How Did Lenin Contribute To The Russian Revolution

Following the success of the February Revolution, Lenin returned to Russia and delivered the April Theses, which established his policies and aspirations for the country. After a decade of exile, Lenin intended to take control of the revolutionary efforts upon his return. He arrived in Petrograd on April 3 – and delivered “the April Theses” to his supporters. In this dissertation, Lenin denounced the Provisional Government, called for the nationalization of all land, and “demanded the immediate transition to the next phase of the Revolution.” Most importantly, however, Lenin “proposed renunciation of the war,” a notion that was shocking to Russians, as support for Russian involvement in World War I was still fairly strong. The April Theses were radical, and to most,
Lenin established the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret police and “the main agency of terror,” in late 1917. This force was responsible for the undertakings of the Red Terror. First, there was an “abolition of law,” with it being replaced by “‘revolutionary conscience.’” Further, Lenin decided to have Tsar Alexander II and his family executed in the summer of 1918 – in an effort to maintain his absolute control. This effort extended to Russian citizens as well – with death estimates ranging from 50,000 to 140,000 under Lenin. The Red Terror did not consist solely of executions either. By 1921, Soviet Russia had 84 concentration camps – with that number increasing to 315 only three years later. Thus, the Gulag system is a creation of Lenin’s regime. The Red Terror was significant in its effects on the Russian Civil War as well. It amplified the anti-Bolshevik effort, as well as increased the atrocities of the civil war. This crackdown on opposition is important in understanding the success of the Bolshevik party – as the Red Terror terrified Russian citizens into