i) The Soviet was dominated by Mensheviks and the minority Bolsheviks was timid and undecided. The situation changed with the arrival of Lenin.
ii) When the revolution broke out Lenin was in Switzerland and he wanted continued revolution. His slogan of "All power to the Soviets" soon won over the workers leaders. The people were attracted by the slogan of "Bread, Peace and Land".
Failure of the Provisional Government:
a) The provisional government made two grave mistakes.
b) It postponed a decision on the demand for the redistribution of land.
c) Government decided to continue with the war.
d) Frustrated peasant soldiers deserted their posts and joined those who had restored to land grabbing. This intensified the rising in Petrograd led by Bolsheviks.
e) The government banned Pravda and arrested all Bolsheviks.
f) Trotsky was also arrested
Takeover by the Bolshevik party under Lenin's leadership
a) In October Lenin persuaded the Bolshevik Central Committee to decide on immediate revolution.
b) Trotsky prepared a detailed plan. On 7 November the key government buildings, including the Winter Palace, the Prime Minister's headquarters were seized by armed factory workers and revolutionary troops.
c) On 8 November 1917 a new communist government was in office in Russia. Its head this time was Lenin.
d) The Bolshevik party was renamed the Russian Communist party.
e) Lenin thought that the most important factor for the fall of provisional government was its failure to withdraw from world war.
f) So Lenin immediately withdrew from world war.
g) Lenin concentrated on the formation of new government.

a) Germany was found guilty of starting the War and therefore was to pay reparations for the losses suffered. All Central Powers were directed to pay war indemnity.
b) The German army was to be limited to 1,00,000 men. A small navy was allowed.
c) The union of Austria and Germany was forbidden.
d) All German colonies became mandated territories under the League of Nations.
e) Germany was forced to revoke the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (with Russia) and Bucharest (Bulgaria).
f) Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France.
g) The former Russian territories of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were to be independent.
h) Northern Schleswig was given to Denmark and some small districts to Belgium.
i) Poland was recreated.
j) The Rhineland was to be occupied by the Allies. The area on the east bank of the Rhine was to be demilitarized.

European Alliances and Counter - Alliances:
(i) In 1900 five of the European Great Powers were divided into two armed camps.
a) One camp consisted of the Central Powers namely Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. They formed the Triple Alliance in 1882.
b) The other camp consisted of France and Russia. Their alliance was formed in 1894 with the promise of mutual help if Germany attacked either of them.
(ii) The Anglo-Japanese Alliance prompted France to seek an alliance with Britain to resolve colonial disputes over Morocco and Egypt.
(iii) In 1904 Entente Cordiale was signed between France and Britain.
(iv) Finally it led to the formation of Triple Entente of Britain, France and Russia.
Violent Forms of Nationalism:
England's Jingoism, France's Chauvinism and Germany's Kultur were militant forms of nationalism, contributing decisively to the outbreak of war.
Aggressive attitude of Germany:
a) Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany proclaimed Germany would be the leader of the world.
b) Germany's aggressive diplomacy and rapid building of naval bases convinced Britain a German navy could be directed only against her.
Imperial power politics in the Balkans:
a) The Young Turk Revolution of 1908, provided both Austria and Russia with the opportunity to resume their activities in the Balkans.
b) Austria and Russia met and agreed Austria should annex Bosnia and Herzegovina. This aroused intense opposition from Serbia. Germany gave Austria firm support.
c) The enmity between Austria and Serbia led to the outbreak of war in 1914.
The Balkan wars:
a) The Ottoman Empire extended over the Balkans and across Hungary to Poland.
b) The Turks and their subjects of different nationalities in the Balkans indulged in the most frightful massacres and atrocities.
c) The league attacked and defeated Turkish forces in the first Balkan War (1912-13).
d) According to the Treaty of London signed in May 1913 the new state of Albania was created and the other Balkan states divided up Macedonia between them.
e) The division of Macedonia, however, did not satisfy Bulgaria. Bulgaria attacked Serbia and Greece. But Bulgaria was easily defeated. The second Balkan War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest in August 1913.
Immediate cause:
a) The climax to these events in the Balkans occurred in Sarajevo in Bosnia. On 28 June 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated by Princip, a Bosnian Serb.
b) The German army which was planning a war against both France and Russia wanted to use the occasion to its advantage.
c) The German violation of Belgian neutrality forced Britain to enter war.