The Return of Lenin: Key Points

 The March 1917 Revolution was a “leaderless and spontaneous” response to a range of factors.  The Petrograd Soviet was dominated by Mensheviks (The Bolshevik’s former Social Democrat allies).

So what on earth had Lenin been doing?!?

1. From 1907 armed Bolshevik gangs had been robbing banks in Russia to raise funds.

2. Lenin and the Bolsheviks used this money to print revolutionary pamphlets, newspapers like Zvezda and buy influence in Russian unions.

3. In 1911 Lenin moved to a small village outside Paris and set up a Bolshevik Party School to train agents for activities in Russia.

4. In 1913 Lenin organised a conference for Bolshevik Leaders in Austria (5/22 people there were Okhrana!).

5. In 1914 Lenin moved to neutral Switzerland. He was furious at Socialists who supported the war effort and became determined to turn the World War into a revolutionary force.

6. He argued that the war was imperialist (only served the interests of Empires – not workers). He published books and pamphlets calling on ALL working people to turn the guns on their officers and start a worldwide revolution.