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How did Lenin rise to power?

Updated: 8/22/2023
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12y ago

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In 1917, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (alias Lenin) seized control of Russia in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, created the Soviet Union and ruled it until his death in 1924. Lenin was one of the leading political figures in the 20th century. He was the revolutionary thinker behind the USSR idea (a.k.a. The Great Soviet Union), fought to materialize it and masterminded the Bolshevik bloody takeover of power in Russia after Russia's withdrawal from World War One. Lenin's reign as the head of the newly created Soviet Union was brief, but his influence stretched throughout the 20th century.

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4y ago
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14y ago

This goes back to the first world war. The Germans had a certain Russian by the name of Lenin, who was a known source of trouble. So what they did was put him on a train and send him back to Russia.

During the latter stages of the war, Russia was in shambles. The Imperial Army had not fared well at all. It had lost repeatedly to the Germans. It even had trouble against the armies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In addition to this, the people of Russia were ready for a change. Lenin and his Marxist views were readily accepted when he arrived in Russia. The Czar had already been overthrown in the February Revolution and the new Provisional Government was not able to correct the problems that had led to the Czar's abdication. The October Revolution was the result of the Provisional Government's failure to deliver what the Russian People wanted and Lenin and the Bolsheviks simply walked in and took over control of the government. It was not a revolution in the sense that the people rose up and overthrew the Provisional Government. The October Revolution was more like a military coup in which a relatively small group of people seize control of the government.

Lenin then set about making changes to Russia. He nationalized all industry, abolished private ownership of land and began negotiations withdraw from the war. This freed up all of the troops on Russia's western front. The Germans were thus relieved of the 2 front war, but not in time to save their situation.

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12y ago

Lenin was a head bolshevik but worked outside Russia for the first few years of his political career. Tsar Nicholas II (ruler of Russia at the time) was encourage to step down after he failed to run the country to a satisfactory standard due to the simple fact that he was too busy commanding his military, so he abdicated. A provisional government was then set up and led by Prince Lvov (whom was later succeeded by Kerensky) until an election was organised. The Germans saw this stall in politics as a chance for lenin to step in and take control of the country, they felt he would assume power with the intentions of pulling Russia from the war. Lenin was easily presauded and he retuned to Russia in hope of becoming ruler. On his arrival he made it clear that the Russians should be pulled from the war and the standards of the country should be improved. Many of society agreed and were desperate for stablity within the country. Lenins party (the Bolsheviks) became popular among the citizens. The Bolsheviks decided they would promptly arrest the whole provisional government and take controll. After these arrests were made the people of russia began recognising their new govermant. Lenin had rose to power.

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13y ago

Lenin formed the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party at the Party's Congress in Brussels in 1903. He was preeminent in the Bolshevik faction because of his forceful personality. After the February 1917 revolution, he and his Bolsheviks continued to agitate against the new Provisional Government that had assumed power when the Tsar abdicated in March 1917.

Lenin had been in exile in Switzerland when the Tsar abdicated the throne in March 1917. He returned to Russia in April and began his campaign of agitation against the government. He promised to get Russia out of World War I, stop food shortages and give land back to the peasants. The PG did not do any of those things and eventually lost the support of the people and even the military. The Bolsheviks converted more and more soldiers to their cause and formed its own military force known as the Red Guard. The Bolsheviks swooped in in a coup now known as the October Revolution and took power from the PG.

After the October Revolution, the Russian Civil War broke out because many Russians were dissatisfied with Bolshevik rule. The Bolsheviks then created the Red Army to fight the more conservative dissidents which had formed the so-called White Army. By 1920, Lenin's Red Army had wiped out all White Army opposition and the Civil War ended with the Bolsheviks in full control. The country was governed by high level members of the Bolshevik (now named Communist) Party. Lenin was the acknowledged leader of the Party but did not have dictatorial control over it.

Lenin stamped out opposition to his policies by ruthless means using the army, his secret police and other methods. He banned all other political parties then even banned factions within the Communist Party. Lenin did not have autocratic control of the party, but he was the major force within it, therefore matters were usually taken care of the way he wanted them taken care of.

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11y ago

After the February Revolution, political power wound up with the Mensheviks. The Russian proletariat became increasingly dissatisfied with them as they wanted to continue the war and did not carry out any other key demands of the revolution. More and more people joined and supported the Bolsheviks until they (the Bolsheviks) had the support of almost all of the workers in Russia, this culminated in the October Revolution which saw Lenin becoming the leader of what was to be the Russian Societ Federative Socialist Republic.

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11y ago

As many Russians were unsatisfied with Tsar Nicholas II1s ruling without Parliament, a group of revolutioners was formed. In 1903, the Social Democratic Labour Party split into two groups. in one of them were Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov's (Lenin's)followers, who fully accepted the ideas of Karl Marx and wanted a socialism. The moderate party members were against the Tsar's autocracy but they did not want a socialist revolution. The first group was in majority, so they were called the Bolsheviks (majotity), the second group was called the Mensheviks (minority). In 1905, with the leadership of the Bolsheviks a revolution started but was defeated by the monarch -nevertheless the Tsar promised some reforms and to set up a parliament (called duma). After the 1905 revolution the leaders were forced to flee abroad and work illegally. In 1914, Russia entered the War, suffered terrible defeats causing starvation at home, so by the end of 1917, many soldiers deserted and peole demanded the end of the war. Another revolution started, and the Tsar was forced to give up his throne. Lenin came home from Switzerland (through Germany, historians say that the Germans wanted Russia out of the War that is why they helped Lenin return home). He established Bolshevik control after the abdication of the Tsar and in 1918, he became the head of Russia. The Bolshevik government signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended the War for Russia. He defeated the counter-revolutionaries in a severe Civil War, and the soviets (councils) of workers and peasants ruled the country. After the Civil War, he introduced the NEP, a moderate economic and social policy which allowed the country to recover from the effects of the War and the revolutions. during his life the first gulags were formed (at first it was said that they wanted to re-educate people who did not understand how wonderful the Dictatorship of the proletariat was, actually they were lacour camps).

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8y ago

Vladimir Lenin came to power via a October Revolution in Russia in 1917, which brought an end to Czarist Russia and started the creation of a Communist State.

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When did Lenin's Bolsheviks come into power in Russia?

Lenin and the Bolsheviks came into power on October 26, the culmination of the two day October Revolution. Prior to that, the Russian Provisional Government was in power. Arrest warrants were out for Lenin since July, 1917 and he had to flee the country to Finland to avoid capture. He snuck back in under disguise to organize the October insurrection which brought him and the Bolsheviks into power.


What years did Lenin come to power?

Lenin and the Bolsheviks began their rise to power in earnest when Lenin returned to Russia from exile in Switzerland in April 1917 after the February 1917 Revolution which toppled the Tsar. From then on, Lenin and the Bolsheviks worked against the new Provisional Government by promising an end to World War 1, redistribution of land to peasants and an end to shortages of food and manufactured goods. They spread their revolutionary ideas among the soldiers, workers and peasants until they were able to overthrow the Provisional Government in the October Revolution of 1917 and take over full political governmental power in Russia.


When did Leon Trotsky rise to power?

Trotsky never did reign over Russia. Lenin did at first after the Revolution. Then Lenin became ill and Joseph Stalin, Grigory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev ruled together. After Lenin died, Trotsky was supposed to take over according to papers left behind by Lenin, but Stalin prevented that and forced Trotsky first out of the Communist Party then out of the country.


Who tried to take power away from Lenin?

Joseph Stalin along with Grigory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev tried to take power from Lenin when Lenin was disabled by strokes. These three ran the government in Lenin's absence as he recovered and continued to do so secretly even when Lenin returned to work. The three would make governmental decisions in secret meetings after the general meetings that Lenin attended. Stalin restricted access to Lenin when Lenin was recovering. Stalin's biggest move for power was after Lenin made him Secretary General of the Communist Party. Once in that post, Stalin placed people loyal to him in many governmental offices. Stalin never did unseat Lenin, but he certainly tried and succeeded to take at least some of Lenin's powers away.


Did Lenin plan to remove Karl Marx from power?

No, because Karl Marx was never in power in any country of government and because Marx had already died by the time Lenin was gathering his revolutionary ideology and power.

Related questions

What were the events of Josef Stalin's climb to power prior to him becoming dictator?

He was one of Lenin's right hand men in the Communist Party, he fought for power with Trotsky when Lenin died, his choice to go with 'Communism in One State' was more popular than Trotsky's World Communism leading to Trotsky's expulsion and Stalin's rise to power.


What was the group that overthrew Vladimir Lenin?

No group or person overthrew Lenin. Lenin died of natural causes in 1924 while still in power.


When did Lenin's Bolsheviks come into power in Russia?

Lenin and the Bolsheviks came into power on October 26, the culmination of the two day October Revolution. Prior to that, the Russian Provisional Government was in power. Arrest warrants were out for Lenin since July, 1917 and he had to flee the country to Finland to avoid capture. He snuck back in under disguise to organize the October insurrection which brought him and the Bolsheviks into power.


What years did Lenin come to power?

Lenin and the Bolsheviks began their rise to power in earnest when Lenin returned to Russia from exile in Switzerland in April 1917 after the February 1917 Revolution which toppled the Tsar. From then on, Lenin and the Bolsheviks worked against the new Provisional Government by promising an end to World War 1, redistribution of land to peasants and an end to shortages of food and manufactured goods. They spread their revolutionary ideas among the soldiers, workers and peasants until they were able to overthrow the Provisional Government in the October Revolution of 1917 and take over full political governmental power in Russia.


When did Leon Trotsky rise to power?

Trotsky never did reign over Russia. Lenin did at first after the Revolution. Then Lenin became ill and Joseph Stalin, Grigory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev ruled together. After Lenin died, Trotsky was supposed to take over according to papers left behind by Lenin, but Stalin prevented that and forced Trotsky first out of the Communist Party then out of the country.


Who tried to take power away from Lenin?

Joseph Stalin along with Grigory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev tried to take power from Lenin when Lenin was disabled by strokes. These three ran the government in Lenin's absence as he recovered and continued to do so secretly even when Lenin returned to work. The three would make governmental decisions in secret meetings after the general meetings that Lenin attended. Stalin restricted access to Lenin when Lenin was recovering. Stalin's biggest move for power was after Lenin made him Secretary General of the Communist Party. Once in that post, Stalin placed people loyal to him in many governmental offices. Stalin never did unseat Lenin, but he certainly tried and succeeded to take at least some of Lenin's powers away.


What country did Lenin lead communist to power in?

It was Russia


Did Lenin have political power over Russia?

Yes


Who lost in the power struggle to replace Lenin?

First Leon Trotsky, then Grigory Zinoviev and then Nikolai Bukharin lost in the power struggle after Lenin's death. All three of them and Joseph Stalin had claims to be Lenin's successor, but Stalin outmaneuvered them all.


Who assisted Lenin to power?

The Germans are the ones who assisted Lenin to power. They did this with the expectation that he would undermine the Russian efforts in the war.


Did Lenin plan to remove Karl Marx from power?

No, because Karl Marx was never in power in any country of government and because Marx had already died by the time Lenin was gathering his revolutionary ideology and power.


In what event did Vladmir Lenin take power?

Lenin took power in the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which actually took place in November 1917, but Russia was using the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. Lenin's Bolsheviks had control of some parts of the government, but not all The Russian Civil War broke out between the Red Army (Lenin and the Bolsheviks) and the opposing White Army. The Red Army won out in 1920, placing Lenin firmly in power.