About the project Chronology Archive Site map Partners
History of Russia
World History in ten volumes.
Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
Institute of History.
Institute of the Peoples of Asia.
Institute of Africa.
Institute of Slavic Studies.
Publishing house of Socio economic literature “Thought".
Edited by: V. V. Kurasov, A.M. Nekrich, E. A. Boltin, A. Ya.
Grunt, N. G. Pavlenko, S. P. Platonov, A.M. Samsonov, S. L. Tikhvinsky.
BC I V centuries
VI IX century X XII century XIII century XIV XV century XVI century XVII century XVIII century XIX century XX century
The Great October Revolution.
Armed uprising in Petrograd
Period: XX century.
author: World History
The armed uprising in Petrograd on October 24-25, 1917.
On the night of October 24 (November 6), the Provisional Government ordered the capture of Smolny and the construction of bridges across the Neva River (in order to cut off the working areas from the center).
New detachments of junkers, including from Peterhof and Oranienbaum, specially created "shock battalions" and a women's "death battalion", were drawn up to the Winter Palace.
On October 24, the commander in chief of the Petrograd Military District, Colonel Polkovnikov, issued an order in which he demanded that the commissars of the VRK be removed from the regiments and put them on trial.
Military units were forbidden to leave the barracks.
"All those who come out against the order with weapons on the street will be put on trial for armed rebellion," the order read.
The counter revolution went on an open offensive, taking responsibility for unleashing a civil war.
On the morning of October 24, a detachment of Junkers raided the printing house where the Bolshevik newspapers Pravda (then published under the name Rabochy Put) and Soldier were printed.
Having received the news of this, the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party immediately proposed to the Military Revolutionary Committee to put the revolutionary forces on alert, send Red Guards and revolutionary soldiers to the printing house, expel the Junkers from there, and ensure reliable protection of the printing house and the editorial offices of Bolshevik newspapers.
On the instructions of the Central Committee, the Petrograd Bolshevik Committee called on the revolutionary masses to advocate "the immediate overthrow of the government and the transfer of power to the Soviets of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies both in the center and in the field."
The Military Revolutionary Committee sent an order to its commissars and regimental committees, which stated: "The Petrograd Soviet is in direct danger: at night, counter revolutionary conspirators tried to summon junkers and shock battalions from the vicinity to Petrograd.
The newspapers "Soldier" and "Working Way" are closed.
It is prescribed to bring the regiment into combat readiness.
Wait for further orders.
Any delay and confusion will be considered as treason to the revolution."
style="display:inline block;width:300px;height:250px"
data ad client="ca pub 0791478738819816"
data ad slot="5810772814">
style="display:inline block;width:300px;height:250px"
data ad client="ca pub 0791478738819816"
data ad slot="5810772814">
The Red Guards of the Putilkovsky plant at the armored car Lieutenant Schmidt in October 1917.
Photo.
The Red Guards and revolutionary soldiers expelled the Junkers from the printing house they had captured.
By 11 a.m. on October 24, the newspaper Rabochy Put was published, in which the Bolshevik Party called for the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the establishment of the power of the Soviets.
"Power must pass into the hands of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers 'and Peasants' Deputies.
There should be a new government in power, elected by the Soviets, replaced by the Soviets, responsible to the Soviets, " the newspaper wrote.
Within a few hours, a huge mass of revolutionary forces began to move: Red Guards, soldiers, sailors — a total of more than 200 thousand people.
Each revolutionary detachment received a combat mission from the VRK.
"I cannot recall without amazement," wrote A.V. Lunacharsky, " this stunning work, and I consider the activity of the Military Revolutionary Committee in the October days one of the manifestations of human energy, proving what incalculable reserves of it exist in the revolutionary heart and what it is capable of when it is called by the thunderous voice of the revolution."
A patrol of revolutionary soldiers and Red Guards near Smolny in October 1917.
Photo.
The warships of the Baltic Fleet moved to the aid of Petrograd.
Using the radio station of the cruiser Aurora, the VRK appealed to all revolutionary organizations outside Petrograd with an appeal to put their forces on alert and not to allow echelons with troops summoned by the Provisional Government to pass to the capital.
The government never received the expected support either from the front or from the Cossack regiments in the capital, on whose loyalty it counted.
On the afternoon of October 24, a detachment of scooters refused to guard the Winter Palace.
The garrison of the Peter and Paul Fortress went over to the side of the revolution.
Already in the first hours of the open struggle, the isolation of the government was revealed.
In a report from the headquarters of the Petrograd Military District sent to the Headquarters, it was noted that "the impression is created as if the Provisional Government is in the capital of a hostile state."
The appeal of the Military Revolutionary Committee, written by V. I. Lenin.
A leaflet.
On the night of October 25 (November 7), Lenin arrived in Smolny.
The uprising was developing successfully.
The Red Guards, revolutionary soldiers and sailors recaptured the bridges across the Neva from the Junkers, occupied the Central Telegraph Office, the Petrograd Telegraph Agency, railway stations, a power plant, a State Bank and other important points and institutions, blocked the junker schools.
The workers of Petrograd played a decisive role in ensuring the success of the uprising.
They were amicably supported by the garrison of the capital.
The sailors of the Baltic Fleet were also at the forefront of the revolution.
Having captured the working class districts, the revolutionary detachments advanced to the Winter Palace, which had been turned into the main stronghold of the counter revolution.
The Red Guards, sailors and revolutionary regiments took their places in accordance with the plan of the VRK.
Kerensky issued orders demanding the suppression of the uprising, the capture of Smolny, the defeat of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party and the Military Revolutionary Committee, and the immediate dispatch of troops from the front to Petrograd.
But the mechanism of the old state power failed.
The activities of the government, the Petrograd Military District, and the Stavka were paralyzed.
The uprising developed bloodlessly and with extraordinary speed.
By the morning of October 25 (November 7), the entire capital was actually under the control of the VRK.
Only the Winter Palace, the Main Headquarters, the Mariinsky Palace and some other points in the city center still remained in the hands of the government.
The head of the Provisional Government, Kerensky, fled to the headquarters of the Northern Front (Pskov); the American embassy provided him with a car with the flag of the United States.
The flame of the Revolution.
V. I. Mukhina.
Bronze.
the year is 1922.
At 10 am on October 25 (November 7) The Military Revolutionary Committee published an appeal" To the citizens of Russia! "
written by V. I. Lenin.
It announced the victorious course of the socialist revolution, the overthrow of the Provisional Government.
This joyful news spread throughout the vast country.
On the afternoon of October 25, V. I. Lenin spoke at the plenum of the Petrograd Soviet.
He declared: "The workers' and peasants ' revolution, the necessity of which the Bolsheviks were always talking about, has been accomplished."
It remained to seize the Winter Palace, where the Provisional Government continued to sit out.
By the evening of October 25, the palace was completely surrounded.
The best detachments of revolutionary fighters took their starting positions.
In order to avoid bloodshed, the Military Revolutionary Committee presented an ultimatum to the Provisional Government — to capitulate within 20 minutes.
Having received no response within the prescribed time, the VRK ordered to proceed with the assault.
At 9: 40 p.m., a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora's cannon gave the signal to begin the assault on the Winter Palace.
Powerful revolutionary forces were moved to storm Zimny.
The junkers guarding the palace took cover behind barricades and fired back.
But it didnot last long.
By nightfall, the demoralization of the Winter garrison began.
The first company of the women's battalion surrendered, then part of the cadets of the school of ensigns of the Northern Front left.
The revolutionary detachments moved the struggle inside the building.
Cruiser Aurora.
Engraving by N. N. Kupreyanov.
the year is 1922.
"It was a heroic moment of the revolution, beautiful, unforgettable," says N. I. Podvoysky.
— In the darkness of night, illuminated by the pale clouded with smoke, light and bloody tossing lightning shots, with all the adjacent streets and the nearby corners, like a formidable, ominous shadows, swept chain of red guards, sailors, soldiers, stumbling, falling and rising again, but not for a second without interrupting its rapid organoponico flow...
One moment — and the barricades, and their defenders, and they are coming merged into one solid mass of dark, seething like a volcano, and in the next moment, the bitter Creek was already on the other side of the fence.
The human stream is already flooding the porch, entrances, stairs of the palace."
In the dead of night, revolutionary detachments occupied the Winter Palace.
At 2: 10 a.m. on October 26 (November 8), the members of the Provisional Government who were here were arrested.
The capture of the Winter Palace and the arrest of the Provisional Government victoriously ended the armed uprising in Petrograd.
It was a remarkable example of the bloodless victory of the people over the bourgeoisie.
This was noted by all objective witnesses of the events.
The day of October 25 (November 7), 1917, entered the history of mankind as the victory day of the Great October Socialist Revolution, which marked the beginning of a new era — the era of communism.
This day became a state holiday in the Soviet country.
Comments in RSS
Historical cross sections
The wars of Russia
The Great Battles of Russia
The Uprisings of Russia
History of Russian Literature
Writers
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol
Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky
Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev
Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
Maxim Gorky
Mikhail Sholokhov
Random articles
Building socialism in Soviet Russia
Defensive battle on the Kursk Bulge
The Russian German Treaty of 1905 in Bjork
The rise of the revolutionary movement in the early 60s of the XIX century
Russian Japanese War of 1904-1905
Photo Library
Photos of the 10s of the XX century
Photos of the 20s of the XX century
Photos of the 30s of the XX century
Photos of the 40s of the XX century
History of the Copromat
History of Mechanics in Russia
© 2016 History of Russia All rights reserved
[ Go back to the beginning ]
