One hundred years
ago today, plus three, the October Revolution began in Petrograd. Readers of
these posts will understand that, because Russia was then using the old-style
Julian calendar, it was still October there. Today there will be one entry for
several events of the Red October insurrection.
November 6 – October 24, 1917: The Revolution in Readiness. The Bolsheviks and the Red Guard were not entirely ready
for their insurrection, but they were more ready than the officers of the
Petrograd garrison, the ministers of Kerensky’s Provisional Government, or the
right-socialist Central Executive Committee of the national soviets. Meanwhile
the national Congress of Soviets was still assembling, and about to be met with
a fait accompli.
Read about it here.
Or read the whole chapter On
the Brink here. Or read the whole story from the beginning by following
this link.
November 7 – October 25, 1917: Petrograd Taken. The Prime Minister and his government having seriously
underestimated the capabilities of the insurrectionary forces, and
overestimated those of the (loyal part of the) garrison and the police, the Red
Guard, with the support of left-socialist elements of the military, gained
control of the capital in a day. Starting with the bridges over the Neva River,
and continuing with the communications systems, power plants, banks, and other
vital points of infrastructure, the insurrection took over, so far bloodlessly.
Read about it here.
Or read the whole chapter Red
October: The Insurrection here. Or read the whole story from the beginning
by following this link.
November 7 – October 25, 1917: The Winter Palace Encircled. Meanwhile, the ministers of the Provisional Government were
holed up in the Winter Palace of the Romanov Czars, from which Kerensky took an
early opportunity to absent himself, saying he would speed reinforcements on their way. The Red Guards and their Bolshevik
leaders had difficulty executing their plan of encirclement and “bombardment.”
Infiltration proved finally to be the successful tactic; both sides took
casualties, but not many. Meanwhile the Congress of Soviets went into session
in another palace of the city, and wondered about the meaning of all the
racket.
Read about it here.
Or read the whole chapter Red
October: The Winter Palace here. Or read the whole story from the beginning
by following this link.
No comments:
Post a Comment