THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1861-1924

191719171917

Key Questions

Describe and analyze the long-term social, economic, and political causes of the Russian Revolution, 1861-1917.

How and why were the Bolsheviks (a minority party) able to seize and consolidate power in Russia?

How was Bolshevik rule similar to and different from the rule of the tsars?

Long-term causes AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS

CONSERVATIVE FORCES– BUREAUCRACY,

ARMY, GENTRY, CHURCH

REFORMS OF ALEX II REVOLUTIONARY

FORCES– PEOPLE’S WILL---

SRs– MARXISTS (SDs)– KADETS

Five members of the People's Will being executed on 3rd April, 1881

Slavophiles v. Westernizers BEGINS WITH

DECEMBRIST REVOLT SLAVOPHILES BELIEVE

IN UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF RUSSIAN SOCIETY---

PEOPLE’S WILL---ANARCHISTS---SRs

WESTERNIZERS BELIEVE RUSSIA MUST MODERNIZE OR PERISH

Dostoevsky was a notable Slavophile

Russia Industrializes

ROLE OF SERGEI WITTE

CONCENTRATED IN 2 CITIES – (Moscow & St. Petersburg)

IMPACT ON SOCIAL CONDITIONS

BORROWING OF CAPITAL

CREATES SOCIAL DIVISIONS

Witte’s “prediction” in 1905 “The advance of human progress is unstoppable. The

idea of human freedom will triumph, if not by way of reform, then by way of revolution. But in the latter event it will come to life on the ashes of a thousand years of destroyed history. The Russian rebellion, mindless and pitiless, will sweep away everything, turn everything to dust. What kind of Russia will emerge from this unexampled trial transcends human imagination: the horrors of the Russia rebellion may surpass everything known to history. It is possible that foreign intervention will tear the country apart. Attempts to put into practice the ideas of theoretical socialism--they will fail but they will be made--will destory the family, religious faith, property, and law.”

Revolution of 1905

CAUSES:– POLICE STATE– LOSSES IN RUSSO-

JAPANESE WAR– UNION ACTIVITY– STUDENT

DEMONSTRATIONS– “BLOODY SUNDAY”

RESULTS:– OCTOBER

MANIFESTO– DUMA– TEMPORARY LULL– GROWING

DIVISION BETWEEN TSAR AND REFORMERS

Growing Tension, 1905-14 STOLYPIN REFORMS DUMA V. TSAR ASSASSINATION OF

STOLYPIN AND OTHERS

PARTIES BECOME MORE RADICAL

ROLE OF ARMY AND PROSPECTS FOR WAR

Pyotr Stolypin, 1862-1911 3rd Imperial Prime Minister

Impact of World War I

Incompetence of Russian army

Supply problems and backward transportation system/industry

Major losses at the front

Nicholas II “takes command”

Morale and attitude of troops

Russian prisoners of war during WWI

WORLD WAR I CASUALTIES

Russian casualties totaled almost 10,000,000 in WWI

February Revolution

CAUSES inflation--bread riots growing discontent

with tsarism--Rasputin

war failures International

Women’s Day troops side w/crowd

RESULTS Provisional Govt--liberals

and socialists tsar abdicates Petrograd Soviet—

analogy to France in 1792-93

Provisional Government

Led by Prince Lvov Continued war--

unpopular Army Order No. 1 Rise of Kerensky July Days Kornilov Revolt

                                  

         Alexander Kerensky, second prime

minister of the Russian Provisional Government

Bolsheviks & October Revolution Importance of Lenin--his

background April Theses--Bolshevik plan for

coup Control of soviets Slogans--”peace, bread, land”

& “all power to the soviets” Takeover in October--little

opposition Disbanding of Constituent

Assembly Congress of People’s

Commissars

Lenin’s contribution to Marxism

Theories on imperialism and capitalism

“Weakest link in the chain”

Vanguard party Telescope capitalist

phase

Civil War in Russia 1917-1922

EVENTS Treaty of Brest-

Litovsk Trotsky’s

importance Allied support for

Whites Bolshevik

advantages “War

Communism”

RESULTS Bolshevik victory Recovery of most

lost lands by 1922 Decimation of

economy Red Terror/secret

police (Cheka/KGB)

USSR—1922

The Russian Civil War was finally won by the Bolsheviks led by Lenin. With that victory, Russia was formally called the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1922

The Bolshevik Program

Confirm land seizure of peasants

Workers’ committees in factories—later work for state

Politburo—democratic centralism

Dual party-state structure National minorities Dictatorship of proletariat

Lenin at a rally in 1921

Division After Lenin, 1924-28

New Economic Policy (1921-24) Rightists (Zinoviev/Kamenev) v.

leftists (Trotsky) “Socialism in one country” Role of Stalin—General Secretary Purge of Old Bolsheviks

Stalin ruled with an iron fist from 1928-1953