Some things are really better than chaos...
The February Revolution failed to create stable system of power: undemocratical Provisional Government shared its authority with fully democratical Soviets. The conflict was obvious from the very beginning, since the Provisional Government, due to its Western obligations, was uncapable of gaining peace.
The first Provisional Government, under the leadership of prince Lvoff, was formed entirely by politicians of the liberal "kadet" party. They had absolutely no popularity among people (BTW: anybody heard of any popular liberal party anywhere anytime?), though they dominated the Duma, thanks to oppressive electoral system. Due to their foreign connections, the "kadet" politicians firmly standed for continuation of war. In May 1917, after first series of large-scale political strikes against the war, the government was reorganized, and some posts were given to moderate left-wing parties of the mensheviks and the SR's (social-revolutionaries), among them A. Kierenski.
The only party calling for immediate withdrawal of Russia from the imperialist war was the party of bolsheviks. By then, it was a radical margin of the social democratic movement, one of the weakest parties of the left (weaker even than the anarchists). In April 1917 German authorities helped some bolshevik leaders to come back to Russia from exile (among them was V. I. Lenin). After their return they started a strong anti-war campaign, and slowly begun to gain support. The bolsheviks called also for transfer of the whole power to the soviets.
In July 1917 the Provisional Government launches its new offensive on the German front. It is no less disasterous than the tsar's offensives. Soldiers saved their lifes by massive desertion, and workers strikes paralized the state. The socialist ministers of the government refused to crush workers movement by force. The "kadet" politicians tried to blackmail them by means of typical cabinet-coalition play. But this is definitely not the right time and place for this kind of a game. As a result, the government falls again, and a new cabinet is formed, now dominated by the left, with A. Kierenski (SR) as Prime Minister.
The bolsheviks try to surf the wave of discontent and overthrow the Provisional Government. But the Soviets, still dominated by moderate left, refuse to support them and proclaim their unconditional confidence for Kierenski, giving him absolute prerogatives, and making him virtually a dictator. This is a de facto abdication of the Soviets: now Russia has only one authority, and there is a serious chance to overcome the chaos. The bolsheviks are delegalized, and their leaders have once again to go to exile.
But the feeble Kierenski was a very bad choice for a dictator. Actually, he was a clinical example of cyclophrenia. In his deppressive phase he was canceling decisions made in euphoric phase (I'm not joking! Read it in the books!). Such a dictator only increased chaos. Kierenski believed, that he plays a sophisticated tactics, trying to be acceptable both for the bourgeoisie, and for the workers. In fact, he was soon equally hated by both sides.
The soldiers still keep voting by their feet, deserting from the frontline; the peasants, unwilling to wait any longer for agricultural reform, seize land by force; the workers keep factory in their hands. Both sides of the conflict unevitably move towards a decisive showdown.
In September the bourgeoisie launches a plot aimed to restore its power. The army commander-in-chef L. Kornilov is supposed to make a military coup d'etat and capture Petrograd by some of his last loyal divisions. Initially Kierenski accepts this plot, but when it begins, he enters his deppressive phase, and changes his mind. He calls for bolsheviks to defend him. Fervent bolshevik agitation indeed transforms the last loyal divisions into revolted soldier soviets. The coup fails, Kornilov is arrested, and now Kierenski has to relegalize the bolshevik party. Its leaders once again return from exile.
In October 1917 the government falls once again: now SR's and mensheviks oust the kadets completely from the coalition, and announce more leftist policy. But it's too late. The Government has no real authority. The whole power already belongs to the Soviets. And the Soviets belong to the bolsheviks, due to their formidable action during the Kornilov putsch. In the night of 6/7 November 1917 troops loyal to the Soviets capture the Winter Palace, the government's site, encountering almost no resistance.
On the next day, the 2nd All-Russian Congress of the Soviets approves the coup, and elects the People Commisars Council, dominated by the bolsheviks. The Soviets almost bloodlessly capture power in the whole Russia. But the trouble just begun.
Western powers are unhappy by loosing an important ally in World War I, and begin an armed intervention. Now Russia is in state of war both with Axis and Entente states. Thanks to their support, counterrevolutionary forces rally themselves and start a civil war against the soviet government. Finally, Russian multiethnical fabric is torn apart, and many small nations fight for their independence. Thus one of the bloodiest civil wars in XX century history begins, with many contenders fighting for many different causes (including even curious Tschechoslovakian corps, crossing Russia from the West to the East). Among those causes there is one, that has no supporting army on its side: it's the democracy.
The new revolutionary government finally starts the first in history of Russia universal free elections to the Constitutional Assembly. It gathers in Petrograd in January 1918. The Assembly is freely elected, but unrepresentative to Russian opinion, as it was elected basing on party lists drawn long time before the revolutions. The absolute winnter of this elections - the SR party - no longer exists, as it splitted after the revolution to larger left faction (supporting bolsheviks and participating in governent coalition), and smaller right faction, that dominated the newly elected parliament. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets demands of this body to acknowledge its supremacy. The Assembly refuses, and it is dissolved by the Soviets.
As we know, the superdemocratic system of workers councils produced one of the most oppressive dictatorship. How could that happen? This seems to be the most important question of contemporary history. It's strange, but after having read some books on this subject, I think it still remains unanswered. All easily coming answers are equally easy to prove false. If it's a kind of hidden evil of Marxism or socialism, why democratic soviet republics could develop in 1917 in Transcaucasus or Far East (later both were crushed by bolsheviks). If it's just some flaws of the Russian soul, why did the turnout of the events resemble so closely that of the Great French Revolution?
I won't give you no easy answer, neither. Seeking for the causes of this disaster, please note, how easily it was to avoid it. Many persons held in their hands keys to save Russia and the rest of the world of all the pending attrocities. If only Nicolai II wouldn't be so stupid! The same could be said of prince Lvoff, the "kadets", the "SRs", the bolsheviks, not to mention Kierenski.
Let us not waste no more time for "what-if" theories. Let's take a look on facts. The most horrible for me is the acceptance of dictatorship by the soviets. The militant revolutionaries, soviet delegates, trade union activists that fought so bravely tsar and "kadets", gave up their freedom to bolsheviks with very little resistance. In their memories they often wrote that they were convinced, that "everything will be better than chaos" (note how eagerly they wanted to appoint even Kierenski as their dictator!).
That's how dicatorships are born. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets had one thing in common with, say, the Roman Senate appointing Julius Caesar or the Reichstag appointing Adolf Hitler. They all thought that "everything is better than chaos". Having spend large part of my life in a communist country, I can say that this is simply not true.
The new system was undoubtely far worse than everything before it. But I have to admit, that if I'd be there, I would probably support the revolution, as a left-wing SR or an anarchist. In any case, I would back my support after the Kronstadt massacre (perhaps I would be killed in it).