How the Bolsheviks Got Armed

Russia’s 1917 government literally handed their enemies the weapons to destroy them.

It started with the Provisional Government, which was super weak because they

had to share power with the Petrograd Soviet, the group that actually controlled the army.

They messed up big time by staying in World War One and refusing to give land to starving

peasants. Enter Lenin, who rode a sealed German train back to Russia demanding

peace and land. After a failed riot, the government thought they were safe until a general tried

a military coup. Desperate, the government armed the Bolsheviks to defend the city.

The Bolsheviks saved the day, kept the guns, and realized taking over was now inevitable.