The Rise and Impact of Authoritarianism

Emphasis on “authority of the state”

• Non-elected leaders• Unregulated exercise of political power• Limited civil liberties• Lack of opposition

Ideology emphasising classlessnessInspired by Marx and Engels’ The Communist

Manifesto

• One party only – the Communist party• Collective and planned economy• No private ownership• Everyone is equal in wealth and rank

in Russia

• On hindsight, Communism is seen as an authoritarian system• Russian leaders were not democratically elected, especially in Joseph Stalin’s time• Opposition was forcefully silenced

Tsar Nicholas II – 1868-1918

What can you infer from this cartoon about Russian society?

• Many levels of hierarchy• The poor (the ‘proletariat’) had to support many people•Middle-class do not have much say• Autocratic, insufficient political representation

Took over in March 1917 Known as the ‘February Revolution’ Forced the Tsar to abdicate

Did not carry out land or

economic reforms

Put in most of Russia’s resources into the unpopular

war

Disunited and weak – could not reach out to the masses

The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, established the new Communist government in November 1917.

Promised to help Russia regain military status and end the war

Promised to reorganise and revitalise the economy

Promised to meet the domestic

needs of the people

NAME: ______________________ [ ] CLASS: ________NAME: ______________________ [ ] CLASS: ________

“Peace, Land, Bread”“All power to the soviets”

Bolsheviks managed to capitalise upon the unrest in the capital

Overwhelmed Kornikov (army general) completely

Seized power at a critical moment

Think about short term and long term factors• What set the conditions for Communism?• What events made everything come to light?

• Who/what made the revolutions happen?