ABSTRACT
The previous chapters have shown, beyond doubt, that in 1917 there was an explosion of independent activity within classes, institutions, organizations, groups and individuals throughout the Russian Empire. We have seen that this activity was often outside the confines of the state and of the struggle to control the state, that is, it went beyond what we normally think of as politics. And yet, in the final analysis, it was the outcome of the battle to control the state that had more influence than any other single factor in arbitrating between the various forces unleashed in 1917. But, to make the picture even more complicated, it would be quite wrong to see the central political struggle as something that existed in isolation from the grassroots conflicts and pressures. The deep movements in Russian society created the political tide, the Petrograd politicians had to swim in it as best they could. The key political question is why did some groups succeed and others fail in this enterprise?
