The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union Slide 2 Russia in
1881: Reaction and Progress Classes in Russia Nobles and
bureaucrats (Westernized and wealthy) Intelligentsia (educated; not
part of either the govt. or common people) Serfs Alexander II
emancipated serfs (1861) and created local councils to help
govern-zemstvos 1881, Alexander II assassinated by Peoples Will
Alexander III (1881-1894) enacted harsh reforms and Russification
w/ worst pogroms to date Alexanders Assassination Slide 3 Russia
after 1881: Reaction and Progress In spite of Russification,
culturally Russia begins to look like the West Novels by Tolstoy,
Symphonies by Tchaikovsky Russia began to industrialize Railway
mileage doubled (1888-1913) Telegraph wire X5 Russian industrial
worker in 1890 like English worker in 1850 11 hrs. a day, horrible
conditions Russian industrial workers were highly concentrated
worked in factories of over 500 workers Slide 4 Russia after 1881:
Reaction and Progress The Cadets Business/professional classes form
Constitutional Democrat party (Cadets) in 1905 More concerned
w/creating a constitution than w/ the peasants The Communes (Mirs)
No one can leave w/o communal permission Land divided and redivided
by community Paid heavy taxes to Tsar High exports meant less food
Slide 5 Russia after 1881: Reaction and Progress Peasant Demands
More land Communes grow but not fast enough Kulaks (successful
farmers) stand above the serfs Slide 6 The Emergence of
Revolutionary Parties Emancipated Russian peasants revolutionary in
that they were still extremely resentful of the gentry (landed
class) The Intelligentsia Hated Russian empire and desired its
violent overthrow In constant struggle w/secret police By 1890, no
longer attempting assassinations but trying to gain an army through
either: Peasants or the factory workers Slide 7 The Emergence of
Revolutionary Parties Populism Believed Russia did not need to be
capitalist before it became socialist Believed in strength of the
peasants and the communes Populists formed Social Revolutionary
(SRs) Party (1901) Marxism With the growth of factories and more
strikes, many populists turned to Marxism Slide 8 The Emergence of
Revolutionary Parties Lenin From middle-class family of bureaucrats
Brother was incidentally involved in plot to assassinate Alexander
III and was executed by the Tsars orders Lenin could longer work in
govt. so he became a professional revolutionary Arrested and spent
3 yrs. of exile in Siberia, then immigrated to W. Europe where he
stayed until 1917 Slide 9 The Emergence of Revolutionary Parties
The Social Democrats (SDs) Founded in 1898 by Marxists in Russia
Saw revolution as international phenomenon Believed revolution
would occur in industrialized countries first More oriented towards
Europe and most leaders lived in exile Did not see
violence/assassinations as helpful Slide 10 Split in the Social
Democrats: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks Russian Marxists split in 1903
between Bolsheviks (led by Lenin) and Menshevik factions 1912
Bolsheviks form own party Bolsheviks (Leninists) Party should be
small, strongly centralized, revolutionary elite Central committee
would act as a dictatorship of the proletariat Mensheviks Favored
larger, more open party w/membership for mere sympathizers
Recommended cooperation w/liberals, progressives and bourgeoisie
democrats Slide 11 Split in the SDs: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
Lenin accepted and added little to Marxs main ideas: Capitalism
exploits the workers History is shaped by economic forces and was
moving towards socialism Religion, philosophy, govt. and morals
were weapons of the ruling class Lenin believed himself a pure
Marxist and did not tolerate any deviation from Marxist philosophy
Slide 12 Split in the SDs: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks Lenin as
activist Lenin was the supreme agitator and organizer Believed
(unlike Marx) that small, revolutionary elite could impose its
socialist ideas on the masses Slide 13 Split in the SDs: Bolsheviks
and Mensheviks The Party Lenin saw the party as the leader of the
revolution Embraced the use of secret codes, false names, and
clandestine tactics Saw trade unionism w/its day-to-day demands as
allied with the bourgeoisie Saw the party as the intellectual
leaders and the workers as the muscle of the revolution The
insistence on a powerful party elite is a distinct feature of
Leninism Marriage of Marxism w/Russian revolutionary tactics became
communism Slide 14 The Revolution of 1905: Background and
Revolutionary Events Growing Discontent Formation of SDs, SRs and
Cadets was a sign of intelligentsias discontent After 1900, popular
discontent too Peasant rebellions against tax collectors and
landlords No connection between popular discontent and political
parties Tsar Nicholas saw autocracy as the only way to rule Russia
and offered no concessions Slide 15 The Revolution of 1905:
Background and Revolutionary Events Response to Military Defeat
Russo-Japanese War exposed Russian govt. as incompetent Bloody
Sunday In Jan. 1905 Father Gapon, a priest, led a group of 200,000
peaceful protestors to the Tsars palace asking for: An 8 hr. day A
50 cent minimum daily wage An elected constituent assembly Tsar was
away, several hundred protestors were shot dead by troops Slide 16
The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events
Reactions to Bloody Sunday Peasants emotional bond to the Tsar is
broken Peasant rebellions occur throughout Russia Gentry lands
overrun, manor houses are burned Councils of workers or soviets
were formed in Moscow and St. Petersburg SRs, Cadets and SDs
(mostly Mensheviks) try to lead rebellions w/limited success All
agree there needs to be more representation in govt. Tsar
grudgingly gives vague promise of democratic legislature In
response St. Petersburg soviet (led by Mensheviks) calls general
strike across Russia Tsar issues October Manifesto promising
constitution, civil liberties and a Duma (parliament) elected by
all classes Slide 17 The Revolution of 1905: Background and
Revolutionary Events Reaction to the October Manifesto Manifesto
divides opposition Cadets got the Duma and were somewhat satisfied
Liberals were now afraid of revolutionaries Workers/peasants still
want demands met Intelligentsia believe, rightly, that October
Manifesto is a ruse In the end, govt. is able to maintain itself
through: Contenting of middle class liberals Crackdowns (arrests
and executions) of revolutionaries Peace w/Japan (reliable soldiers
brought in from Far East) Slide 18 The Results of the 1905
Revolution The Duma Created in 1906 and gave Russia (at least
superficially) a parliamentary body Tsar forbid Duma any say in:
Foreign policy Govt. budget Govt. hiring and firing Both extreme
right (Black Hundreds) and extreme left (SDs and SRs) boycotted
Duma Slide 19 The Results of 1905 The First Duma Unequal voting
Landlord votes outweighed peasants/workers Kadets win majority and
press for universal male suffrage and more authority for Duma Tsar
dismissed the Duma within 2 months Second Duma had 83 SR and
Menshevik deputies, but 50 were arrested by the Tsar Due to
electoral change, 3 rd and 4 th Dumas had conservative majorities
who managed to keep up the appearance of constitutional govt. w/o
addressing any of Russias underlying issues Slide 20 Stolypin
Reforms Stolypin was a moderate who acted as Tsars chief minister
Believed that spread of private property would quell revolutionary
tendencies Reforms included: Broader powers for the zemstvos
Allowed peasants to sell their shares of land in the commune and
leave the villages Allowed peasants the ability to buy land from
the communes and the gentry Slide 21 Success of Stolypin Reforms
Between 1907 and 1916, 6.2 million families out of 16 million
eligible applied to opt out of the communes Most peasants, however,
stayed w/ the Communes Kulaks increased in number and gentry still
held a huge amount of land Stolypin assassinated by left wing
revolutionary double agent in 1911. Slide 22 Westernization On the
eve of WWI, Russia looked to be modernizing Railways expanding
Growing exports Freedom of press (limited) This fragile
modernization was constantly threatened by extreme right and
extreme left Slide 23 Events of the Revolution February 1917
Spontaneous uprising of peasants Protesting shortage of bread:
Industrial strikes Tramcars (city transit) forceably stopped
Breaking of shop windows Waving red flags that read, Down with war!
Slide 24 Revolutionaries Take Over When revolutionary leaders
realized the revolution was actually happening, they tried to
organize the events to their benefit. Leaders of Bolsheviks,
Mensheviks, and Social Revolutionaries all joined together calling
a three-day general strike At least 60,000 soldiers join the
revolutionaries These leaders, together with soldiers set up a
Soviet (council) Take control of Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Duma
disobeys Tsars orders to dissolve and form the Provisional
Government to run Russia Tsar Nicholas II steps down in favor of
his son, Alexis, with Tsars brother acting as regent Tsars brother
refuses succession Romanov line to Russian throne ends Romanov
family placed under house arrest (confined to palace) Russia now
governed by a Provisional Government Slide 25 Provisional
Government Declared all Russian citizens equal Freedom of speech,
religion, press, and assembly given to all citizens Unions and
strikes legal Planned on continuing war Provisional Government made
these promises, but asked people to wait People tired of waiting
and listened more and more to the revolutionaries Slide 26
Alexander Kerensky Leader of small socialist party became Russias
Prime Minister in July Wanted to establish Parliamentary Democracy
Well educated and an excellent speaker, he lacked strong leadership
abilities Slide 27 Kornilov Affair General Kornilov attempted to
overthrow Provisional Government with military takeover To prevent
this takeover, Kerensky freed many Bolshevik leaders from prison
and supplied arms to many revolutionaries Slide 28 Bolshevik
Revolution By end of September, there was widespread peasant
rebellion in Russia Lenin left Finland in disguise and attended a
secret Bolshevik meeting in Petrograd Bolsheviks held mass meetings
with thousands in attendance Kerensky declares Russia to be in a
state of emergency and orders arrest of Trotsky and other Bolshevik
leaders Slide 29 Events of Bolshevik Revolution 1. Cruiser Aurora
listens to Trotsky and disobeys Governments order to go out to sea
2. Trotsky orders the removal of thousands of guns from the
Fortress of Peter and Paul to arm the Red Guards (Bolshevik troops)
3. Small bands of armed Bolsheviks seize important buildings (rail
stations, telegraph exchanges, banks, printing plants, and
powerhouses). Most regiments in Petrograd did not get involved. 4.
Trotsky declares Provisional Government overthrown, power now in
hands of Soviets 5. Kerensky escapes in American Embassy car 6.
Bolshevik troops surround Winter Palace and give ultimatum to
surrender or be shelled; ministers would not surrender 7. Cruiser
Aurora fires blank shells at Winter Palace to signal beginning of
attack 8. Bolsheviks (composed of soldiers, sailors, and workers)
storm Winter Palace 9. Bolsheviks encounter little resistance, mass
confusion but few injuries 10. Bolsheviks control Government, Lenin
was new leader Slide 30 How Did Bolsheviks Win? Kerensky not a
strong leader Provisional Government disorganized Other parties not
as organized as Bolsheviks Bolsheviks composed of professional
revolutionaries dedicated to their goals and capable of carrying
them out Slide 31 What Did Lenin Do Upon Coming to Power?
Immediately proposed an end to War (WWI) (what peasants wanted most
was peace) Proposed the distribution of all land to peasants,
landowners would not be paid for land taken from them Lenins
proposals adopted Slide 32 After the Revolution Bolsheviks
encountered stiff resistance in some cities Bolsheviks defeated in
Kiev (Ukraine) Bolshevik power weak in Siberia, Georgia, Armenia,
and Central Asia Strongest in Central Russia and in large cities
where many workers lived Slide 33 Democracy? November 25 elections
held to form Constituent Assembly in Russia Socialist Revolutionary
Party got more than twice the votes of the Bolshevik Party
(peasants liked SRPs idea of peasant ownership of land) When
Constituent Assembly met on January 18, 1918, Bolsheviks posted
their soldiers at the entrances preventing many Socialist
Revolutionaries from entering During meeting, Bolsheviks were
disorderly and succeeded in closing down the assembly Russias first
chance at democracy short lived Slide 34 Ending WWI Bolsheviks
needed peasant support to stay in power Lenin decided to get Russia
out of WWI and send peasant soldiers home In March of 1918, Lenin
signed treaty with Germany accepting German occupation of Ukraine,
Belorussia, the Baltics, and Finland Russia lost over one quarter
of its farmland and one third of its population, almost all its
coal mines, and more than half its industries Huge loss to Russias
economy Slide 35 End of Romanovs Taken to Western Siberia After
Bolsheviks took power taken to Ekaterinburg (in Ural Mountains)
Lenin sent telegram authorizing their execution Taken to cellar at
1:30 a.m. with family doctor and servants Nicholas and Alexandra
fell first under the hail of bullets Bullets bounced off the
daughters, diamonds found in their corsets Those who survived the
bullets were killed by bayonets Bodies loaded onto truck, stripped
of jewels, thrown into a mine Mine not deep enough to hide them,
bodies dumped into a pit in a marshy area Even the family dog was
killed
