The Russian The Russian RevolutionRevolution

Scott MastersScott MastersCrestwood CollegeCrestwood College

Pre-Revolutionary RussiaPre-Revolutionary Russia Only true autocracy Only true autocracy

left in Europeleft in Europe No type of No type of

representative representative political institutionspolitical institutions

Nicholas II became Nicholas II became tsar in 1884tsar in 1884

Believed he was the Believed he was the absolute ruler absolute ruler anointed by Godanointed by God

Russo-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War (1904) – defeat led (1904) – defeat led to pol. instabilityto pol. instability

conditions conditions deteriorated, rev. deteriorated, rev. became possible, esp. became possible, esp. w/ Lenin’s involvementw/ Lenin’s involvement

he had gravitated he had gravitated towards the towards the Social Social Dem. Workers’ PartyDem. Workers’ Party of of George PlekhanovGeorge Plekhanov – – they believed in they believed in dialectical materialism dialectical materialism and thus favoured and thus favoured modernization/capitalismodernization/capitalism (which the czars m (which the czars also favoured as a also favoured as a measure to catch up w/ measure to catch up w/ the w. Europe, esp. the w. Europe, esp. after the Crimean and after the Crimean and Russo-Japanese Wars)Russo-Japanese Wars)

The Revolution of 1905The Revolution of 1905 Rapid growth of Rapid growth of

(discontented) working (discontented) working classclass

Vast majority of Vast majority of workers concentrated workers concentrated in St. Petersburg and in St. Petersburg and MoscowMoscow

Little help from the Little help from the countryside: countryside: impoverished peasants impoverished peasants – Populist Movements – Populist Movements of the 1870s and later of the 1870s and later had done little to had done little to improve their lotimprove their lot– No individual land No individual land

ownershipownership– Rural FamineRural Famine

Conservatism Conservatism Continues:Continues:1905-19171905-1917

Tsar paid no Tsar paid no attention to the attention to the Duma; it was Duma; it was harassed and harassed and political parties political parties suppressed – suppressed – only token land only token land reform was reform was passedpassed

Nicholas was Nicholas was personally a personally a very weak man; very weak man; he became he became increasingly increasingly remote as a remote as a rulerruler

Numerous Numerous sovietssoviets thus thus began to appearbegan to appear

Alexandra: The Power Behind Alexandra: The Power Behind the Thronethe Throne

Even more blindly Even more blindly committed to committed to autocracy than her autocracy than her husbandhusband

She was under the She was under the influence of Rasputin influence of Rasputin

Origins of Rasputin’s Origins of Rasputin’s power - ?power - ?

Scandals Scandals surrounding surrounding Rasputin served to Rasputin served to discredit the discredit the monarchymonarchy

Alexis: Alexandra’s Son with Alexis: Alexandra’s Son with HemophiliaHemophilia

World War I: “The Last Straw”World War I: “The Last Straw” War revealed War revealed

the ineptitude the ineptitude and arrogance and arrogance of the country’s of the country’s aristocratic aristocratic eliteelite

Corrupt military Corrupt military leadership had leadership had contempt for contempt for ordinary ordinary Russian peopleRussian people

Average Average peasants had peasants had very little very little invested in the invested in the WarWar

World War I (cont)World War I (cont) ill-trained, ineffective ill-trained, ineffective

officers, poorly officers, poorly equipped (Russ. was equipped (Russ. was not ready for ind. war) not ready for ind. war) – the result was mass – the result was mass desertions and 2 desertions and 2 million casualties by million casualties by 19151915

RResult: Chaos and esult: Chaos and Disintegration of the Disintegration of the Russian ArmyRussian Army

Battle of Tannenberg Battle of Tannenberg (August, 1914) – (August, 1914) – massive defeat at massive defeat at hands of Hindenburg hands of Hindenburg and Ger.and Ger.

The Collapse of the Imperial The Collapse of the Imperial GovernmentGovernment

Nicholas left for the Nicholas left for the Front—September, Front—September, 19151915

Alexandra and Alexandra and Rasputin throw the Rasputin throw the government into government into chaoschaos

Alexandra and other Alexandra and other high government high government officials accused of officials accused of treasontreason

The Collapse of the Imperial The Collapse of the Imperial Government (cont)Government (cont)

Rasputin assassinated Rasputin assassinated in December of 1916in December of 1916

Complete Complete mismanagement of the mismanagement of the wartime economywartime economy

ind. production ind. production plummeted, inflation plummeted, inflation and starvation were and starvation were rampant, and the rampant, and the cities were overflowing cities were overflowing w/ refugeesw/ refugees

they became a hotbed they became a hotbed for pol. activism, and for pol. activism, and this was ignited by this was ignited by serious food shortages serious food shortages in March 1917, esp. in in March 1917, esp. in St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg

The The TwoTwo Revolutions of Revolutions of 19171917

The March The March Revolution Revolution (March 12)(March 12)

The The November November Revolution Revolution (November (November 6)6)

The March The March RevolutionRevolution

Origins: Food Origins: Food riots/strikesriots/strikes

Duma declared itself a Duma declared itself a Provisional GovernmentProvisional Government on March12on March12

Tsar ordered soldiers to Tsar ordered soldiers to intervene; instead they intervene; instead they joined the rebellion…the joined the rebellion…the Tsar thus Tsar thus abdicated abdicated on on March 17 March 17

the the Menshevik Menshevik Alexander KerenskyAlexander Kerensky headed the Provisional headed the Provisional Government, along w/ Government, along w/ Prince LvovPrince Lvov– Very Popular RevolutionVery Popular Revolution– Kerensky favoured gradual Kerensky favoured gradual

socialist reform/ saw the socialist reform/ saw the war effort as #1 prioritywar effort as #1 priority

Kornilov AffairKornilov Affair General Kornilov General Kornilov

attempted to attempted to overthrow Provisional overthrow Provisional Government with Government with military takeovermilitary takeover

To prevent this To prevent this takeover, Kerensky takeover, Kerensky freed many Bolshevik freed many Bolshevik leaders from prison leaders from prison and supplied arms to and supplied arms to many revolutionariesmany revolutionaries

The Petrograd SovietThe Petrograd Soviet leftists in St. leftists in St.

Petersburg formed Petersburg formed the Petrograd the Petrograd Soviet, which they Soviet, which they claimed to be the claimed to be the legit. gov’t legit. gov’t

Ger. was aware of Ger. was aware of the Russ. situation the Russ. situation and began to and began to concentrate on the concentrate on the W. FrontW. Front

Ger. even played a Ger. even played a role in returning role in returning Lenin to Russia, so Lenin to Russia, so he could foment rev.he could foment rev.

– Having been Having been granted “safe granted “safe passage”, Lenin passage”, Lenin returned in April returned in April 19171917

Soviet Political IdeologySoviet Political Ideology More radical and More radical and

revolutionary revolutionary than the than the Provisional Provisional GovernmentGovernment

Most influenced Most influenced by Marxist by Marxist socialismsocialism

Emulated Emulated western socialismwestern socialism

Two FactionsTwo Factions

-- “Mensheviks”-- “Mensheviks”

-- “Bolsheviks”-- “Bolsheviks”

Founder of Bolshevism: Vladimir Founder of Bolshevism: Vladimir LeninLenin

His Early YearsHis Early Years

--Exiled to Siberia in --Exiled to Siberia in 18971897

Committed to Class Committed to Class Struggle and RevolutionStruggle and Revolution

Moved to London in 1902 Moved to London in 1902 and befriended Leon and befriended Leon TrotskyTrotsky

What is to be Done?What is to be Done?– vanguard is required to

lead the rev. (thus rev. from above) this split the SDWP in 2

Lenin Steps into This VacuumLenin Steps into This Vacuum Amnesty granted to all Amnesty granted to all

political prisoners in March political prisoners in March of 1917of 1917

Lenin’s arrival in PetrogradLenin’s arrival in Petrograd A tremendously charismatic A tremendously charismatic

personalitypersonality ““Peace, Land, Bread”Peace, Land, Bread” ““All Power to the Soviets”All Power to the Soviets” He preached that the war He preached that the war

was a capitalist/imperialist was a capitalist/imperialist war that offered no rewards war that offered no rewards for the peasants/workers; for the peasants/workers; he also felt the war was he also felt the war was over w/ the czar’s over w/ the czar’s abdicationabdication

Bolshevik party Bolshevik party membership exploded; their membership exploded; their power was consolidatedpower was consolidated

Lenin formed the Lenin formed the Military-Military-Revolutionary Revolutionary CouncilCouncil and in May and in May 1917 he urged the 1917 he urged the Pet. Soviet to pass Pet. Soviet to pass Army Order # 1Army Order # 1– This gave control This gave control of the army to the of the army to the common soldiers; common soldiers; discipline thus discipline thus collapsed, and collapsed, and Kerensky was Kerensky was underminedundermined

The November The November RevolutionRevolution

Nov. 6, 1917…Nov. 6, 1917… this was the ideological this was the ideological

aspect of the rev., w/ the aspect of the rev., w/ the coup itself planned by coup itself planned by Leon TrotskyLeon Trotsky, who had , who had gained the confidence of gained the confidence of the army (= the “Red the army (= the “Red Miracle”)Miracle”)

Lenin went on to Lenin went on to consolidate his power in consolidate his power in Jan. 1918 when he Jan. 1918 when he disbanded the disbanded the Constituent Constituent AssemblyAssembly (had replaced (had replaced the Duma) – the Bolsheviks the Duma) – the Bolsheviks had not gained a majority had not gained a majority there in late Nov. elections there in late Nov. elections - Russ. dem. thus - Russ. dem. thus terminated terminated a a CoCouncil of uncil of People’s CommissarsPeople’s Commissars was was createdcreated

All private property was All private property was abolished and divided abolished and divided among the peasantryamong the peasantry

Largest industrial Largest industrial enterprises nationalizedenterprises nationalized

November Revolution (cont)November Revolution (cont) Political Police Political Police

organized: organized: CHEKACHEKA

Revolutionary Revolutionary army created army created with Trotsky in with Trotsky in charge = “Red charge = “Red Army”Army”

Bolshevik Party Bolshevik Party renamed renamed Communist Communist Party in March Party in March of 1918of 1918

November Revolution (cont)November Revolution (cont) Lenin’s 1st task was to Lenin’s 1st task was to

get Russia out of the get Russia out of the war so he could war so he could concentrate on internal concentrate on internal reform…reform…

The The Treaty of Brest-Treaty of Brest-LitovskLitovsk negotiated with negotiated with the Germans, the Germans, giving giving them much Russian them much Russian territory, population, territory, population, and resourcesand resources

Civil War followed, Civil War followed, 1917-19201917-1920““Reds” versus Reds” versus “Whites”“Whites”

Complete breakdown of Complete breakdown of Russian economy and Russian economy and societysociety

Interpreting the Russian Interpreting the Russian RevolutionRevolution

The official Marxist The official Marxist interpretationinterpretation

The importance of The importance of a permanent a permanent international international revolutionrevolution

Function of Russian Function of Russian History and CultureHistory and Culture

Imposed Revolution Imposed Revolution on an unwilling victimon an unwilling victim

A Social Revolution…A Social Revolution…