ied ▁and ▁dem oral ised ▁and ▁had ▁started ▁to ▁defect . ▁( On ▁arrival ▁back ▁in ▁Russia , ▁these ▁soldiers ▁were ▁either ▁imprison ed ▁or ▁sent ▁straight ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁front .) ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁enorm ous ▁dis content ▁with ▁Russia ' s ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁war , ▁and ▁many ▁were ▁calling ▁for ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁it . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁great ▁short ages ▁of ▁food ▁and ▁supplies , ▁which ▁was ▁difficult ▁to ▁rem edy ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁w art ime ▁economic ▁conditions . ▁ ▁The ▁political ▁group ▁that ▁proved ▁most ▁troubles ome ▁for ▁Ker ens ky , ▁and ▁would ▁eventually ▁over throw ▁him , ▁was ▁the ▁B ols he vik ▁Party , ▁led ▁by ▁Vladimir ▁Len in . ▁Len in ▁had ▁been ▁living ▁in ▁ex ile ▁in ▁neutral ▁Switzerland ▁and , ▁due ▁to ▁dem ocrat ization ▁of ▁politics ▁after ▁the ▁February ▁Revolution , ▁which ▁legal ized ▁formerly ▁b anned ▁political ▁parties , ▁he ▁perce ived ▁the ▁opportunity ▁for ▁his ▁Marx ist ▁revolution . ▁Although ▁return ▁to ▁Russia ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁possibility , ▁the ▁war ▁made ▁it ▁log ist ically ▁difficult . ▁Event ually , ▁German ▁officials ▁arranged ▁for ▁Len in ▁to ▁pass ▁through ▁their ▁territory , ▁hoping ▁that ▁his ▁activities ▁would ▁weak en ▁Russia ▁or ▁even   – ▁if ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁came ▁to ▁power   – ▁lead ▁to ▁Russia ' s ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁the ▁war . ▁Len in ▁and ▁his ▁associ ates , ▁however , ▁had ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Russia ▁in ▁a ▁se aled