Were Lenin and Trotsky were key figures in the Russian Revolution and overthrow of the Tsarist government?

Answer 1

That depends which one of Russia's revolutions you're talking about in 1917. He didn't play a significant role in the first one, which was a revolution of the people, but in the second, the November revolution, I believe he played a significant role as he was in charge of the Red Guard, the MRC, and was also the 'leader' of the Petrograd Soviet, which gave him authority and power over a group of people who ultimately revolted on his and Lenin's order.

Some believe that Trotsky didn't do much; however, that was just Propaganda Stalin spread in order to make himself look better.

Trotsky in Russian RevolutionTrotsky was head of the Red Army, for one thing.

trotsky played a vital role in the build up of revolutionary concepts within Russia during 1917, following his return from exile in May 1917. He joined the Bolshevik party in July that year, and participated along with Lenin in the failed uprising of his party in the same month. As a result of his failed efforts, he was imprisoned by the Kerensky government, but was released in September in order to maintain his role within the September uprising of the Bolshevik's. In November he was appointed by Lenin as peoples comissioner for foreign affairs, where he played out the rest of his year in the heavily influential position appointed to him.

Answer 2

Lenin made sure that Bolsheviks were organising in the army and navy and in the large factories across the empire. He also began plotting for the provisional government's downfall. He directed the activities from the Bolshevik headquarters. If Lenin had not been in Russia, it is highly unlikely that the Bolsheviks would have begun the October Revolution. Lenin was the mastermind of the October Revolution.