(Redirected from Milrevcom)
'Military Revolutionary Committee' also known as the ''Milrevcom'' () was the name for military organs under
soviet (council)s during the period of the
Russian Revolution and
Russian Civil War. The most notable ones were those of
Petrograd Soviet, of Moscow Soviet, and at
Stavka.
These committees were in charge of preparation and carrying out the revolution. After the revolution they were in charge of the control of the military. The Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee was reated on 16 October 1917.
[1]
This is the same organisation translated as the ''Revolutionary Military Committee'' in Lenin's collected works.
The Military Revolutionary Committee proclamation of the disbanding of the Russian Provisional Government, titled "To the citizens of Russia" (facsimile shown opposite) was signed by the ''Revolutionary Military Committee of the
Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers Deputies'' and dated "10am, October 25, 1917". It reads:
In ''Lessons of October'', Trotsky argues that the Petrograd Soviet essentially entered a state of armed insurrection before October 25: "From the moment when we, as the Petrograd Soviet, invalidated Kerensky's order transferring two-thirds of the garrison to the front, we had actually entered a state of armed insurrection... the outcome of the insurrection of October 25 was at least three-quarters settled, if not more, the moment that we opposed the transfer of the Petrograd garrison; created the Military Revolutionary Committee (October 16)...".
[2] Kerensky's order was issued not long after the Bolsheviks gained a majority in the Petrograd Soviet and Trotsky was elected Chairman (the latter took place on September 26, 1917
Old Style. The Soviet took the view that Kerensky was attempting to remove the revolutionary leaning troops who were following the directions of the soviet, and replace them with ones who would not oppose his orders.
References
1. Trotsky, Leon, ''Lessons of October'': "On October 16th the Military Revolutionary Committee was created, the legal Soviet organ of insurrection." Accessed 27/8/07
2. Trotsky, Leon, ''Lessons of October'' Accessed 27/8/07