Student Question
Why were the Bolsheviks able to seize power in Russia in 1917?
Quick answer:
The Bolsheviks were able to seize power in 1917 due to multiple factors. World War I created social and economic turmoil, which the Bolsheviks exploited. Lenin's promise of "Land, Peace, and Bread" resonated with peasants and workers. Long-term factors included historical autocratic rule, the failed 1905 revolution, and dissatisfaction with Tsarist policies. Additionally, rapid industrialization and internal political strife contributed to the revolutionary climate.
Good question, but unfortunately it is also a great example of trying to explain the Russian Revolution with a bumper sticker answer. The standard answer will be that WWI created the conditions which the Bolsheviks took advantage of to stage the November Revolution. The standard answer will also talk of the effectiveness of Lenin's message of "Land, Peace, and Bread" in winning over the peasants and working class to the Bolshevik side.
Unfortunately, the answer to your question is not that simple. To fully understand why there was a revolution in Russia in 1917, and actually there were two revolutions, you must look at Russian History going back to the time of Ivan the Terrible. You have to look at historically how the Czars ruled and how they treated the majority of the Russian people.
Closer to 1917 you need to look at the effects of the Russo-Japanese War, the...
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failed 1905 revolution, the unpopularity of Peter II's wife (who was German), the effects of rapid industrialization in Russia, the fact that many nobles wanted Peter the II gone, not to end WWI but to actually fight it more effectively.
So when answering this question, you must look both at underlying and long term causes.