Over the summer of 1917, the ordinary people became more and more opposed to the war as shortages continued. Matters came to a head in July when Kerensky launched a major attack on the [?]. This turned out to be a huge mistake, leading to a terrible defeat. It sparked an enormous demonstration in Petrograd which became known as the ‘[?]’. Soldiers, sailors and workers poured onto the streets on 16 and 17 July to protest about the war. Naturally they turned to the [?], the anti-war party, to lead them. But the Bolsheviks were not ready to seize power.

The demonstration turned to rioting, and eventually troops were sent in to break up the mobs. Kerensky used this opportunity to produce evidence - letters - that seemed to show Lenin was in the pay of the Germans. Lenin fled to Finland, and other leading Bolsheviks were arrested. It seemed that the Bolsheviks had missed their opportunity. [?] became Prime Minister.

Fortunately for the Bolsheviks, events now started to work in their favour. Kerensky had appointed a general called [?] to be head of the army. But Kornilov decided that it was time to deal with the revolutionaries once and for all and to establish strong government in Russia - his own government. He ordered his [?] troops to march on Petrograd. The people in Petrograd panicked; there was bound to be violence and bloodshed. Kerensky also panicked and asked the Bolsheviks for help. He gave rifles to the Bolshevik [?], groups of workers who had been training secretly, and who now appeared on the streets to defend the city. But Kornilov’s troops never arrived. The railway workers stopped the trains carrying the troops and other soldiers persuaded them not to fight their fellow Russians. However the Red Guard kept their rifles. The Bolsheviks were now seen as the saviours of [?], and their support was at an all-time high. They won an overall majority in elections to the Petrograd Soviet and Leon [?], a recent recruit to the Bolsheviks was elected chairman.

Extract from, T.Fiehn, ‘Russia & USSR’