The election of soldier delegates to the first Soviet. From a Bulgarian poster.

Bulgarian:

Изборитъ на войнишкитъ дептатн эа първня Съвътъ



Election of Soldier Delegates to the First Soviet

Other views: Larger, Larger

A 'soviet' is a council, a political or governmental organization. During the Russian Revolution, soviets were formed at multiple levels such as the city, factory, or military unit. The Petrograd soviet was the most important one during the revolution, and was formed on March 12, 1917 by Socialists, Social Democrats, Social Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, and Bolsheviks even as the Duma formed an Emergency Committee to decide on action.

The Petrograd Soviet and the Duma shared, and struggled, over power in the coming months, oftentimes located in the same building.

As the most consistently anti-war party, the Bolsheviks benefited from increasing opposition to the war in September and October, 1917. The party's membership increased, more members were elected to the soviets, and more representatives were voted to chair the councils. In the weeks leading to the Bolshevik Revolution, as the Kerensky government struggled to organize an elected Constituent Assembly, the Bolsheviks increasingly called for the immediate transfer of 'all power to the soviets.'