1905 to 1917: Changes in Pre-Revolutionary Russia

1905 vs. 19171905 - Half a

Revolution• Similarities

o Tsar weak from failed war -- Russo-Japanese War

o Workers organized independently

Formed SOVIETS!!o Peasants and parts of army

sided with Soviets

1905 vs. 1917: The Soviets• The embryo of working class revolutionary

power• Dual naturea. Created by struggle --

Fills vacuum of power of a general strike

b. Used to advance struggle -- Capable of organizing an all-out of insurrection• Repeated in 1917 and in 1918-19 Germany

o So not specific to backwards Russia

1905 vs. 1917 cont.• 1905 Revolution failed because:

o Revolutionary forces unpreparedo Liberal bourgeoisie got cold feet and sided with Tsaro Tsar brutally repressed Revolution

• After 1905 important changes...

Vs.

The Dead Years: 1906-1914• The Bourgeoisie moves closer to the Tsar

o and more dependent on foreign capital

• Proletariat disorganizedo 3 peaks of activity:

1905, 1914, 1917o Grows but still

small compared to the...

The Peasantry• Huge majority of

populationo about 75% of total

populationo So necessary ally of

proletariat

• Most lived on communal lando but too many to be

supportedo Peasants demanded lando The Agrarian Problem

The Peasantry cont.• Government's Solution -- 1906 Land Reform

o Turn upper peasantry against mass of poorer peasants called the Kulaks

o Made huge rural proletariato Still many very poor peasants

• Not a final solutiono Kulaks wanted more land tooo Most importanly, peasants and rural proletariat not

satisfied

• But peasants needed something...

Proletarian Leadership!!!And the proletariat needed the peasants:

“The law of combined development of backward countries – in the sense of a peculiar mixture of backward elements with the most modern factors – here rises before us in its most finished form, and offers a key to the fundamental riddle of the Russian revolution. If the agrarian problem, as a heritage from the barbarism of the old Russian history, had been solved by the bourgeoisie, if it could have been solved by them, the Russian proletariat could not possibly have come to power in 1917. In order to realise the Soviet state, there was required a drawing together and mutual penetration of two factors belonging to completely different historic species: a peasant war – that is, a movement characteristic of the dawn of bourgeois development – and a proletarian insurrection, the movement signalising its decline. That is the essence of 1917.” (37)

Russia and the War• Not quite an

imperial country and not quite a colonyo Forced into

participationo But not equal to

England, France, or Germany

Russia and the War• Army totally

unpreparedo 2.5 million

peasants and workers killed

o England and France used Russian soldiers to fight

The ruling classes meanwhile...

The Ruling Classes:Dumb and Dumber

Or... Obsolete and More Obsoleter

• So not just evil or greedy

• Historically incapable of ruling

• Tsar - No basis in industrializing society

The Ruling Classes: Dumb and Dumber

• Bourgeoisie incapable of rulingo since 1905

Revolution, allied closely with Tsar

o also subordinate to foreign capital

o But get very rich off of war profits

Ruling Classes: The Dance of the Dumas

Duma unites behind the war effort• 1915 - forms the Progressive Bloc

o Kadets (the bourgeoisie), and other liberal groupso united because of "common gains, external defeats,

and internal dangers" (19) most importantly a "union called forth by the

danger of social revolution." (20)

• Thought Tsar would give concessions because danger of revolution

• But...

The Dance of the Dumas• Duma dissolved in September 1915

o no protest from members

• 2nd try - May 1916 Dissolved• 3rd try - November 1916

Dissolved• 4th try -

February 14, 1917 Only real solution...

February REVOLUTION!!!

But how?!

Proletariat During the WarProletariat grows by leaps and bounds

• 1914, before war, moving towards revolutionary situation

• But war paralyzes workers... temporarilyo almost 40% proletariat

drafted

Proletariat During the War

• And no proletarian leadershipo 2nd International's opportunism confused workerso Bolshevik leaders in Duma all arrested

Revolutionary Leadership• Mensheviks vs. Bolsheviks

o Mensheviks strongest during downturns (1908 - 1912) Bolsheviks strongest during upsurges (1905,

1914-17)o Mensheviks formed pro-war committees with

bourgeoisie Bolsheviks specifically targeted by government

o Bolsheviks more adaptable at first supported the war quickly turned against and agitated workers

towards "Revolutionary Defeatism"

By Leaps and BoundsSlowly proletariat fights

back• Food riots lead the way

o Women, children, and elderly could act more easily

o broke "war hypnosis and laid road to strikes" (28)

• Next, economic strikeso textile workers in

vanguard

By Leaps and BoundsBut ruling classes push back• War was destroying

economyo so bourgeoisie resisted all

concessions strikes limited to individual

factories have no effect

• Government becomes more brutal - Kills strikers

This leads to...

By Leaps and BoundsPolitical Strikes!!!• 1915 - 2.5x

fewer political strikers than economic strikers

• 1916 - 2x fewer• 1917 - 6x more

political strikers!

Monarchies: Time's Up

The Monarchies: Time's UpDifferences:• Personalities

o French King Louis XVI had "dubious kindliness"o Russian Tsar had "affability"

• Concessionso Louis called for Estates General

like Dumao Tsar Nicholas called for Dumas and semi-

constitution after 1905o Concessions only ever partial

Never threatened Monarchy itself

Monarchies: Time's Up• Historical moment

o French Revolution earlier (1789) So had more support of the liberal bourgeoisie

o Russian Revolution later (1917) So less support of liberal bourgeoisie and nobles

Especially after 1905 Revolution attempt

o But in both cases all turned on Monarchs because...

Monarchies: Time's UpTime's Up!!!!• Monarchic class

society outdated• Nobilities and liberal

bourgeoisie saw thiso at first go along with

monarchso eventually turn against

when all "reasonable society" goes against monarchs (pages 58, 72-3)

Summary: Laws of

Revolution

What are the laws of revolution?1. What is uneven and

combined development?

2. How did we see certain classes outlive their historical role?

What are the laws of revolution?Questions going forward:1. Why do the masses revolt?

a. What pushes them past just reforms?

2. What role do revolutionaries have to make revolutions?

3. Other questions...?