” (class notes). It began with the stripping of civil liberties such as freedom of expression and freedom of press (Book Source). Lenin did not want any opposing opinions of him, especially not publicized for all to read. He wanted full control of what the public could and could not see and this included no dissing the ruler. This did not settle with the citizens. People were unhappy with Lenin’s decisions of removing their freedoms and began showing signs of resistance.

The people wanted a new government because they did not have enough freedom with the Provisional Government and were not pleased that the new government was making the same mistake. “Many workers wanted a democracy, not a dictatorship. Lenin along with other leaders tried to keep this threat at bay by promising to include other parties in the government and even allowed some left Social Revolutionaries back on Sovnarkom” (Book Source). Lenin could not allow the majority to turn against him for it was the majority that placed him in power. He made more empty promises in hopes of calming the people down and keeping order. However, even after this promise the people began forming groups to lead strikes and stop working and voted for the Social Revolutionary Party in the next election (Book Source). This was not acceptable. Lenin changed the votes himself in the Bolshevik’s favor and claimed they were unrepresentative of the “people’s will” (Book Source). This was the beginning sign of Lenin’s extremist’s methods to remain in power. Although the people no longer wanted Lenin as their ruler and opening showed that by voting against him, Lenin ignored them and instead installed harsher conditions that brought terror throughout the lands of Russia.

In hopes of stamping out the resistance, Lenin established three new institutions; the Cheka, or secret police; concentration camps; and the Red Army (Book Source). Lenin’s goal was to install terror and fear into the people so he would remain in power. The Cheka was created as a secret police force to keep an eye on the citizens and inform Lenin of any opposition groups. They were also meant to cause “full-scale terror” (Book Source). With the citizens paralyzed with fear, Lenin was free to continue ruling as he pleased. Destroying what he felt needed to be destroyed and killing whoever opposed him. Lenin felt this wasn’t enough as the resistance grew, and so came the use of concentration camps. The knowledge of these camps terrified the people as they began doing anything in their power to keep from being sent there, even if it meant obeying Lenin’s rule. This placed more power in Lenin’s hands, showing what an extremist leader he was in order to maintain his rule. Even those who had opposed Lenin and escaped were later tracked down and killed (Book Source). This kept further opposing groups from speaking out against Lenin, causing more terror to reign throughout the country.

Lenin was a very smart and successful extremist leader who knew exactly how to gain and remain in power through deceitful lies and violent methods.