The Russian The Russian RevolutionRevolution1917 - 19241917 - 1924

textbooktextbook

Nicolas TateA History of the Modern World, Federal Publications (S) Pte Ltd, 1995.

MAPWORKMAPWORK

• Find the following countries on the map

• Britain, France, Norway, Italy, Belgium, Russia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, , Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Albania

MAPWORKMAPWORK

• Find the following cities

• London, Paris, Warsaw, Moscow,St Petersburg, Petrograd, Vladivostok, Munich, Berlin

Don’t be “LOST” and ‘BLUR” when we Don’t be “LOST” and ‘BLUR” when we studystudy

• The Tsar & the Russian Empire• Reasons for the 2 revolutions in Russia

in 1917• Who were the Bolsheviks• What communism means• The Reds and Whites 1918-1921

(not the Japanese Red and White Show, you #$#@!)

• How Lenin tried to change the Russian economy

The Russian Empire under Tsar The Russian Empire under Tsar NicholasNicholas

• Look at the extent of the Russian Empire in 1914 (p 42)

• It stretches from Europe in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east

• The Russian Empire was ruled by the Tsar or the emperor

• In 1914, it was Nicolas II

The Russian Empire under Tsar The Russian Empire under Tsar NicholasNicholas

• Nicolas II was very powerful• Made decisions on his own• 1905 – protests and

demonstrations• Nicholas was forced to set

up a parliament (Duma) • However, it had little

influence on the govt ruled by the Tsar

The Russian SocietyThe Russian Society

• The Aristocracy– The rich minority– Most powerful

• The Middle class– Merchants, bankers, doctors, lawyers– Not many around; little influence in govt matters

• The Peasants– Majority of the people– Peasants more than town workers– Mostly engaged in farming– Resent their poverty; resent the rich

• The Town workers– Lived and worked in cities– More involved in demonstrations– Poor working conditions– Govt did not help much

Opposition to tsarist ruleOpposition to tsarist rule

• Opposition for many different reasons

• “Bloody Sunday”• A peaceful demonstration in the

capital St Petersburg was fired upon by troops

• Led to further protests• Eventually Tsar Nicholas

agreed to call a ‘Duma’ or parliament

On 22 Jan 1905, there was a march of industrial workers on St. Petersburg, the intellectual center of Russia and the Tsar’s capital. Father Gapon, carrying a crucifix, led the workers with their wives and children (including infants) to the city centre. Guards, instructed that the people should not reach the palace, ordered the crowds to leave. When the people refused, the guards began shooting at them, first with blanks then with ball cartridges, killing women and children along with men. Shocked, the workers turned and fled for their lives. Several hundreds were killed.

Street Fighting in St Petersburg 1905Street Fighting in St Petersburg 1905

THE DUMATHE DUMA

The Duma had little power

OPPONENTS OF THE TSAROPPONENTS OF THE TSAR

1. Social Revolutionaries

2. Social Democrats or Marxists

3. Liberals

OPPONENTS OF THE TSAROPPONENTS OF THE TSAR

1. Social Revolutionaries• SocialSocial because they wanted to change society• RevolutionariesRevolutionaries because they were willing to

take part in a revolution• The SR were prepared to use violence to bring

about a revolution• Wanted to seize land owned by the aristocracy

and turn them over the peasants• Naturally most of their support came from the

peasants• Many officials were assassinated – part of the SR

campaign

OPPONENTS OF THE TSAROPPONENTS OF THE TSAR

2. Social Democrats or Marxists

• Also want complete change to society• Also prepared to use violence• However, their support comes mainly from

the town workers rather than the peasants• Marxists follow the teachings of a 19th

century German thinker called KARL MARX

OPPONENTS OF THE TSAROPPONENTS OF THE TSAR

KARL MARXKARL MARX• Marx believed that violent

revolutions would take place in all countries

• All power transferred to the ordinary people

• No private property• Everything belongs to the state

and the state would use it on behalf of the people

• Marx’s ideas were known as “socialism” or “communism”

• His followers were thus known as socialists or communists

• See Page 60

OPPONENTS OF THE TSAROPPONENTS OF THE TSAR

2. Social Democrats or Marxists

• The Marxists were a small party in Russia• Also divided among themselves• 1903 : Split up into 2 groups – the

Bolsheviks (the majority) and the Mensheviks (the minority)

• Bolsheviks were led by Lenin• Main difference : Bolsheviks were impatient

for revolution to occur

LENINLENIN

OPPONENTS OF THE TSAROPPONENTS OF THE TSAR

3. Liberals

• These opponents of the Tsar believed in peaceful means of opposition

• Wanted the Tsar to share power with some of the people

• Demanded for a parliament with real power and rule only with its consent

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

• Outbreak of WWI against Germany in 1914 changed the situation

• 1915 : Nicholas II decided to go to the front and lead the army himself

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

• Poor leader, made bad decisions• His wife ran the country; made bad decisions

and chose bad advisers (Rasputin)• Events led to the Feb 1917 Revolution• First, let’s see the impact of WWI on Russia

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Impact of WWI

• Inflation• Fewer factory workers (?)• Military Defeat• Massive food shortages• The Tsar• The Tsarina• Inefficient railway system

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Impact of WWIImpact of WWI

1. Inflation• Prices skyrocketed• Between 1914 to 1916, average wages doubles• But basic food (potatoes, bread) cost 3 to 5 times as

much

2. Fewer factory workers (?)• Workers needed to join the army• But factories needed more workers to produce war

goods• More peasants left the countryside for the towns• Is it a net gain or net loss of factory workers?

Impact of WWI

3. Military Defeat• Russia suffered many defeats• Lost a lot of land• 1 million killed, more than 4 million

wounded, 3 million POWs• Rasputin : The Tsar and especially his wife

came under the influence of a monk called Rasputin

RASPUTINRASPUTIN

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Impact of WWI

4. Massive food shortages• Worsened as the war dragged on• Peasants already unable to produce enough food

during peacetime, let alone when workers and horses were taken for the army

• Inefficient food collection and distribution• Result : People starved while undistributed food

rotted

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Impact of WWI

5. The Tsar• The Tsar decided to go to the front and lead the

army himself• He made a poor leader and was not an inspiration

to his troops at all• He was also blamed for the military defeats

suffered at the hands of the Germans

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Impact of WWI

6. The Tsarina• Inexperienced and incompetent• Personally unpopular because she was a German• Listened to the bad advice of Rasputin

WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Impact of WWI

7. Inefficient railway system• Failed to cope with the additional demands of war• What do you think were the effects of an inefficient

railway in the country embroiled in war?

The First Revolution Feb The First Revolution Feb 19171917

• The first revolution of 1917 was unplanned; spontaneous

• People protested in Petrograd (Nicholas renamed St Petersburg as Petrograd)

• Soldiers ignored orders to disperse the protests and joined them instead

• Generals could not help the Tsar as they lost control of the troops

• Nicholas II abdicated in favour of his brother, Grand Duke Michael who refused to become Tsar

The First Revolution Feb The First Revolution Feb 19171917

Tsar NicholasTsar Nicholas

SUMMARYSUMMARY

See page 47 See page 47

Let’s go on a short tour of St Petersburg Let’s go on a short tour of St Petersburg

todaytoday

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Information and image sources– Moreira J., World in Transition – Perspectives on

Modern World History, Singapore : SNP Education Pte Ltd, 2000.

– Kelly N. and Shuter J., As It Was Lived – A History of the Modern World, Singapore : Pearson Education Asia Pte Ltd, 2000.

– Lim S H, Tham Y P, Wang Z and Yeo L, Inroads – Modern World History, Singapore : Oxford University Press, 2000.

– Tate N., A History of the Modern World, Singapore : Federal Publications, 1995.