" His appropriate sense of timing, with action planned for the eve of the second All-Russian Congress o Soviets, led to the storming of the Winter Palace on the 25th of October 1917 and the subsequent recognition of the Council of People's Commissars (with Lenin as chairman) by the Congress of Soviets. .
Lenin's leadership and ability to lead the Bolsheviks is also undeniable, the October 1917 Revolution being one that required a great amount of planning and a great amount of organization to make it succeed. This success did not come solely on spontaneous discontent or the failures of the provisional government, Lenin's awe-inspiring leadership and great foresight in leading towards the Revolution was very much vital leading to Bolshevik seizure of power. .
However it can also be argued that other factors led to the Bolshevik seizure of power. The inherent weakness of the Provisional government and the poor leadership of Kerensky as the Minister of War, (and later as the Prime Minister) are also factors giving the Bolsheviks an opportunity to seize power and control. Besides, the seizure of power was the work of Trotsky and the military Revolutionary committee, not just Trotsky alone. Bolshevik leaders like Kamenev and Zinoviev contributed as well to the seizure. The weakness of the Provisional government is a particularly important factor. The name of it, the provisional government, already suggests the government being temporary in nature. The government lacked legitimacy and real power, and had no real support from the masses. Their decision to continue with the war due to their commitment to the allies was a hugely unpopular move. The final straw, the Kornilov affair practically led to the Provisional government serving Russia to the Bolsheviks on a golden platter. General Kornilov attempted to cleanse the Provisional Government of socialist elements by attempting to march the Russian Army into Petrograd.
