Russian Revolutions: 1905 and 1917

Ashley CloerPhoebe BumstedAmanda Farzad

Analysis of start of 1905 Russian Revolution• Tsar Nicholas II wished to change the government from an autocracy to a

constitutional monarchy. Impact: More and more people no longer trusted the czar and many revolted.

• Russia lost the Russo-Japanese wars and this caused various social groups to become very discontent with how the government was being run. They were also not content with the social system that was currently being run. Impact: Social groups were becoming more and more disloyal to the czar and they all grouped together to try to overthrow him.

• The army had also become very weak in the since they had lost the Russo-Japanese wars. They were quite vulnerable. They were defeated at Merken which made them lose around 80,000 of their troops. Impact: The Czar could not keep the citizens from revolting and many lost their lives.

• The army remained loyal to their leaders for the most part and worked to keep everyone under control and on the “right” side. Impact: Even with the attempts to keep citizens under control, there was lesser and lesser of an army and less of a defense unit.

• George Gapon led a revolt to the Winter Palace where many people met their death and it became known as Bloody Sunday. Impact: The Revolution formally began.

Comparisons of 1905 and 1917 Russian Revolutions

1905 1917

1. Revolt against govern-ment.

2.Peasants and Workers not satisfied.3. Social groups not satisfied.

Analysis of Start of 1917 Russian Revolution• Nicholas II created the Duma which was created through elected people,

and some people were antigovernment which did not help the cause. The Duma gained back some support, but when the Russian Masses became upset, the Tsar lost support yet again. Impact: Nicolas II was unreliable and cancelled many of the Dumas. This caused more and more people to become disloyal to him and more and more became unhappy.

• The peasants did not see it fair that they still were forced to pay dues for 49 years and were also discontent with the amounts of lands they were given. Impact: The peasants were willing to revolt to their czar because they were not being kept happy and were starved in some cases.

• Likewise, the working class was also upset because they could no longer go on strike and trade unions were very limited. There were not significant improvements in the factories they were forced to work in, either. Impact: Because their was a lesser and lesser amount of freedoms and rights the workers had, they were also willing to revolt against the unreliable czar.

• The February revolution was caused by unsatisfied women in factories because of the shortage of food. This eventually caused the whole population to go on strike. This caused Nicolas II to pass his throne down to his brother. Impact: The series of revolts led to the czar passing down his power and giving into the citizens.

P.I.R.A.T.E.S- Russian Revolution 1905• Political: *January 22, 1905 - 135,000 people signed a petition for reforms. A large,

peaceful group of people gathered to present the petition at the Winter Palace, but the guards of the palace shot at the group, killing over a hundred people. This caused Russians to lose their belief that the tzar would care for the people.

• *January-August, 1905 - The tzar formed a "Duma" for advisory purposes. It would be elected by wealthy people and peasants, but workers would not be able to vote.

• *October 30, 1905 - The tzar signed the October Manifesto, which promised social and political rights and gave the Duma legislative power. This made Russia a constitutional monarchy.

• *1905 - The creation of peasant unions and strikes were models for the 1917 revolution.

• *1905 - Peasants and soviets were recognized as effective in revolutions.• *1905 - Votes of the wealthy counted more than votes of the poor.• *1906 - Political parties had been prohibited, but they emerged after 1905. Examples

include the Liberal Party of Constitutional Democrats, Bolzheviks, Menzheviks, Socialist Revolutionary Parties, and Union of the Russian People.

• Intellectual: *Before 1905, educated people had been unhappy with the government. After 1905, peasants also grew to be unhappy with the government.

P.I.R.A.T.E.S- Russian Revolution 1905 (con’t.)• Religion: *1905 - Anti-revolutionaries called the Black Hundreds attacked socialists and Jews.• Art/Architecture: *1905 - There was an increase in satirical art and writing.• *1905 - Artists and writers depicted the bloody scenes of the revolution.• Technology: *1905 - There were few technological advancements during this period of time because

many of the revolutionaries were peasants.• Economy: *The Peasant's Bank bought land from the wealthy and sold parts of it to the poor.• *1905 - Strikes caused less production.• *1906 - There was a decreased harvest.• Social: *January 22, 1905 - 135,000 people signed a petition for reforms. A large, peaceful group of people

gathered to present the petition at the Winter Palace, but the guards of the palace shot at the group, killing over a hundred people. This caused Russians to lose their belief that the tzar would care for the people.

• *January-August, 1905 - The tzar formed a "Duma" for advisory purposes. It would be elected by wealthy people and peasants, but workers would not be able to vote.

• *September-October 1905 - Workers and peasants were able to organize a large-scale strike.• *October 30, 1905 - The tzar signed the October Manifesto, which promised social and political rights and

gave the Duma legislative power. This made Russia a constitutional monarchy.• *1905 - Peasants and soviets were recognized as effective in revolutions.• *Before 1905, educated people had been unhappy with the government. After 1905, peasants also grew

to be unhappy with the government.• *1905 - Anti-revolutionaries called the Black Hundreds attacked socialists and Jews.

P.I.R.A.T.E.S- Russian Revolution of 1917• Politics: *March 12, 1917 - The Duma refused to follow an order of Tzar

Nicholas II, signaling the end of his rule.• *March 15, 1917 - Tzar Nicholas II gave up the throne and offered it to his

brother Michael. Michael refused, ending the Romanov dynasty.• *March 12, 1917 - The Duma formed a Provisional Government with support

from the middle class. The soviets had more support, so the Provisional Government needed the soviets' support.

• *1917 - The Provisional Government granted more freedom to the people.• *1917 - People began to turn to the Bolsheviks.• *November 6, 1917 - Lenin took power and formed a socialist government.

This was the first socialist government in the world.• *Lenin gave some Russian land to Germany.• *After the October Revolution, the Russian Civil War broke out between the

"Reds" and the "Whites."• Intellectual: *After 1917, education was free and there was a spread of

literacy in Russia.

P.I.R.A.T.E.S- Russian Revolution 1917 (con’t)• Religion: *1917 - Russia was mostly Christian and Muslim• Art and Architecture: *1918 - Artists were given the freedom

to develop a Soviet artistic style.• *1918 - Art was encouraged.• Technology: *1917 - Russia was technologically behind other

powerful states. Lenin emphasized technology in order to advance Russia technologically.

• Economy: *1917 - Food prices rose.• *1918 - Russia began using communism.• Social: *1918 - More health care was available to the Russian

population.

Chronology of Russia Revolution 1905• January 3-8: 12,000 workers go on strike in St. Petersburg.• January 9: Bloody Sunday. 15,000 strikers and their families march through St. Petersburg but get shot and

driven off by the military. This causes many more strikes throughout the country to begin for the remainder of the month.

• February 4: Grand Duke is assassinated as the protesting grows.• February 18: Nicholas II calls for an assembly to report of constitutional reform.• April 2: The Union of Unions is formed after a second assembly is called.• August 23: Treaty of Portsmouth ends the Russia-Japan war due to the uprising of the Russians.• September 23: First general strike is started when printers in Moscow go on strike.• October 12: Strikes turned into General Strikes• October 13: The St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers Deputies is formed. This is a council the represented the

striking workers.• October 17: Nicholas II issues the October Manifesto which creates the changes that most of the strikers wanted

which causes celebrations throughout Russia, but this caused clashes between the Tsar followers and the revolutionaries.

• October 19: The Council of Ministers is created which is a cabinet.• October 21: The St. Petersburg Soviet ends the General Strike.• November 6-12: The Peasants Union holds a meeting and lets it be known what they want.• November 8: The Union of Russian People is formed.• November 24: The Tsar puts Provincial Rules in place which harshly punishes the strikers.• December 10-15: The Moscow uprising causes the army to sweep across Russia and put and end to the strikes.• December 11: Electoral changes cause the population to enfranchise.

Chronology of Russia Revolution 1917• January 9: 140,000 protest to commemorate Bloody Sunday.• January 24: Workers group calls for a strike to take place on February 14.• February 14: more than 100,000 go on strike. Duma attacks government because of food stortages.• February 23-25: Stikes in Petrograd go from 100,000 to more than 200,000.• February 26: Tsar orders the military to take down the strikes in Petrograd. • February 27: fights begin between the army and the protesters.• February 28: Tsar’s ministers are arrested and the Duma and Soviet elect leaders.• March 2: The Tsar gives up the throne for both him and his son.• March 3: The brother of the Tsar, Michael Romanov, rejects the thrown until a Constitutional Assembly

formally invites him.• March 8: The Tsar and his family are arrested.• March 28: The Provisional Government releases a Declaration of War Aims.• April 3: Lenin returns to Russia and takes over the Bolshevik party and soon dominates it.• April 4: Lenin gives the speech of April Theses where he promises prosperity and an end to the war.• June 3-24: First All-Russian Congress of Soviets. The Menshevik and SR parties dominate while the

Bolshevik party does not.• June 18-July 1: New demonstrations against war, so people turn to the peace-loving Bolsheviks.• July 2: Trotsky joins the Bolsheviks.• July 3-4: The July Days occur which are mass demonstrations encouraged by the Bolsheviks.• July 8: The First Coalition of the Provisional Government collapses.• July 22: Trotsky is arrested.• August 29-30: 40,000 workers and soldiers take on the military and disarm them.

Chronology of Russian Revolution 1917 (con’t)• August 25-30: Kornilov Affair: Kornilov demands) that the government give him all civil and

military authority and moves troops against Petrograd.• September 1-30: The Kornilov Affair causes renewed radicalism and breaks the bond

between soldiers and their officers and between members of the upper-class and the lower-class.

• September 1: Russia is declared a Republic.• September 4: Trotsky and other leaders are released.• September 25: The Third Coalition government is formed.• October 9-12: The Petrograd Soviet creates the Military Revolutionary Committee.• October 10: Lenin is voted to power by a vote of 10-2, but a 2nd All-Russian Congress must

also vote.• October 25: October Revolution begins. The Winter Palace is attacked and captured.• November 2: The Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia is issued.• November 10: All ranks and titles are abolished.• November 19: Official Peace negotiations begin.• December 2: The Supreme Council of the National Economy is created to organize the

country’s economy.• December 7: The Cheka, the All Russians Extraordinary Commission for the Struggle Against

Counter-Revolution and Sabotage, is created. • December 9: The Bolsheviks and Left SRs agree to a coalition government

Key Leaders of 1905

Grand Duke SergeiAlexandrovich (e)

Nikolai Ernestovich Bauman (r)

Leon Trotsky (r)

Key Leaders of 1917

e=established r=revolutionary

Nicholas II (e) Vladmir Lenin (r) Alexander Kernesky (e)

Viktor Nogin (r)Leon Trotsky (r)

Images

Map of October uprisings in

Petrograd 1917

Charts

Constitutional MonarchyCommunism

Comparison of original government structure to ending government structureAutocracy• Tzar in power• Tzar chosen by birth• One leader• People had no influence on

the government• Peasants and workers were

not represented• People were unable to

choose their leaders

Socialism• Soviets in power• Representatives are elected• A body of leaders• People made up the

government• Both Peasants and workers

were represented• Choices of leaders were

limited

Did the revolutionaries meet their goals?• Peasants were unhappy with their place in society.

They wanted more rights.• Peasants gained more influence and rights.• People were angry with the tzar's social and political

systems.• They eventually overthrew the tzar.• People wanted an elected government rather than

leadership based on birth.• Soviets replaced the tzar.• People were unhappy with their working conditions.• Health care increased.

Who Did What?

• Analysis of causes and impacts: Ashley Cloer• P.I.R.A.T.E.S: Phoebe Bumsted• Chronology: Amanda Farzad• Comparison: ALL • PowerPoint: ALL

Bibliography• ttp://www.st-petersburg-life.com/st-petersburg/1917-russian-revolution• http://www.thecorner.org/hist/russia/revo1917.htm• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1905_Russian_Revolution#Repression\• http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/russia/rusemp19051914.html• http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/digitallibrary/russiangraphic.html• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513881/Russian-Revolution-of-1905• http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/russiaandukraine/a/rrevstimeline3.htm• http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/russiaandukraine/a/rrevstimeline6.htm• http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/russiaandukraine/a/rrevstimeline7.htm• http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/russiaandukraine/a/rrevstimeline8.htm• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_II_of_Russia• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kerensky• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Lenin• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Trotsky• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Sergei_Alexandrovich_of_Russia • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Nogin• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolay_Bauman• http://www.answers.com/topic/october-revolution• http://www.grazian-archive.com/politics/PolBehavior/C_06.html• http://projects.cbe.ab.ca/ict/2learn/jkshpur/utopia/cm_org.html