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AQA A-Level History Russia Chapter 4
Flashcards Questions and Correct Answers/ Latest
Update / Already Graded
What were the causes of the October/November Revolution?
Ans: The events from the Tsar's abdication to October:
- Failings of the Provisional Government (deteriorating economic situation and
high levels of discontentment amongst soldiers, peasants and workers)
- Role of Kerensky
- Role of Trotsky (and the Political Maneuvers of the Bolshevik Party)
- Role of Lenin (April Theses etc)
- Kornilov Coup
- July Days
- Defeat in the First World War
Kerensky ordered for the printers of two Bolshevik newspapers (Pravda and
Izvestia) to cease activity on the 23rd of October. He also ordered troops to
raise the bridges linking the Vyborg district (working class area) to the city centre
but this was prevented due to those troops who are loyal to the Bolsheviks, this
gave an excuse for them to act.
What occurred during the October/November Revolution?
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Ans: 24th October- 5000 soldiers and sailors from Kronstadt moved into the
city. The Bolshevik Red Guards began to take over key government buildings and
positions in Petrograd such as the telephone exchange, post office, railway
stations, news agency, bridges, state banks and power stations. The Troops
mostly gave in without much resistance. Lenin was still in hiding until that evening
where he went to Smolny via tram to take control.
25th October- Kerensky left Petrograd to make an attempt to rally military
support: he did so by borrowing a car from the American embassy and disguising
himself as a nurse. Red Guard Soldiers and Sailors surrounded the Winter Palace
threatened by artillery from the St Peter and Paul fortress across the river and by
the guns of Aurora (battleship) which was moored nearby on the River Neva:
their crew had declared support their support for the revolution. At 9:40pm a
blank shot was fired from the Aurora which signalled the beginning of the
Bolshevik attack, the Red Guard was easily able to penetrate the building: some
members of the government left through a back entrance. Only one shot hit the
palace and most went into the river. At 10:40pm the Second Congress of Soviets
convened without Lenin or the Bolsheviks present. The first Bolshevik deputies
arrived around midnight with news of the day's events. Declarations of protest
'against the military conspiracy and seizure of power' were made by Mensheviks
and Right-Wing Socialist Revolutionaries.
26th October- The Congress greeted the announcement of the capture of the
Winter Palace and arrest of the remaining members of the Provisional
Government in the early hours of the morning. At 5:00 am the Congress adopted
a resolution to take power into its own hands. Overall, much of the day was
spent on 'mopping up operations' on the streets and a
Was the Revolution overly large?
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
AQA A-Level History Russia Chapter 4
Flashcards Questions and Correct Answers/ Latest
Update / Already Graded
What were the causes of the October/November Revolution?
Ans: The events from the Tsar's abdication to October:
- Failings of the Provisional Government (deteriorating economic situation and
high levels of discontentment amongst soldiers, peasants and workers)
- Role of Kerensky
- Role of Trotsky (and the Political Maneuvers of the Bolshevik Party)
- Role of Lenin (April Theses etc)
- Kornilov Coup
- July Days
- Defeat in the First World War
Kerensky ordered for the printers of two Bolshevik newspapers (Pravda and
Izvestia) to cease activity on the 23rd of October. He also ordered troops to
raise the bridges linking the Vyborg district (working class area) to the city centre
but this was prevented due to those troops who are loyal to the Bolsheviks, this
gave an excuse for them to act.
What occurred during the October/November Revolution?
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
Ans: 24th October- 5000 soldiers and sailors from Kronstadt moved into the
city. The Bolshevik Red Guards began to take over key government buildings and
positions in Petrograd such as the telephone exchange, post office, railway
stations, news agency, bridges, state banks and power stations. The Troops
mostly gave in without much resistance. Lenin was still in hiding until that evening
where he went to Smolny via tram to take control.
25th October- Kerensky left Petrograd to make an attempt to rally military
support: he did so by borrowing a car from the American embassy and disguising
himself as a nurse. Red Guard Soldiers and Sailors surrounded the Winter Palace
threatened by artillery from the St Peter and Paul fortress across the river and by
the guns of Aurora (battleship) which was moored nearby on the River Neva:
their crew had declared support their support for the revolution. At 9:40pm a
blank shot was fired from the Aurora which signalled the beginning of the
Bolshevik attack, the Red Guard was easily able to penetrate the building: some
members of the government left through a back entrance. Only one shot hit the
palace and most went into the river. At 10:40pm the Second Congress of Soviets
convened without Lenin or the Bolsheviks present. The first Bolshevik deputies
arrived around midnight with news of the day's events. Declarations of protest
'against the military conspiracy and seizure of power' were made by Mensheviks
and Right-Wing Socialist Revolutionaries.
26th October- The Congress greeted the announcement of the capture of the
Winter Palace and arrest of the remaining members of the Provisional
Government in the early hours of the morning. At 5:00 am the Congress adopted
a resolution to take power into its own hands. Overall, much of the day was
spent on 'mopping up operations' on the streets and a
Was the Revolution overly large?
© 2025/ 2026 | ® All rights reserved
