Trotsky’s Contribution to the Success of the Bolsheviks Up to 1922

Analyzing the Bolshevik State compared to Marxism can be difficult because Marx, Engels and their followers gave relatively little thought to what the state would look like after a socialist revolution. Engels famously wrote, “the state is not ‘abolished,’ it withers away,” which highlights the hazy and unfixed nature of Marx and Engle’s writings on the ultimate, classless society they envisioned. Further, what they did write is subject to the differing interpretations by numerous socialist parties all claiming to be Marxist. As discussed earlier, Lenin claimed he simply reshaped Marxism to fit the conditions of Russia. Others argue his interpretation was not true Marxism at all. However, the basic principles of a socialist state in the eyes of Marx’s are outlined in the Communist Manifesto as follows:

From the initial seizure of power in 1917 until 1924, the Bolsheviks were confronted with a series of crises that threatened their ability to control and govern in Russia. The response and resolutions to these crises included Initial Reforms, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Civil War, Red terror, War Communism and the NEP. Under the leadership of Lenin, the execution of these responses were made possible and the Bolsheviks were able to maintain and expand their power. The Civil War however was the direct consequence of the Bolshevik’s actions as they tried to maintain their grasp on power. The victory in the Civil War was extremely pivotal for the Bolshevik consolidation of power as it brought control and power but more importantly it eliminated

kept his word, once shooting one in ten of the soldiers in a group of

The Success of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in October 1917 The Bolshevik seizure of power or coup de’tat of October 25th, 1917 was a culmination of both internal and external failure to satisfy the needs of an oppressed Russian society. In contrast to the spontaneous revolts earlier in 1917, the Bolshevik revolution was ‘a carefully planned plot carried out by ‘professional’ revolutionaries. ’[1] The victory of the Marxist Lenin’s

As World War I was heading towards its end Russia was focusing on internal issues. Led by Vladimir Lenin the Bolsheviks embarked on a campaign against the war. Using propaganda which focused on trying to turn the allied troops against their officers Lenin looked to inspire a socialist revolution. The Bolsheviks were also fueled by the poor conditions of the Russian Army. Nicholas II, in a letter to his wife Alexandra, admitted the obstacles that the Russian Army faced, "Again that cursed question of shortage of artillery and rifle ammunition - it stands in the way of an energetic advance." Czar Nicholas tried to deny the fact that his Army was in no condition to continue the fight. Lenin and the Bolsheviks used this information to gain

His organisational capacity was immense and despite his ruthless tactics he transformed the Red Army into an effective fighting force. However other factors did enable Trotsky to carry out his plan effectively. Their geographical location gave them access to munitions and war supplies and also it was due to the fact that the reds maintained full control over the railway lines that they were able to keep themselves supplied and t=denied the whites of that benefit. However without Trotsky taking full advantage of the railways to transport troops and repress the White forces supplies, then success would not have been guaranteed also if the whites weren’t such a weak opponents they could have posed a huge threat to the reds however their lack of coordination and Trotsky input prevented this from happening which lead to the whites winning the civil

Beset by internal and external enemies, the Bolsheviks were engaged in a desperate struggle for survival. Pre-1917, they had been spent in

General Statement. Trotsky’s role in the Soviet Union was of fundamental importance in Russia during the period 1918 to 1928 as he can be attributed with the Bolshevik acquisition and consolidation of power. However, to achieve a more balanced interpretation it is imperative all contributing factors to his role are acknowledged. Trotsky’s role has not been greatly exaggerated as his strategic leadership skills enabled him to play a fundamental role in the organisation and implementation of the November 1917 Bolshevik seizure of power and the Civil War in 1918-21; however, the importance of Lenin’s role must also be taken into account to achieve a more balanced portrayal as many of Trotsky’s successes were based on Lenin’s initiatives. Additionally, while Trotsky’s crucial ideological role was of significant importance to the Bolshevik party as he proposed policies that rigidly adhered to their socialist ideals, his interpersonal skills led to his inability to implement these ideological objectives.

Lev Davidovich Bronstein was a major political figure in the turn of the twentieth century for the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialists Republics) aka Russia. Bronstein’s impact was greater with national history than international history. He was born on November 7, 1879, Ukraine (Yanovka) and later changed his name to Leon Trotsky, the name of his prison guard at Odessa prison whilst in exile in Siberia. Trotsky was introduced to Marxism at a young age of 17 at a school in Nikolayev. Marxism is a political ideology crated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that presents the idea of having a revolution involving violence in order to obtain a classless society.

The Life of Leon Trotsky Leon Trotsky is well recognised as one of the greatest Marxists that ever lived. After being arrested, sentenced to exile twice and supporting the Mensheviks, Trotsky was deported to New York Citywhere he was to be a peaceful, productive member of society. Following the removal of the Tsar during the Russian Revolution, Trotsky returned to Russia in May 1917. In August 1917, Trotsky joined the Central Committee of the Bolshevik party whose leader was none other than Vladimir Lenin.

once this was a very silly idea as they would not be able to pull it

According to New World Encyclopedia: “By the early 1980’s, approximately one-third of the world’s population lived under communism.” Therefore, less than 40 years ago, approximately 1.5 billion people lived under communist governments. These countries were influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx. Marx, a 19th century philosopher, created conflict Marxism, which said that capitalism created conflict between classes, and eventually workers would revolt. “The Communist Manifesto,” authored by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was written as a guide to improve citizens lives through societal and governmental changes.

There were many different equally important reasons why Lenin and the Bolsheviks were able to hold on to their power. For Lenin, and the Bolsheviks, winning political power was relatively easy, compared with retaining it. They had many different objects to overcome, such as; Russia was in chaos, politically and economically, and normal government had broken down in large areas, yet despite all these problems Lenin was able to consolidate his power – and create the world’s first communist state.

only had the firm support of 15 of 25 members on the 15th of October.

Account For the Success of the Bolsheviks in October 1917 At the beginning of 1917 most of the Bolsheviks were in exile but by the end of 1917 the Bolshevik party had not only consolidated control of Moscow and Petrograd, but they were also advancing on the rest of the country. This success was due to several linked factors; the Bolshevik policy of non-cooperation, weakness of the Provisional Government, division of alternative opposition, Lenin's leadership skills, the power of the Petrograd Soviet and Trotsky as its leader, failure on deliver of land reform and the oppressed, armed workers in Petrograd. Bolshevik success is dictated by whether they met their aims; these included the