The Russian The Russian RevolutionRevolution

-Key Concepts--Key Concepts-

I. Pre-Revolutionary RussiaI. Pre-Revolutionary Russia Only true autocracy Only true autocracy

left in Europeleft in Europe No type of No type of

representative representative political institutionspolitical institutions

Nicholas II became Nicholas II became Tsar in 1884Tsar in 1884

Believed he was the Believed he was the absolute ruler absolute ruler anointed by Godanointed by God

Revolution broke out Revolution broke out in 1905in 1905

II. The Revolution of 1905II. The Revolution of 1905 The creation of a The creation of a

discontented working discontented working classclass

Vast majority of Vast majority of workers concentrated workers concentrated in St. Petersburg and in St. Petersburg and MoscowMoscow

Help from the Help from the countryside: poor countryside: poor peasantspeasants

No individual land No individual land ownershipownership

II. Revolution of 1905 (cont)II. Revolution of 1905 (cont)

Russia industrialized Russia industrialized on the backs of the on the backs of the peasantspeasants

Tremendous historic Tremendous historic land hunger among land hunger among peasantspeasants

Real winners of the Real winners of the 1905 Revolution: 1905 Revolution: Middle ClassMiddle Class

--Duma--Duma

III.III. Conservatism Continues: Conservatism Continues: 1905-19171905-1917

Tsar paid no attention Tsar paid no attention to the Dumato the Duma

Duma was harassed Duma was harassed and political parties and political parties suppressedsuppressed

Nicholas was Nicholas was personally a very personally a very weak manweak man

Tsar became Tsar became increasingly remote as increasingly remote as a rulera ruler

IV. Alexandra: The Power IV. Alexandra: The Power Behind the ThroneBehind the Throne

Even more blindly Even more blindly committed to committed to autocracy than her autocracy than her husbandhusband

The influence of The influence of Rasputin over Rasputin over AlexandraAlexandra

Scandals surrounding Scandals surrounding Rasputin served to Rasputin served to discredit the discredit the monarchymonarchy

Alexis: AlexandraAlexis: Alexandra’’s Son with s Son with HemophiliaHemophilia

V. World War I: V. World War I: ““The Last The Last StrawStraw””

War revealed the War revealed the ineptitude and ineptitude and arrogance of the arrogance of the countrycountry’’s aristocratic s aristocratic eliteelite

Corrupt military Corrupt military leadership and leadership and contempt for ordinary contempt for ordinary Russian peopleRussian people

Average peasant has Average peasant has very little invested in very little invested in the War (little amounts the War (little amounts of nationalism)of nationalism)

V. World War I (cont)V. World War I (cont)

Poorly supplied Poorly supplied troopstroops

Result: Chaos and Result: Chaos and Disintegration of Disintegration of the Russian Armythe Russian Army

Spreading Spreading DiscontentDiscontent

VI. The Collapse of the VI. The Collapse of the Imperial GovernmentImperial Government

Nicholas leaves for Nicholas leaves for the Front—the Front—September, 1915September, 1915

Alexandra and Alexandra and Rasputin throw the Rasputin throw the government into government into chaoschaos

Alexandra and other Alexandra and other high government high government officials accused of officials accused of treasontreason

VI. The Collapse of the VI. The Collapse of the Imperial Government (cont)Imperial Government (cont)

Rasputin Rasputin assassinated in assassinated in December of 1916December of 1916

Complete Complete mismanagement of mismanagement of the wartime the wartime economyeconomy

VII. The Two Revolutions of VII. The Two Revolutions of 19171917

The March The March Revolution (March Revolution (March 12)12)

The November The November Revolution Revolution (November 6)(November 6)

VIII. The March RevolutionVIII. The March Revolution Origins: Food riots and Origins: Food riots and

strikesstrikes Duma declared itself a Duma declared itself a

Provisional Provisional Government on Government on March12thMarch12th

Tsar abdicated on Tsar abdicated on March 17March 17thth

Composition of the Composition of the Provisional Provisional GovernmentGovernment--Alexander Kerensky--Alexander Kerensky

Very Popular Very Popular RevolutionRevolution

IX. Soviet Political IdeologyIX. Soviet Political Ideology

More radical and More radical and revolutionary than the revolutionary than the Provisional Provisional GovernmentGovernment

Most influenced by Most influenced by Marxist socialismMarxist socialism

X.X. Founder of Bolshevism: Founder of Bolshevism: Vladimir LeninVladimir Lenin

His Early YearsHis Early Years

--Exiled to Siberia in --Exiled to Siberia in 18971897

Committed to Class Committed to Class Struggle and Struggle and RevolutionRevolution

Moved to London in Moved to London in 19021902

X. Lenin (cont)X. Lenin (cont)

Key role of the Party in Key role of the Party in the revolutionthe revolution

-- -- ““Dictatorship of the Dictatorship of the ProletariatProletariat””

Bolsheviks split from Bolsheviks split from the Russian Socialist the Russian Socialist Party in 1912Party in 1912

Character of the Character of the Bolshevik PartyBolshevik Party

--Joseph Stalin--Joseph Stalin

XI. Vacuum of Leadership in XI. Vacuum of Leadership in RussiaRussia

Petrograd Soviet Petrograd Soviet dominated by dominated by MensheviksMensheviks

Failure of the Failure of the Provisional Provisional GovernmentGovernment

Workers refusing to Workers refusing to work and soldiers work and soldiers refusing to fightrefusing to fight

Peasants were Peasants were expropriating the land expropriating the land outrightoutright

Power was literally Power was literally lying in the streets of lying in the streets of PetrogradPetrograd

XII. Lenin Steps into This XII. Lenin Steps into This VacuumVacuum

Amnesty granted to all Amnesty granted to all political prisoners in political prisoners in March of 1917March of 1917

LeninLenin’’s arrival in s arrival in PetrogradPetrograd

A tremendously A tremendously charismatic personalitycharismatic personality

““Peace, Land, BreadPeace, Land, Bread”” ““All Power to the All Power to the

SovietsSoviets”” Bolshevik party Bolshevik party

membership explodedmembership exploded Consolidation of Consolidation of

Bolshevik powerBolshevik power

XIII. The November XIII. The November RevolutionRevolution

The events of The events of November 6November 6

All private property of All private property of wealthy was abolished wealthy was abolished and divided among and divided among the peasantrythe peasantry

Industrial enterprises Industrial enterprises nationalizednationalized

XIII. November Revolution XIII. November Revolution (cont)(cont)

Civil War fought Civil War fought between 1917-1920between 1917-1920

-- -- ““RedsReds”” versus versus ““WhitesWhites””

Complete breakdown Complete breakdown of Russian economy of Russian economy and societyand society

XIV. Interpreting the Russian XIV. Interpreting the Russian RevolutionRevolution

The official Marxist The official Marxist InterpretationInterpretation

--The importance of a --The importance of a permanent permanent international international revolutionrevolution

A Social RevolutionA Social Revolution

19241924

Lenin DiesLenin Dies Leon Trotsky vs. Joseph StalinLeon Trotsky vs. Joseph Stalin Stalin takes controlStalin takes control Now must decide how he will Now must decide how he will

maintain powermaintain power Decides to create a totalitarian Decides to create a totalitarian

statestate

Characteristics of a Characteristics of a Totalitarian StateTotalitarian State

Dictatorship-Dictatorship- Absolute Authority Absolute Authority Dynamic Leader-Dynamic Leader- Vision for the nation Vision for the nation State Control Over All Sectors of State Control Over All Sectors of

SocietySociety– Business, Family Life, Labor, youth groups, Business, Family Life, Labor, youth groups,

housing, religion, education, the artshousing, religion, education, the arts State Control Over the IndividualState Control Over the Individual

– ObedienceObedience– Denies basic libertiesDenies basic liberties

Organized ViolenceOrganized Violence– Uses force to crush oppositionUses force to crush opposition

Stalin’s Totalitarian StateStalin’s Totalitarian State

State Control of the EconomyState Control of the Economy– 5 year plan, collective farms5 year plan, collective farms

Police TerrorPolice Terror– Great Purge, crush oppositionGreat Purge, crush opposition

Religious PersecutionReligious Persecution– Control of the individualControl of the individual

Propaganda (socialist realism)Propaganda (socialist realism)– Molding peoples mindsMolding peoples minds

EducationEducation– Controlled by the governmentControlled by the government