Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets

Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets
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Name	Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets
Native name	Второй Всероссийский съезд Советов
Date	25–27 October 1917 (Julian) / 7–9 November 1917 (Gregorian)
Place	Petrograd, Tauride Palace
Participants	Delegates from Petrograd Soviet, Moscow Soviet, Kazan Soviet, Baltic Fleet, Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks), Mensheviks, Socialist-Revolutionary Party
Outcome	Declaration of Sovnarkom, Decree on Peace, Decree on Land, transfer of power from Russian Provisional Government to Soviet authority

Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets

The Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets convened in Petrograd during the climax of the October Revolution and served as the decisive assembly in which delegates from urban soviets, soldiers', sailors' councils, and workers' committees debated the transfer of authority that ended the tenure of the Russian Provisional Government and authorized the Council of People's Commissars led by Vladimir Lenin. The Congress juxtaposed delegates aligned with the Bolsheviks, Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, and Right Socialist-Revolutionaries, producing landmark decrees that addressed World War I, land redistribution, and the reorganization of state power. Its proceedings linked tactical military action by the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee and political legitimacy claimed by revolutionary organizations.

Background

In late 1917, political tensions after the February Revolution and the failures of the Kerensky Offensive intensified disputes among Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks), Mensheviks, and Socialist-Revolutionary Party. The first All-Russian Congress of Soviets in June 1917 had showcased alliances among Petrograd Soviet, Moscow Soviet, and regional soviets like Kazan Soviet and Kronstadt Soviet. By October, revolutionary momentum consolidated within structures such as the Petrograd Soviet and the Baltic Fleet, while institutions including the Tauride Palace and the Smolny Institute became centers for coordination between Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Yakov Sverdlov, and other leaders of the Bolshevik Party. International pressures from World War I events like the Battle of Passchendaele and diplomatic dynamics involving the Allies of World War I influenced debates over immediate peace.

Convening and Attendance

The Congress assembled at the Tauride Palace with delegates from urban and regional soviets, soldiers' committees, and sailors' committees, including representatives from the Petrograd Soviet, Moscow Soviet, Kronstadt Soviet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and military units returning from fronts influenced by the Autumn Offensive. Delegates included members of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks), Mensheviks, Socialist-Revolutionary Party factions, and independents associated with the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Prominent figures present were Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Yakov Sverdlov, Lev Kamenev, Joseph Stalin, Nikolai Bukharin, and representatives from regional revolutionary committees such as Alexander Kerensky's opponents. Attendance reflected the ascendancy of the Bolsheviks in Petrograd soviets and the influence of soldiers and sailors from the Baltic Fleet and Moscow garrison.

Key Debates and Resolutions

Delegates engaged in intense debates over recognition of the Russian Provisional Government, continuation of World War I hostilities, and land reform policies. The Congress debated and adopted the Decree on Peace proposing immediate negotiations to end participation in World War I, aligning with international calls similar to the Zimmerwald Conference positions. The Decree on Land endorsed redistribution measures favored by peasant delegates and the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, echoing agrarian reforms advocated by figures linked to the Peasant Soviets and regions like Kazan Governorate. Votes reflected shifting majorities as Bolshevik and Left SR delegates outmaneuvered Menshevik and Right SR opposition, leading to resolutions that authorized the formation of the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom), tasked with implementing policies such as the nationalization of banking institutions and transfer of factories to workers' control advocated by workers' councils.

Role in the October Revolution

The Congress functioned as the political legitimation for the October Revolution by converting the tactical seizure of strategic sites in Petrograd—coordinated by the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, Aurora (cruiser), and detachments from the Red Guard—into formal authority recognized by a representative soviet body. Decisions at the Congress intersected with operational commands issued from the Smolny Institute and communications between Leon Trotsky and military units including elements of the 146th Regiment. By endorsing the Council of People's Commissars and its decrees, the Congress provided a veneer of popular and soviet endorsement for the transfer of power from the Provisional Government to soviet organs, linking events in Petrograd to parallel uprisings in places such as Moscow and Kiev.

Organizational and Political Outcomes

Organizationally, the Congress elected the new All-Russian Central Executive Committee under leadership including Yakov Sverdlov and facilitated the consolidation of Bolshevik control in soviet institutions, while fostering alliances with Left Socialist-Revolutionaries to broaden support among peasant constituencies. Politically, it produced decrees—most notably the Decree on Peace and Decree on Land—that reshaped Russia's foreign and domestic agendas, affected negotiations involving entities like the Central Powers, and precipitated administrative restructuring through bodies such as the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs led by Leon Trotsky. The Congress also set precedents for convening subsequent soviet congresses and parametrized representation rules that influenced the composition of later assemblies including the All-Russian Constituent Assembly context.

Legacy and Historical Assessment

Historians assess the Congress as a pivotal moment in revolutionary legitimacy construction, debated in scholarship drawing on archival materials from figures such as Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and contemporaneous observers like Nikolai Sukhanov. Interpretations range from views that the Congress enacted a popular proletarian mandate consistent with soviet democracy to critiques that it followed a coup characterized by partisan majorities among Bolshevik delegates and military influence from the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee. The Congress's decrees influenced 20th-century revolutionary movements and international leftist thought, resonating in analyses of subsequent events such as the Russian Civil War, the formation of the Red Army, and policy debates at later gatherings like the Congress of Soviets iterations. Its legacy remains central to understanding the transition from the Russian Provisional Government to the Soviet state.

Category:October Revolution Category:1917 in Russia