The
Military Revolutionary Committee also known as the
Milrevcom () was the name for military organs under
the soviets during the period of the
Russian Revolution and
Russian Civil War. The most notable ones were those of the
Petrograd Soviet, the 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, however during the Civil War they carried out governmental functions in some turbulent areas of Russia.
The Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee was created on 16 October 1917.
This is the same organisation translated as the
Revolutionary Military Committee in
Lenin's collected works.
Petrograd Milrevcom
Inception
Although it took its form and inspiration from the earlier
Committee for Struggle Against the Counter-Revolution of the
Kornilov Affair, the Military Revolutionary Committee itself was only formed during the last weeks, and indeed days, of the
Provisional Government's existence. On 5 October 1917 the commander of the Petrograd Military District (General Polkovnikov) ordered the bulk of the capital's garrison units (those considered to be political unreliable by the Provisional Government)to prepare for immediate transfer to the front. Given the inflamed political atmosphere...
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