The Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies was held in Petrograd in the context of the October coup and enshrined the process of transfer of all power from the Provisional Government to the Soviets.

The congress opened on October 25 at 10:45 pm in the midst of the Bolsheviks’ armed uprising, in which their allied leftist groups were involved as well. An acute political struggle arose at the congress. Social Revolutionaries (SRs) and the Mensheviks refused to become members of the Presidium of the Congress when it was formed. As a result, the majority in the Presidium were representatives of the Bolsheviks and the Left SRs. The first meeting, which lasted all night, was focused on the issue of attitude towards current events. Some of the delegates (representatives of SRs, the Mensheviks, Bund, and Poale Zion parties) left the congress in protest against the coup.

At 5 a.m., the meeting of the delegates who remained in Smolny, with a majority of votes adopted the address “To workers, soldiers, and peasants!” written by Vladimir Lenin. It spoke about the overthrow of the Provisional Government, the termination of the powers of the old All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) of Soviets, and the transfer of power to the congress in Petrograd, and locally to the Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies. It also announced the timely convening of the Constituent Assembly. The first meeting of the congress closed at 6 a.m.

The second meeting opened on the evening of October 26th. The leader of the Bolshevik Party, Vladimir Lenin, spoke on two main issues: of peace and of land. He read out the Decree on Peace in the form of an Appeal to the peoples and governments of all the belligerent countries. All belligerent countries and governments were invited to immediately begin negotiations on the conclusion of a democratic peace without annexations and indemnities. The Decree on Land announced the free transfer of landlords’, district and monastery lands to the disposal of peasant committees.

The congress adopted the proposed decrees and formed new authorities, to govern the country until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly. The VTsIK of the Soviets was declared as the supreme body of state power (it consisted of 101 people, 62 Bolsheviks, 29 Left SRs, etc., Chairman Leon Kamenev, since November 8, 1917, Yakov Sverdlov). The supreme temporary executive body of power was the Provisional Workers’ and Peasants’ Government, the Council of People’s Commissars (SNK), headed by Vladimir Lenin.