the russian revolution scott masters crestwood college
TRANSCRIPT
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…