Russian Revolution.docx
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Russian Revolution
• The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a pair of revolutions in Russia in
1917, which dismantled the Tsarist autocracy and led to the eventual rise of
the Soviet Union. At first there was a Feruary revolution which led to the adication
of tsar !icholas "" and fall of Russian empire.The old re#ime was replaced y a
provisional #overnment y the memers of $uma %parliament&.Then there was
another revolution y the 'olshevi(s in )ctoer called )ctoer revolution
Political situation in Russia-
By early 20th century most of the European ctries were either republic like
france or constitutional monarchy like Britain. The rule of the old feudal
aristocracies has been replaced by that of a more democratic and liberal
middle class.But rusia was stiil ander an autocratic rule of absolute
monarchTsar! whose authority was not sub"ect to any
parliament.#icholas $$of Romonov dynasty! was a very conservative ruler
who believe in his divine ri%hts to be kin% and believed that Russian
people were devoted to him. But in reality only nobility and upper layers of
cler%y supported Tsar. &is attitude prevented him from allowin%
democratic institutes to work properly.&is vast empire consisted of many
nationalities and cultures. &e tried to impose Russian lan%ua%e and
culture amon% non Russian parts of his empire which caused %reat
dissatisfaction amon% them. !icholas "" was completely dominated y his wife.
She, in turn, was ruled y a friend named Rasputin who virtually ran the #overnment.
*orruption in the state resulted in #reat sufferin# amon# the people
+rowin# socialism in urope-
There was rise and #rowth of socialist movement throu#hout urope in 19th
century.'y early twentieth century there was socialist or#anisations in almost all parts
of urope includin# Russia. 'ut with 1st ww1 socialist movement in most countries
suffered a setac( and the Second "nternational was also split on the issue whether
the socialists should support their nation in war or not.
+rowth of revolutionary movement in Russia-
As a part of this #rowin# socialist movements in urope many socialist revolutionary
movement also #rew in Russia. hen the wor(ers/ or#ani0ations were set up after
industriali0ation e#an, they were dominated y ideas of socialism. "n 12, the
Russian Social $emocratic 3arty was formed y +eor#e 3le(hanov, a 4ar5ist. This party alon# with many other socialist #roups was united into the Russian Social
$emocratic 6aour 3arty in 19. "t was an ille#al or#anisation. This party alon# with
many other socialist #roups was united into the Russian Social $emocratic 6aour
3arty in 19. owever, the party was soon split over 8uestions of or#ani0ation and
policy. )ne #roup which was in a minority %hence (nown as the 4enshevi(s&
favoured a party of the type that e5isted in countries li(e France and +ermany and
participated in elections to the parliaments of their countries. The maority, (nown as
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the 'olshevi(s%leader :ladmir 6enin& , were convinced that in a country where no
democratic ri#hts e5isted and where there was no parliament, a party or#ani0ed on
parliamentary lines would not e effective. They favoured a party of those who would
aide y the discipline of the party and wor( for revolution.'oth these parties
considered industrial wor(ers as main revolutionary population.
Some Russian socialist considered that peasants should e the main force ofrevolution as maority of population%;<& was involved in a#riculture and their
costume of dividin# land amon# themselves periodically made them natural
socialists. They formed Socialist Revolutionary 3arty%19==&.The loddy Sunday event has further stren#thened the revolutionary movements in
Russia.
Economic and social changes
• :ast maority %;<& of Russians were a#riculturists.This was hi#her than other
uropean countries%>=< to ;=<&.• Serfdom was aolished in 1?@ ut till conditions didn/t improve as farmin# methods
were insufficient to feed the #rowin# population.
• "ndustrialisation e#an very late in Russia in @nd half of 19th century. Their #rowth was
fairly #ood ut most of the capital was forei#n and private investment. These forei#n
capitalist were interested in 8uic( profit and the Russian capitalist also tried to
compete with them . 'oth tried to ma5imi0e profit i#norin# the wor(ers.
• The rapid industriali0ation of Russia also resulted in uran overcrowdin# and poor
conditions and low wa#es for uran industrial wor(ers.
• The wor(ers had no political ri#hts. omen made 21< of wor(force ut their wa#es
were low compared to their male counterparts.
"mpact of 19=; revolution-
• "t e#an on 9th anuary 19=; when a peaceful procession of wor(ers lead y priest
father +apon marchin# towards winter palace%at St. 3etersur#& were shot y troops
in which over 1== wor(ers were (illed.This event is (nown as 'loody Sunday and it
was followed y widespread stri(e y wor(ers and oycott y students, lawyers and
various other sections of society. ven sections of the army and the navy revolted.
This procession was in support of stri(in# wor(ers who were demandin# hi#her
wa#es and etter wor(in# conditions and reduction in wor(in# hours.
• Reasons for revolution- $efeat of Russia in Russia-apanese war%for 4anchuria andBorea& which demorali0ed the people and caused increase in price of #oods to meet
war e5penses. 3eople wanted more freedom and political ri#hts which were almost
asent in tsar rule
• Reason for survival of Tsar- his opponents were not unuted,there was no central
leadership, army was mostly loyal to him and he compromised y issuin# )ctoer
manifesto.
• Followin# the Revolution of 19=;, the Tsar made last effort attempts to (eep his
re#ime from ein# toppled, he released an )ctoer manifesto which #ranted civil
lierty and allowed the creation of a consultative elected parliament %duma&.
Russian constitution of 19=? was enacted at the first session of duma.• The new constitution provided for a icameral Russian parliament, without whose
approval no laws were to e enacted in Russia. This le#islature was composed of an
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upper house, %State *ouncil!, and a lower house, %State $uma!. 4emers of theupper house were half appointed y the Tsar, with the other half ein# elected yvarious #overnmental, clerical and commercial interests. 4emers of the lowerhouse were to e chosen y various classes of the Russian people, throu#h acomple5 scheme of indirect elections in which propertied sections had the votes. 4inisters could not e appointed y, and were not responsile to, the $uma, thusdenyin# responsile #overnment at the e5ecutive level The Tsar retained anasolute veto over le#islation, as well as the ri#ht to dismiss the $uma at any time.Tsar chan#ed the votin# laws and pac(ed 2rd duma with propertied and conservative
politicians. So in practice, the +overnment of Russia continued to e a non-official
Asolute 4onarchy
World war 1
• "nitially the war was popular and people rallied around tsar. 'ut this patriotic unity did
not last lon#.
•
Russian army lost adly in #ermany and hun#ary snd there were 7 million casualitiesy 1917.
• "n 191; tsar too( the military leadership leavin# administration to his wife and
Rasputin who were uncapale of doin# it."t also impacted the industries. The Russian industries were few and the supply of
industrial #oods was cut off y +erman control of the 'altic sea. 6aours were
conscripted to serve the army. This resulted in laour shorta#e for industries.
• There were food shorta#es and inflation due which even read ecame unaffordale
as lar#e amount of it was sent to feed the army. This increased food in riots y late
191?. Also the stri(es increased.
• Some elieve that althou#h conditions were there for an upheaval still the radical
chan#es was not possile if there was no war. The war failure caused troops and
police to mutiny who had earlier supported aristocracy.
February revolution-
• 'y Feruary 1917 the conditions were ripe for an uprisin#.
• )n @@ Feruary there was a demonstration y wor(in#-class women tryin# to
purchase read. A #eneral stri(e of wor(ers followed, in which soldiers and others
soon oined. At this sta#e o political party was actively or#anisin# the stri(e.
• )n @;th Feruary $uma was suspended. This was resented y parliamentarians
wishin# to preserve elected #overnment.• )n @7th #overnment tried to control the situation and called the cavalry ut they
refused to fire on the demonstrators. Re#iment y re#iment mutinied and oined the
demonstrators.
• Stri(ers and soldiers #athered in the uildin# of duma to form council or soviet. This
was called the 3etro#rad soviet.%council of wor(ers and soldiers&.
• Followin# the advise of his military commanders tsar adicated on @nd march.Tsar
nominated his rother to succeed him ut +rand $u(e realised that he would have
little support as ruler, so he declined the crown.
• Soviet leaders and $uma leaders formed a provisional #overnment they decided
that Russia/s future ased on its constitution framed y a constituent assemly
ased on adult franchise.
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October revolution-
• "n Feruary 1917 two centres of power emer#ed to replace the tsarist #overnment:
the 3rovisional +overnment and the 3etro#rad Soviet. The 3rovisional +overnment
had formal authority ut the Soviet controlled the actual power, includin# the loyalty
of the troops, and offered only conditional support to the #overnment• Army officials, landowners, industrialists were influential in provisional #overnment.
Restrictions on press and #atherin# were removed and soviets%councils& li(e
petro#rade soviet%without elections& were set up everywhere.
• +overnment delayed the elections for constituent assemly ar#uin# elections were
not possile durin# war.
• "n April 1917, 6enin returned to Russia from his e5ile. e demanded war to e ended,
an(s e nationalised and land to e transferred to the tiller. These 2 demands were
6enin/s April Thesis. 3rovisional #overnment under Berens(y was not ale to
implement these demands and lost the support of people. So popularity of 'olshevi(s
increased and 6enin felt that it was time for soviets to ta(e power.4ost of the soviets felt that time hasn/t come for a socialist revolution in Russia and
so the provisional #overnment should e supported. 'ut the events later chan#ed the
scenario.
• "n une aout ;== soviets sent representatives to All Russian *on#ress of *on#ress
of Soviets. As the provisional #overnment saw its power decreasin# and influence of
'olshevi( increasin# it launched an attac( on leaders. 6enin was accused of ein# a
#erman spy and at this popularity of 'olshevi(s declined.>== people were (illed in
violence of July Days.
• ncoura#ed y the socialist revolutionaries peasants sei0ed land etween uly and
Septemer.
• The provisional #overnment collapsed in )ctoer revolution when 3etro#rad soviet
and 'olshevi( party a#reed for a socialist sei0ure of power. A military revolutionary
committee was formed under Trots(y to or#anise the sei0ure. "t too( place on @; th
)ctoer. An All Russian *on#ress of Soviets met on the same day and assumed full
political power.At this time popularity of 'olshevi(s has increased.
After )ctoer revolution-
• Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Repulic was formed. "t was ust one of the many
CrepulicsC that composed the future Soviet Union.
•
'olshevi(s were opposed to private property and most industries and an(s werenationalised.
• 6and was declared social property and peasant sei0ed the land of noility.
• )ld aristocratic titles were anned
• 'olshevi( party was renamed Russian communist party.
• "n !ovemer 1917 'olshevi(s or#anised elections to constituent assemly ut they
failed to #ain maority support. 6enin dismissed the assemly and said All Russian
*on#ress of Soviets was more democratic then elected assemly.
• "n march 191 despite opposition y its allies, 'olshevi(s si#ned a treaty with
+ermany at 'rest 6itovs( to formally drew Russia out of 1.
• "n the followin# years 'olshevi(s were the only party to participate in elections for All
Russian *on#ress of Soviets and Russia ecame a one party state.
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• A secret police called che(a%later !B:$& was formed to punish all those who
criticised the 'olshevi(s.
Russian civil war
•
hile resistance to the Red +uard e#an on the very day after the 'olshevi(uprisin#, the Treaty of 'rest-6itovs( and the political an ecame a catalyst D1@E for the
formation of anti-'olshevi( #roups oth inside and outside Russia, pushin# them into
action a#ainst the new re#ime.
• !on 'olshevi(s socialists, lierals and supporters of aristocracy condemned rhe
oshevi( uprisin#. Their leaders move to south Russia and or#anised troops to fi#ht
the 'olshevi(s%Reds&.
• So there was civil war etween #reens%Social revolutionaries&,whites%3ro tsarist& and
reds.Anti 'olshevi(s were supported y 'ritain, apan, France and America ecause
they feared the #rowth of communism.
• 'ut y 19@= 'olshevi(s controlled most part of Russian empire with the help of non
Russian nationalists and 4uslim adidists. 'olshevi(s a#reed to #ive political
autonomy to most non Russian nationalities%of former Russian empire& in return for
their oinin# a union with Russia.% This union was called soviet union&.All of them
were called repulics and so their union was USSR
• "n 19@@ USSR was formally created when Russian SFSR, the Transcaucasian
SFSR, the U(rainian SSR and the 'yelorussian SSR%'elarus& approved the Treaty
on the *reation of the USSR
• the Transcaucasian SFSR emraced Armenia, A0eraian and +eor#ia. As they were
separated from Russia y the *aucasus 4ountains, they were (nown traditionally as
the Transcaucasian Repulics.