Lenin’s Russia 1917 - 1924 Romanovs, Marxism & Bolshevik Revolution, Civil War & Soviet Union

Lenin’s Russia 1917 - 1924

Romanovs, Marxism & Bolshevik Revolution, Civil

War & Soviet Union

Contents• Russia in 1917:

• The Tsar Romanov Dynasty • Russia 1905 – 1917 : The Medieval

Feudal System

• The February Revolution (1917)

• The Provisional Government, February – October 1917

• Communism: Marxist Ideology & Class Consciousness

• Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov: Lenin

• Origin of the Soviets

• April – October 1917: A Power Struggle Begins

• The October Revolution (1917)

• The Russian Civil War 1918 – 1920

• Treaty of Brest - Litovsk • The Comintern

• War Communism

• Lenin’s New Economic Policy (1921)

• Death of Lenin: A Power Struggle Begins2(c) W. McSweeney 2011

1905 – 1917Political Parties & Groups

A revolution in 1905 (Bloody Sunday) had resulted in the introduction of a parliament – Duma - however, this had little power and the Tsar simply

continued to rule undisputed if they disagreed with himIt did however, produce the formation of embryonic political parties. These

parties could now organise and propose social & political changes, even if their powers were virtually non-existent.

• Cadets – Middle class party who wanted a parliamentary style democracy like Britain

• Social Revolutionaries – wanted a peasant revolution

• Communists – made of Mensheviks & Bolsheviks who wanted change by social and political uprising

• Octobrists• Rights

3(c) W. McSweeney 2011

Tsar Romonov Dynasty 1905 - 1917

• Nicholas II ruled over all the Russian peoples as had his family for the previous 300 years.

• Autocratic and distant from the people, he had little understanding of the hardships of ordinary Russians. The Nobles were loyal to the Tsar, controlling the peasantry in the countryside.

• Secret police (Okhrana) & press censorship.

• In 1917, he was at the front directing the Russian Army in its war against the German & Austrian Central Powers’ Alliance.

• Russia was allied with Britain & France.

• 1905 Revolution had introduced a government without real power =

DUMA

•Tsar was supported by the Church, the Nobles & the Army (Cossacks) 4(c) W. McSweeney 2011

Russia 1905 - 1917• Ruled by the Romanov dynasty of Tsar

Nicholas II

• Most of the country was peasantry

• Tsar rule created a stagnated society, not much removed from the Feudal System of the Middle Ages.

• Population: 125 million people

• Area: 2000 miles squared

• A vast country spread across Europe & Asia containing many nationalities, languages & religions.

• Living & working conditions were very cramped and basic in industrial centres such as St. Petersburg.

TSAR NICHOLAS II

A Feudal System?

Aristocracy -Church & Nobles

-Supported by Army

DUMA – since 1905

PEASANTRY


The Medieval Feudal SystemKING/ LORD

VASSALSLords, Earls, Bishops & Church

KNIGHTS

‘Freemen’

Serfs

AUTOCRACY‘DIVINE RULE’?

(inevitable culture of absolute power)

A society whereby the KING was absolute ruler, but required the political support of the VASSALS and the military strength of the KNIGHTS to maintain his position & authority.

Freemen & Serfs had little or no influence, representation or protection. 6(c) W. McSweeney 2011

Revolution Stirs“The situation is getting

worse. Something has to be done

immediately. Tomorrow is too late. The last hour has struck. The future of the

country and the royal family is being decided.”

- Rodzianko, the President of the Duma, telegraphs the Tsar.

12th March 1917

Tsar Nicholas II opening the Russian Duma in 1906


February Revolution 1917• 8th March – International Womens’

Day: Civil unrest began when the Russian factory workers were placed on a bread rationing scheme. Protests moved onto the streets.

• Initially, the Russian Army was brought in to support the police in putting down this protest.

• However, when soldiers refused to shoot protestors, army mutiny spread quickly throughout the ranks.

• Tsar Nicholas II was busy directing the Russian Army at the front.

• He eventually returned to St. Petersburg to deal with the civil strife.

• On 13th March 1917,the Duma forced the Tsar to abdicate

• However, he was intercepted on the way and arrested as an ‘enemy of the people’.

• Russia was now under the control of the Duma Government.


The Provisional GovernmentFebruary – October 1917

• The Duma now took control of Russia, setting up a ‘Provisional Government’, led by the middle-class Cadets of the old Duma.

• Created a 12-man Executive led by Alexander Kerensky of the Social Revolutionary Party. Its HQ was the Winter Palace

• Ruled Russia from February to October 1917. Conservative by nature, Kerensky’s government was faced with many difficulties.

1. ‘Soviets’ were in control of the people, especially in Petrograd. Forbade their members from obeying Provisional Government unless they agreed.

2. Food shortages were still commonplace.

3. The Provisional Government tried to continue the war, attacking Austria, until the Germans drove them back.

4. Return of Lenin & the growing power of the Bolsheviks – “All Power to the Soviets”.

5. Pro-Tsar Kornilov revolt – Kerensky had to ask the Soviets (controlled by Bolsheviks) to defend St. Petersburg. The Red Guards were used.


Communism: A Marxist Ideology• Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)

• Published the ‘Communist Manifesto’ in 1848

• Advocated ‘class consciousness’ of the Proletariat (factory & agricultural workers) to rise up and seize the ‘means of production’ from the Bourgeoisie (capitalist owners of factories & landowners)

• “Our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses, however, this distinct feature: it

has simplified class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes

directly facing each other — Bourgeoisie and Proletariat.”• - Communist Manifesto

“The workers have nothing to lose but their chains. Workers

of the world, unite!”Karl Marx, The Communist

Manifesto (1848).10(c) W. McSweeney 2011

‘Class Consciousness’

TSAR NICHOLAS II

PROLETARIAT Vast Majority – poor, uneducated industrial & agricultural

workers, possessing no economic or political power

BOURGEOISIEPowerful Minority possessing

vast economic power

*Means of Production* Source of all economic power = political power

Seizing the Means of Production* = Seizing Power 11(c) W. McSweeney 2011

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ‘Lenin’

• 1870 – 1924• In 1896, Lenin was exiled to

Siberia. Upon his release in 1900, he decided to leave Russia with his partner.

• Returned to Russia (St. Petersburg) on a sealed train in April 1917.

• On this journey, Lenin wrote what became known as the ‘April Theses’ in which he advocated his main ideas:

“Peace, Land, Bread” “All Power to the Soviets” End to the Imperialistic War


Origin of the ‘Soviets’“The Soviet was the axis of all events,

every thread ran towards it, every call to action emanated from it.”

Leon Trotsky, 1905

Originated in 1905 in the aftermath of the ‘Bloody Sunday’ repression of striking workers

(town of Ivanovo-Voznesensk first organised all its workers into Soviets simultaneously)

• Translates as “council”• Made up of factory workers, agricultural workers & soldiers• Over 900 in existence by 1917• In urban areas, made up of factory workers & soldiers• In rural areas, made up of agricultural workers & soldiers

• Represented, pre-1917, the only way for people to protect and maintain their interests in a society without proper representation & without workers’ rights.


April – October 1917 A Power Struggle Begins

Provisonal GovernmentKerensky

• The Provisional Government was moderate & conservative, made up of the Cadets – middle-class people who wanted a parliamentary democracy like Britain

• Economic interests = create a strong middle class to promote economic growth & personal wealth.

• This would be dependant on creating a large working class, with little control over economic resources.

• Pursue an aggressive foreign policy, maintaining allegiances with other countries like Britain & France i.e. World War I.

BolsheviksLenin

• Soviets represented poor factory & agricultural workers

• Lenin & the Bolsheviks were militant revolutionaries = they had no interest in creating a western-style, unequal society with upper, middle and lower classes.

• “Peace, Land, Bread” – Lenin & the Bolsheviks had no interest in pursuing aggressive foreign policies, using the ordinary rural & urban workers as ‘cannon fodder’ to achieve conquests against other countries who used THEIR rural & urban workers as ‘cannon fodder’.

Inevitably, the mass of factory, agricultural workers & soldiers knew that Lenin & the Bolsheviks protected their interests and promoted social equality


Reasons for October Revolution 1917

• By October, Kerensky’s Provisional Government was in complete disarray. Aims were complicated, communication with the people was confused.

• Lenin led a powerful Bolshevik organisation, responsible for defending St. Petersburg from Kornilov’s attack

• Lenin was also backed by German money. (Germans hoped that funding revolutionary change in Russia would relieve them from continuing war on Eastern Front).

• The Red Guards (armed & trained factory workers, first organised in 1905 Revolution & re-constituted in 1917) led by Leon Trotsky were efficient and determined. Had already succeeded in defending St. Petersburg from Kornilov’s attack.

• Pravda (‘The Truth’). The

Bolsheviks publicised their own ideas through their official newspaper, helping to spread confidence and information about their party and their aims.


Lenin’s Appeal to the People

Lenin & Central Committee

of Bolsheviks

Soviets

Factory Workers(membership grew to 2 million in 3 months)

Lenin &

Bolsheviks

supported

by

the

Red Guards(Leon Trotsky)

‘PRAVDA’


Documents

Lenin’s Russia 1917 - 1924 Romanovs, Marxism & Bolshevik Revolution, Civil War & Soviet Union