02_Russian Revolution.pdf

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, 1917

Storming the Winter Palace, November 1917

Two Phases

March (February) 1917 –

a spontaneous uprising of the Russian people.

November (October) 1917 –

a Bolshevik (communist) coup ordered by Lenin.

Why there was a revolution in Russia

Military collapse of the Russian army

largest army (9 million) but smallest industry

shortages and little equipment available at front

high casualties

much Russian territory is seized by Germany

by 1916 military collapse on the eastern front

low morale led to mutinies and desertions

Military

Collapse of

the Russian

Army, 1916

Russian Prisoners of War

Millions died

Thousands were captured

Many deserted

Lenin would later remark that the

deserters had “voted with their feet”.


Poor leadership under Tsar Nicholas II

Nicholas was weak willed and easily led by his wife

Alexandra a religious fanatic .

His son and heir, Alexis had hemophilia.

A fake holy man named Rasputin was seemingly able to

control the symptoms.

Rasputin used his influence over the Royal family for

personal gain until he was murdered in 1916.

Nicholas II, 1868-1918

“ I always give in and

in the end am made

the fool, without will,

without character. ”

“ I shall maintain the

principle of autocracy

just as firmly and

unflinchingly as it

was preserved by my

unforgettable dead

father."

The Last Tsar of Russia, 1894-1918

In 1914 Russians called Nicholas „little father‟ and regarded him as a holy figure.

Here Nicholas is blessing the troops and sending them off to war ill-equipped.

By 1917 after millions had died, Nicholas was regarded as a bloody tyrant.

In some respects the Great War was just a pointless „family feud‟.

„Nicky‟ and cousin „Georgie‟

The British King-Emperor

„Nicky‟ and cousin „Willy‟

The German Kaiser

Nicholas was a

better father than he

was a ruler.

His son and heir

Alexis had

hemophilia.

Alexandra blamed

herself and prayed

to God for

forgiveness.

Both allowed

themselves to be

taken advantage of

by the charlatan

Rasputin.

Grigori Rasputin

1872-1916

A Mad Monk or just a bad monk?

“… If God sends us

temptation, we must yield

to it voluntarily and without

resistance, so that we may

afterward do penance in

utter contrition.”

“How can we repent if we have not sinned?”

Rasputin‟s

healing powers

were

documented by

eyewitnesses.

Perhaps he had

a natural ability

to hypnotize

people

Society women in particular found Rasputin irresistible, despite

the fact that he rarely bathed,

and he was not loath to take advantage of their weaknesses.

Illegal cartoons

began to circulate

in 1916 that

showed the Tsar

and Tsarina in the

evil grip of

Rasputin

Rasputin predicted the

deaths of the Royal family

in the event of his own

murder which he also

predicted.

He was murdered by a

member of the Royal

family, Prince Felix

Yusupov in 1916

Police photographs of Rasputin's corpse after it had been

dragged from under the ice showing his mutilated face and his

naked body with the bullet holes.

Its hands, which under the water had evidently been trying to

untie the ropes, were raised.

It was clear that this powerful man though still breathing in the

car, had concealed it hoping to loosen his fetters in the water,

but his human strength had failed him.


Economic crisis arising from the war

heavy taxes

rapid inflation

corruption & profiteering

food shortages eventually led to a spontaneous

revolution in March 1917 that overthrew the Tsar

Russia‟s Two Revolutions 1917

March (February) Revolution

spontaneous uprisings in Petrograd (St.

Petersburg) and Moscow

riots & strikes

troops went over to the demonstrators – this is

when a riot becomes a revolution

the tsar abdicated

Russia became the ‘freest’ country in the world

with no government

ANARCHY (chaos -nobody in control)



Two groups claim to be the government:

• PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

middle class liberals from DUMA

wished to continue the war

They were businessmen who had profited from it

hoped to get the Straits as a reward afterward

• PETROGRAD SOVIET

council of workers, peasants & soldiers

controlled the real power

The Soviet wanted to end the war quickly

Order Number One - undermined the military

How might the Germans

benefit from this cartoon?

The Main Political Parties in Russia after March 1917:

Cadets (Constitutional Democrats) –

Professionals and businessmen who wanted a capitalist

state. They wished the war to continue.

SR (Social Revolutionaries) –

Socialists who emphasized the importance of the

peasants (Kerensky‟s party). They wished the war to

continue.

Mensheviks -

Moderate communists. They wanted to end the war.

Bolsheviks –

Radical communists. They wanted to end the war.

Elections in Russia June and September 1917



LENIN the leader of the

BOLSHEVIKS (radical

communists) thought he could

end the anarchy and take

power.

His revolution would be

worldwide and destroy

capitalism

Vladimir Ilyich

Ulyanov

a.k.a.

Lenin1870-1924

Bolshevik leader who

was responsible for the

communist takeover of

Russia in November

1917

Utopian Idealist or Ruthless Pragmatist

It is ironic that Lenin the

professional revolutionary

was given a sealed train to

transport him back to Russia

courtesy of the Kaiser.

Lenin returned from his exile in Switzerland in April 1917



Lenin’s APRIL THESES

“bread, land and peace” a quick end to the war

land distributed to the peasants

industries nationalized

“All Power to the Soviets” Overthrow of the Provisional Government

Communist International to spread revolution worldwide

• Lenin tried to take over in July

• He was put down by troops loyal to the

Provisional Government led by KERENSKY

• Trotsky is arrested and Lenin goes into hiding.

Alexander Kerensky and military supporters



the KORNILOV COUP

General Kornilov used his control of some of the

Russian armies to try to seize power in September

Kerensky gets the Bolsheviks to help him defeat

Kornilov.

As a result, the Bolsheviks are seen as saviors while

Kerensky and the Provisional Government lose most

of their support.


November (October) Revolution



Lenin now saw an opportunity to seize power.

Although it was Lenin’s idea, Trotsky was a

necessary leader who helped to implement it.

Trotsky gained control of Petrograd Soviet &

the Red Guards.

Key points in Petrograd & Moscow were seized

and the Provisional Government was

overthrown.

Lenin – October Revolution – Propaganda Painting

How the Bolsheviks came to Power,

March – November 1917

The Bolsheviks had a popular program – "bread, land and peace"

The Bolsheviks had charismatic and pragmatic leaders –Lenin & Trotsky

Trotsky had gained control of the Petrograd Soviet

The Provisional Government & Kerensky were unpopular.

They were associated with the continuation of the war & the severe economic conditions.

The Provisional Government had no real military support – the Winter Palace fell without much of a struggle

Lev Davidovich

Bronsteina.k.a.

Leon Trotsky 1879-1940

Chairman of the Petrograd

Soviet and the most important

Bolshevik after Lenin.

Trotsky formed and led the

Red Army.

Ousted from power in 1927,

he went into exile and was

murdered in 1940 on Stalin's

orders.

“Not believing in force is

the same as not believing

in gravitation.”

“You are pitiful isolated

individuals: Go where you

belong from now on - into

the dustbin of history”

Trotsky organized the „Red Guard‟ into an effective military force



Dictatorship

After taking control, the Bolsheviks set up the world's first

communist government

In free elections the Bolsheviks lost, and Lenin abolished the

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY by force.

Lenin gave approval for peasants to take over the land,

and for workers to seize the factories.

Later the government took them back.



„A new broom

sweeps clean‟

Lenin ended the war with Germany at a great cost of

Russian territory - the TREATY of BREST LITOVSK, 1918.

He was accused of being a German agent by anti-Bolsheviks

Britain‟s

reaction to the

Treaty of

Brest-Litovsk

Russian Civil War, 1918-1921

The opponents of the Bolsheviks or REDS are called the WHITES.

The whites are not united as they came from many different backgrounds with their opposition to the Bolsheviks being the only thing they had in common.

Lenin used ruthless methods to defeat the whites -WAR COMMUNISM

Sets up secret police CHEKA

Expropriation of food from peasants

The Tsar and his family were executed

Russian Civil War, 1918-1921

Tsar Nicholas and Family are Executed.

After the Bolshevik coup, the Tsar and his family were

held prisoner in Siberia.

As the anti-Bolshevik forces approached, Lenin gave the

order to execute them.

In April 1918 Nicholas, Alexandra and their five

children were shot.

Legend has it that the youngest daughter Anastasia

survived, but there is now proof that she died with her

family.

The Tsar‟s Last Days

The Basement Room Where the

Tsar and his Family were Executed

The harsh methods of War Communism with its seizures of

agricultural products led to a massive famine.

Five million people died.

Many others were reduced to cannibalism.

New Economic Policy (NEP), 1921

Because of economic chaos and widespread famine

Lenin needed to get the economy going again.

The NEP allowed some free enterprise and private

ownership of land.

This gave the peasants the incentive to start

producing food again.

The NEP went directly against communist ideology.

The government did not intend it to be a permanent

measure.

The New Economic PolicyA free enterprise market in Moscow where

people could buy and sell things with little regulation

How the Bolsheviks Won the Civil War,

November 1917 - 1921

The Bolsheviks ended the war with Germany – Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918.

The Bolsheviks redistributed land to the peasants.

The Bolsheviks used repressive measures - "War Communism"

shut down the Constituent Assembly

established a secret police – CHEKA

murdered and intimidated their opponents – the 'counter- revolutionaries' including the Tsar & his family.

Coerced Tsarist officers into the Red army by taking their families hostage.



The Bolsheviks were able to win the Civil War because: The whites were not united: ex- Tsarist officers, Czech

POWs, nationalists like the Poles & Ukrainians.

Inner Lines of Communication made it easier to concentrate troops and move them by rail to trouble spots.

Effective propaganda made people believe the Bolsheviks were waging a nationalist struggle against foreign interventionists.

The Bolsheviks had superior morale – utopian ideals of communism appealed to young people



The Bolsheviks were able to win the Civil War

because:

Lenin could be pragmatic when he needed to be:

Confiscated agricultural products led to a breakdown in

the food supply.

Lenin instituted the New Economic Policy , a partial return

to free enterprise, to give peasants the incentive to

produce food again and get the economy revived after

the Civil War.

In theory a union of equal self autonomous republics.

In practice the union was tightly controlled by Russia

(The Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR)

In 1922 the USSR was established.

By 1924 Lenin was ailing and the problem of his peaceful succession loomed large.

Here he is relaxing with his wife Krupskaya just before he died of a stroke in January 1924.

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