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Difficulty: HardShifting Power After 1900

"The Provisional Government has been deposed. State power has passed into the hands of the organ of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies—the Revolutionary Military Committee, which heads the Petrograd proletariat and the garrison. The cause for which the people have fought—namely, the immediate offer of a democratic peace, the abolition of landed proprietorship, workers' control over production, and the establishment of Soviet power—this cause has been secured."
— Vladimir Lenin, To the Citizens of Russia!, October 25, 1917

Based on the excerpt and your knowledge of world history, which of the following best explains how the political goals of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution differed from the political outcomes of the February Revolution of 1917?

  1. A
    The Bolsheviks aimed to preserve a constitutional monarchy with representative institutions, whereas the February Revolution succeeded in completely abolishing all forms of monarchical rule.
  2. The Bolsheviks sought to establish a state based on workers' control and withdraw from World War I, whereas the February Revolution had established a liberal provisional government that chose to remain in the war.Answer
  3. C
    The Bolsheviks focused primarily on securing the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, whereas the February Revolution was aimed entirely at establishing workers' control over manufacturing and agricultural production.
  4. D
    The Bolsheviks worked to stabilize the liberal Duma to continue fighting alongside the Allied Powers, whereas the February Revolution sought to immediately establish peasant-led agrarian communes.

Answer

The Bolsheviks sought to establish a state based on workers' control and withdraw from World War I, whereas the February Revolution had established a liberal provisional government that chose to remain in the war.
The correct answer is correct because the October Revolution, led by Lenin and the Bolsheviks, directly targeted the Provisional Government that had been established following the February Revolution. The Bolsheviks campaigned on the promises of 'Peace, Land, and Bread,' which included pulling Russia out of World War I and establishing workers' councils (soviets) to run factories. In contrast, the February Revolution resulted in a Provisional Government led by liberals and moderate socialists who chose to honor Russia's alliances and keep the country in World War I, leading to widespread public dissatisfaction that the Bolsheviks exploited.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the context and event described.
The text depicts the deposition of the Provisional Government and the establishment of Soviet power by the Revolutionary Military Committee, representing the October Revolution of 1917 led by Vladimir Lenin.
This establishes the point of comparison (October Revolution) and highlights its key goals: immediate peace, land redistribution, and workers' control.
2
Recall the outcomes and goals of the February Revolution of 1917.
The February Revolution resulted in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the creation of a Provisional Government that sought to establish liberal democratic reforms but decided to continue Russia's costly participation in World War I.
This provides the baseline of comparison (February Revolution) to evaluate against the Bolsheviks' goals.
3
Evaluate the choices to determine how the two phases of the Russian Revolution differed.
The option explaining that the Bolsheviks wanted workers' control and an end to the war, in contrast to the Provisional Government's continuation of the war, accurately represents the historical shift.
This identifies the correct difference, showing that the Bolsheviks targeted the moderate, pro-war regime created by the February Revolution.

Key Concept

Shifting Power After 1900
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Shifting Power After 1900

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