The second part of Richard Pipes’ work covers the years 1917–1918—from the February Revolution and dual power to the October coup and the first months of Bolshevik rule. The author examines in detail Lenin and his party’s strategy and tactics, the weakness of the Provisional Government, and the circumstances that enabled the Bolsheviks to seize and hold power. Special attention is given to the dispersal of the Constituent Assembly and the establishment of a dictatorship.