The Bolsheviks' Strategy Was Offensive, but It Was Sold as Defense

Trotsky said, in essence, our strategy was offensive. The other fear the bolsheviks played on was that if the germans didn't sack petrograd, then it would probably be some counter revolutionary alliance taking another shot at a cornelo style mil coup. Though the party had decided to go on offence, they knew it would only really work if it was sold as defense. And that's exactly how they set about selling themselves,. not as a self interested cliqu making a power grab, but as the defenders of petrograd and the revolution that the bolshevik were now plotting.