Russia 1917: Countdown to Revolution Page #2

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and it was a chance to start again.

We're talking about,

in aspiration, you know,

a fundamental reconfiguring of the

way human beings live in the world.

Lenin arrives at a time when there

is an enormous amount of hope

and a sense that this

is still a new Russia.

April 4th,

the Bolsheviks' few thousand

supporters await Lenin in Petrograd,

now St Petersburg.

It was Easter Monday and so

the factories weren't working

so they did manage to get

a big crowd in,

partly by the promise of free beer,

which, actually, sadly

didn't arrive for any of them.

They've got fantastic arc lighting

and it made it look terrific.

The converted, the supporters,

the acolytes, the underground,

the revolutionaries

were there to meet him.

But the vast majority of people

didn't even really know

who Lenin was.

After two decades of studying

the theory of revolution,

Lenin arrives with radical ideas

on what Russia should do now.

He had an idea of the revolution

in his head

before he'd even got back to Russia

to see what the real

possibilities were.

Lenin is ready to test his theories

on real people.

He has no time

for other politicians.

'A delegation greet him

rather nervously.

'He doesn't even answer them.'

Instead, he gives a speech

to the crowds.

Sailors...

soldiers, comrades...

..this is no time for compromise

or diplomatic phrases.

This is the time to move towards

building a socialist state.

CHEERING:

As soon as he arrives

back in Russia,

he calls for his party to agitate

for a new revolution.

The piratical, imperialist war...

Even Lenin's own party,

the Bolsheviks, were shocked.

..and the hour is not far distant

when the people will turn their arms

against their capitalist exploiters.

'The political conversation was all

about a bourgeois democracy.'

It was all about elections

that were going to happen.

'It was all about coalitions

of groups.'

Lenin didn't want any of that.

Lenin wants a second revolution to

overthrow the provisional government

that has been set up.

He calls instead for the country

to be run by Soviets -

committees of workers,

soldiers and peasants.

He was suggesting that they should

seize power pretty much immediately.

The worldwide revolution

has already dawned.

'The party was absolutely confused,'

bewildered and amazed

by what Lenin said.

And a lot of them thought

he'd gone mad.

The people want peace.

They want bread and land.

They give you war and hunger.

And the landowners still have

all the land.

He coins the first big slogan -

land for the peasants,

peace, an end to war

and bread.

Feed the poor.

Simple words, but behind each

lies a whole set of policies.

The same way that the entire...

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