Military Revolutionary Committee

The Military Revolutionary Committee was a key organization in the Bolshevik coup of October 1917, which overthrew the provisional government in Russia. While the February Revolution was spontaneous, the October events were a deliberate seizure of power orchestrated by a small group of conspirators led by Lenin and Trotsky.1

The Bolshevik Central Committee decided to seize power, with Trotsky taking charge of the coup's execution. The Military Revolutionary Committee, initially formed to defend Petrograd from a German attack, was taken over by the Bolsheviks. They used this committee to organize armed forces and peacefully occupy strategic points in the capital. On October 25, 1917, a declaration was issued in the name of the committee, announcing the overthrow of the provisional government and the transfer of power to the soviets. Trotsky played a crucial role in overseeing these military operations, ultimately defeating attempts to retake the city and securing Bolshevik control.12