ols he vik - control led ▁Moscow ▁Regional ▁Bureau ▁of ▁the ▁Party ▁also ▁controlled ▁the ▁Party ▁organizations ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 ▁provinces ▁around ▁Moscow . ▁These ▁ 1 3 ▁provinces ▁held ▁ 3 7 % ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁population ▁and ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁membership ▁of ▁the ▁B ols he vik ▁fa ction . ▁ ▁In ▁August , ▁poor ▁and ▁mis leading ▁communication ▁led ▁General ▁Lav r ▁K orn il ov , ▁the ▁recently ▁appointed ▁Supreme ▁Commander ▁of ▁Russian ▁military ▁forces , ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁Pet ro grad ▁government ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁captured ▁by ▁radical s , ▁or ▁was ▁in ▁serious ▁danger ▁there of . ▁In ▁response , ▁he ▁ordered ▁troops ▁to ▁Pet ro grad ▁to ▁pac ify ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁To ▁secure ▁his ▁position , ▁Ker ens ky ▁had ▁to ▁ask ▁for ▁B ols he vik ▁assistance . ▁He ▁also ▁sought ▁help ▁from ▁the ▁Pet ro grad ▁Soviet , ▁which ▁called ▁upon ▁armed ▁Red ▁Gu ards ▁to ▁" def end ▁the ▁revolution ". ▁The ▁K orn il ov ▁Aff air ▁failed ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁B ols he vik s , ▁whose ▁influence ▁over ▁rail road ▁and ▁te legraph ▁workers ▁proved ▁vital ▁in ▁stopping ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁troops . ▁With ▁his ▁coup ▁failing , ▁K orn il ov ▁surrender ed ▁and ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁of ▁his ▁position . ▁The ▁B ols he vik s ' ▁role ▁in ▁stopping ▁the ▁attempted ▁coup ▁further ▁strength ened ▁their ▁position . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁September , ▁the