María Jesús CamposChusteacherWikiteacher

Russia 1905-1917

The Russian Empire

Russia was an empire that stretched out from Europe to Asia. It included many different nationalities.

The Tsar’s Empire

• Nicolas II was crowned Tsar of Russia in 1894.

• The Old Regime:– The Tsar ruled as an

absolute monarch and rejected to carry out reforms

– Until 1861 servitude/serfdom had not been abolished

The Russian Empire: Society

Aristocracy

Middle classes: capitalists

Industrial and Urban Workers

Peasants

The Aristocracy

• 1,5 % of the population

• Owned most of the land

• Hold political positions and assisted the Tsar

The Capitalists

• Landowners, industrialists, bankers, traders and businessmen.

• Focused on increasing their wealth and controlling their workforce (industrial workers and peasants)

Industrial Workers

• By the end of the 19th century Russia had experienced a rapid industrial growth.

• Isolated industrial centers. Mainly St Petersburg (capital) and Moscow.

• Trade unions were illegal.• Workers lived under harsh conditions.

Peasants

• Around 80% of the population were peasants.

• They lived in communes.

• A few were kulaks (rich peasants).

• Servitude had been abolished in 1861 but peasants still did not own the land.

The Russian Empire: Politics

• Autocracy: the Tsar had almost absolute power and believed in the “divine right of kings”

• Resistance in Russia was limited as most peasants and workers were deeply religious and loyal to the Tsar.

Opposition to the Tsar

Cadets

Socialist Revolutionaries

Social Democratic Party

Bolsheviks

Mensheviks

Opposition was illegal: to oppose the Tsar meant to be executed, sent to Siberia or going into exile. Many members decided to live on foreing countries.

The Cadets

• Liberals• Wanted the Tsar

and a Duma (Parliament) to share power

Socialist Revolutionaries

• A revolution was needed to:• Give land to

peasants • Abolish

privileges• Used violent

means

The Social Democratic Party

• Followed Karl Marx’s ideas

• In 1903 the SDP divided into:• Bolsheviks: led by Lenin.

Russia was ready for a Revolution.

• Mensheviks: Russia was not yet ready for a Revolution. They needed to prepare the population while demanding reform.

1905Demonstrations grew. The battleship Potemkin’s soldiers revolted. General strike in September. Lenin and Trotsky returned from exile. Workers’ Councils or Soviets were formed.

The Tsar stopped war against Japan to bring his troops back. Revolution was crushed. Opposition leaders were sent to Siberia or went to exile.

190522 January, Bloody Sunday: 200.000 people went to the Tsar’s palace to ask for reforms

The Tsar has left the palace. The Cosaks opened fired against the crowd.

1903

Living conditions and the activities of the opposition parties led to a series of strikes and demonstrations

The Tsar rejected reforms and started a war against Japan. Patriotism stopped protest for a while

The October Manifesto (1905)/ The Fundamental Laws (1906)

• The Tsar issued the October Manifesto in 1905 to stop protest:– A Duma (Parliament ) was

to be created.– Freedom of Speech– Right to form political

parties

• The Fundamental Laws (issued after crushing the revolt) accepted the Duma but with very limited power.

1906-1914

• Duma: – Very limited power– Voting rules avoided

the Tsar’s opponents to be elected as members

– The Duma could not change Russian policies

1906-1914• Prime Minister Stolypin:

“the carrot and the stick”– Brutally suppressed the

opposition by hanging protesters (“Stolypin’s necktie”)

– Allowed kulaks to obtain land

– Economic growth: in agriculture; industry… but still far away from European industrialized countries

Economic growth• Agricultural production

went from 40 million tons of grain in 1890 to 90 million tons in 1913

• Coal production increased from 8 million tons in 1890 to 30 million tons in 1913

• The profits went to the capitalists while the workers living conditions did not change much.

Rasputin• A miracle worker• The Tsarine believed he

could cure his son’s haemophilia through hypnosis.

• His influence grew and he was giving advice to the Tsar about how to govern Russia.

Russia enters the First World War (1914)

• Member of the Triple Entente (France and Great Britain)

• Patriotism again stopped protest.

• The war was long and cruel. 13 million soldiers were sent to the front, 9,15 million died. Discontent grew.

• 1917: strikes broke out all over Russia. Even members of the army supported them.

1917: the turning point

• Discontent grew: lots of casualties; lack of bread and supplies

• Strikes spread• The Duma set a Provisonal

Committee to take over government. When the Tsar ordered the soldiers to imprisoned the Duma’s members, the soldiers refused.

• The Petrograd Soviet was created to take control of food supplies.

• It was not clear who governed: the Duma, the Pretrograd Soviet, the soldier’s soviets…but the Tsar was not doing it anymore.

The Tsar’s regime collapses

Because of the I WW Because of discontent inside the country

Duma sets up alternative government

Strikes and formation of soviets

Food shortages and discontent in the countryside

The Tsarina and the Tsar trust Rasputin

Mutiny in the army and creation of soldiers soviets

Failures in the war. Lots of casualties

The Duma’s Provissional Government• The Tsar abdicated on 15

March 1917.• The Duma’s Provisional

Goverment dedided: – To continue the war– Peasants should have to

wait until the elections to get lands

• At first the Petrograd soviet supported the Provisional Government.

Lenin and his April Theses

• Leader of the Bolsheviks. Exiled in Europe to avoid the Tsar’s persecution.

• Returned to Russia on a special train provided by the German government.

• His theses:– All power to the soviets.– Peace, land and bread.

The Bolsheviks overthrow the Provissional Government

• The Provisional Goverment had lost support because of the failures in the war. Dessertions increased.

• The Bolsheviks obtained support after the April theses.

• November 1917, the Bolsheviks Red Guard, led by Leon Trotstky overthrew the government.

The Provisional Government has been overthrown. The cause for which the people have fought has been made safe: the inmediate proposal of a democratic peace, the end of land owner’s rights, worker’s control over production, the creation of a Soviet government. Long live the revolution of workers, soldiers and peasants.

Proclamation of the Petrograd Soviet, 8 November 1917

1903: Discontent and strikes.

1905: the revolution’s rehearsal.

February 1917: Duma’s Provisional Government

October 1917: The Bolshevik Revolution

Propaganda