The Bolshevik party quickly changed from a small, irrelevant party to a highly disciplined party that was successful in gaining support from these people which resulted in an eventual majority in the Petrograd Soviet in a few short months.
Lenin knew that the majority of the Russian population was peasants and used their darkening situation as the Bolsheviks basis for revolution. The peasants had long been suffering from the effects of WWI, such as famine, low wages, and loss of land. Lenin cleverly used propaganda to convince the people to support Bolshevik policy. By advocating a revolution of behalf of the workers he took charge of peasantry land issues, promised an end to the food shortages, and resolved to end the military conflict between Russia and Germany. Lenin not only found support with the people, but also with fellow revolutionist.
One of Lenin's greatest supporters, Leon Trotsky played a major role in the Bolshevik's rise to power. Originally a Menshevik, the rival socialist party to the Bolsheviks, Trotsky was able to convince the Petrograd Soviet to make him head of a new military committee which ultimately passed the power on to the Bolshevik campaign. In an attempt to gain momentum for Lenin's movement, Trotsky convinced Lenin to name the revolution in favor of the soviets. This, too, contributed to the sudden majority the Bolsheviks achieved at the congress of soviets in November of 1917, which gave Lenin new control of the government. With this new political and military confidence, Trotsky began attacks on key government buildings, such as the Winter Palace, and provisional government officials. Trotsky's Red Guards, an exceptionally well trained private army devoted to the Bolshevik revolution, played a crucial part in the seizure and maintenance of power in the newly named Communist government. .
It was not long after Lenin's rise to power did extreme opposition present itself.