▁been ▁argued ▁that ▁since ▁Len in ▁was ▁not ▁present ▁during ▁the ▁actual ▁take over ▁of ▁the ▁Winter ▁Palace , ▁it ▁was ▁really ▁T rot sky ' s ▁organization ▁and ▁direction ▁that ▁led ▁the ▁revolution , ▁merely ▁sp ur red ▁by ▁the ▁motiv ation ▁Len in ▁inst ig ated ▁within ▁his ▁party . ▁Crit ics ▁on ▁the ▁Right ▁have ▁long ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁financial ▁and ▁log ist ical ▁assistance ▁of ▁German ▁intelligence ▁via ▁their ▁key ▁agent , ▁Alexander ▁Par v us ▁was ▁a ▁key ▁component ▁as ▁well , ▁though ▁histor ians ▁are ▁divided , ▁since ▁there ▁is ▁little ▁evidence ▁supporting ▁that ▁claim . ▁ ▁Soviet ▁membership ▁was ▁initially ▁freely ▁elected , ▁but ▁many ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Revolution ary ▁Party , ▁an arch ists , ▁and ▁other ▁left ists ▁created ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁through ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁themselves . ▁The ▁elections ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁Const itu ent ▁Assembly ▁took ▁place ▁ 2 5 ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁The ▁B ols he vik s ▁gained ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁When ▁it ▁became ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁had ▁little ▁support ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁industrial ized ▁areas ▁of ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁and ▁Moscow , ▁they ▁simply ▁bar red ▁non - B ols he vik s ▁from ▁membership ▁in ▁the ▁S ovi ets . ▁ ▁The ▁B ols he vik s ▁dissol ved ▁the ▁Const itu ent ▁Assembly ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War ▁