▁various ▁milit ias . ▁ ▁A ▁period ▁of ▁dual ▁power ▁en su ed , ▁during ▁which ▁the ▁Pro vis ional ▁Government ▁held ▁state ▁power ▁while ▁the ▁national ▁network ▁of ▁S ovi ets , ▁led ▁by ▁social ists , ▁had ▁the ▁alleg iance ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁classes ▁and , ▁increasing ly , ▁the ▁left - lean ing ▁urban ▁middle ▁class . ▁During ▁this ▁cha otic ▁period , ▁there ▁were ▁frequent ▁mut in ies , ▁protest s ▁and ▁strik es . ▁Many ▁social ist ▁political ▁organizations ▁were ▁engaged ▁in ▁daily ▁struggle ▁and ▁v ied ▁for ▁influence ▁within ▁the ▁D uma ▁and ▁the ▁S ovi ets , ▁central ▁among ▁which ▁were ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁(" On es ▁of ▁the ▁Major ity ") ▁led ▁by ▁Vladimir ▁Len in . ▁He ▁campaign ed ▁for ▁an ▁immediate ▁end ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁War , ▁grant ing ▁land ▁to ▁the ▁pe as ants , ▁and ▁providing ▁bread ▁to ▁the ▁urban ▁workers . ▁When ▁the ▁Pro vis ional ▁Government ▁chose ▁to ▁continue ▁fighting ▁the ▁war ▁with ▁Germany , ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁and ▁other ▁social ist ▁fa ctions ▁explo ited ▁the ▁virt ually ▁universal ▁dis d ain ▁towards ▁the ▁war ▁effort ▁as ▁just ification ▁to ▁advance ▁the ▁revolution ▁further . ▁The ▁B ols he vik s ▁turned ▁workers ' ▁milit ias ▁under ▁their ▁control ▁into ▁the ▁Red ▁Gu ards ▁( l ater ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ), ▁over ▁which ▁they ▁ex ert ed ▁substantial ▁control . ▁ ▁The ▁situation ▁clim ax ed ▁with ▁the