Opinions on the Russian Revolution

Historiography

What you need to knowYou must be aware and fully understand

key historical approaches to the revolutionThis is crucial for good historical writingAND for the exam (particularly section B –

part 2)You must write analytically about the

revolution – not retellNeed to go beyond the narrative of what

happened and when

So who knows?You must be clear about the fact that

historians disagree about the revolutionInterpretations differDifferent schools of thoughtYou must be able to demonstrate your

understanding of the main historical interpretations of the revolution

So, what are these schools of thought?Traditional Soviet

viewTraditional western

‘liberal’ orthodoxyRevisionist group of

historiansRecent

developments in historical thinking

Traditional Soviet ViewOfficial ‘History of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union’ 1939-59

Lenin the infallible leader created Marxist-Leninism

Revolution inevitableHistorical

development of human society towards Communism

Traditional Soviet View cont……

Socio-economic reasons behind revolutionClass conflict between capitalists and

proletarian leads to overthrow of capitalismBolsheviks represent working classesMensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries

condemned as ‘bourgeois’Stalin emphasised as leader while Trotsky and

some others ignoredRevolution was seizure of power by the masses

directed by Bolsheviks

Western ‘liberal’ orthodoxySchapiro’s The Origins

of the Communist Autocracy (1977)

Argue that revolution not inevitable

Not part of great historical pattern

Specific events coincide to create revolution – war, economic crisis, bad leadership, corrupt politicians.

‘liberals’ cont.Revolution can’t be explained just by social

and economic forcesClass war not solely to blameAcknowledge conflict but claim class

struggle along not a reason for revolutionCulture, ideas, religion, nationalism

contributorsRevolution as process begun and guided by

individuals

‘liberals’ cont.Emphasise leaders but downplay popular

movementsRevolution propelled by leaders who

manipulate massesOctober revolution explained as Bolsheviks a

small ruthless group who exploited weaknesses in prov. Govt. to seize power

Oct. 1917 not victory for masses but a betrayal

This seen as direct precedent for cruelty and repression of Civil war and later Stalin’s Russia

Revise the RevisionistsLiberal view challenged by revisionistsMore open minded approach than liberalsCould criticise liberal view without being

accused of having Communist sympathiesNew left wing thinking from 1960s onwards

allowed this approachUse Russian source material which had

been available since 1920s and use Russian historians

Revise the RevisionistsSheila Fitzpatrick –

necessary to re-examine both Soviet and liberal views

Used statistical analysis to look at ordinary working people

Social history – ‘history from below’

Looked at contemporary sources

Peasants, factory workers and soldiers represented

Impact on events on ordinary people

Bolsheviks did have some claim to popular support

However recognised complexity of public feeling about Revolution- some workers and peasants wanted coalition of socialist parties

Fitzpatrick, S 1982 The Russian Revolution Oxford University Press‘The revolution has achievements to its credit as well as failures. But the cost of the achievements was very high. With revolutions, as with all reckless undertakings, there is always the question of whether, had the revolutionaries been able to forsee the future, they would ever have gone out to fight, and the allied question of whether in some cosmic sense it was all worth while.’

p.9

Recent Developments Since 1991 Soviet Central Party Archives

openedDocuments never seen beforeRichard Pipes thought he’d find

incriminating evidence about Lenin ‘The Unknown Lenin’ (1998)

Says that we can’t argue that the Bolshevik project as imagined by the ‘infallible’ Lenin was perverted by ‘evil’ Stalin- says Stalin’s excesses had roots in Lenin’s initiatives

Richard PipesLenin was a paid German

agent in 1917-8 Initiated red terror,

advocated censorship, called for hanging of Kulaks and priests who resisted war communism

Attacks against Orthodox church and Jews

Lenin had problematic relationship with Trotsky

By 1922 relied on Stalin

He concludes that Bolshevism was ruthless, brutal and authoritarian not just Stalin’s character

Stalin’s regime continuity from Bolshevism to later Soviet repression and history

Robert ServiceMore balanced viewLenin: A Political Life

1985, Lenin: A Biography 2000

States that Lenin was a great leader

Made bold decisions- seized power in Oct. & withdrew Russia from WW1

However, Lenin’s influence on events overstated

Barely known until 1917

And even later still not well known

Trotsky more popular

Lenin great ideological leader and disciple of Marx

Service cont.Lenin’s ideas came not from German Marxism, but

from Russian PopulismSuccessful because he knew when to give in to

practical necessities and when to ideologyLenin agreed with Trotsky that Red Army could only

work with aristocratic officers and disciplineNot infallible leader- created totalitarian state because

of the situation – not because he was a megalomaniac“in particular he had little foresight about what he was

doing when he set up the centralised one-party state. One of the great malignancies of the twentieth century was created more by off the cuff measures than by grandiose planning.” Service, p. 10

Service, R 2000 Lenin: A Biography London: Macmillan

“in particular he had little foresight about what he was doing when he set up the centralised one-party state. One of the great malignancies of the twentieth century was created more by off the cuff measures than by grandiose planning.”

Service, p. 10