The Russian The Russian RevolutionRevolution

Pre-Revolutionary RussiaPre-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

Russo-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War (1904) – defeat led (1904) – defeat led to pol. instabilityto pol. instability

conditions conditions deteriorated, rev. deteriorated, rev. became possible, esp. became possible, esp. w/ Lenin’s involvementw/ Lenin’s involvement

he had gravitated he had gravitated towards the towards the Social Social Dem. Workers’ PartyDem. Workers’ Party of of George PlekhanovGeorge Plekhanov – – they believed in they believed in modernization/capitalismodernization/capitalism (which the czars m (which the czars also favoured as a also favoured as a measure to catch up measure to catch up w/ the w. Europe, w/ the w. Europe,

The Revolution of 1905The Revolution of 1905 Rapid growth of Rapid growth of

(discontented) (discontented) working classworking class

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

Little help from the Little help from the countryside: countryside: impoverished impoverished peasants – peasants – – No individual land No individual land

ownershipownership– Rural FamineRural Famine

Conservatism Conservatism Continues:Continues:1905-19171905-1917

Tsar paid no Tsar paid no attention to the attention to the Duma; Similar Duma; Similar to a Congress in to a Congress in U.S. it was U.S. it was harassed and harassed and political parties political parties suppressed – suppressed –

Nicholas was Nicholas was personally a personally a very weak man; very weak man; he became he became increasingly increasingly remote as a remote as a rulerruler

Numerous Numerous sovietssoviets thus thus began to began to appearappear

Alexandra: The Power Behind Alexandra: The Power Behind the Thronethe Throne

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

She was under the She was under the influence of Rasputin influence of Rasputin

Origins of RasputinOrigins of Rasputin’’s s power – Monk/Healer power – Monk/Healer and very and very controversialcontroversial

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

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

World War I: World War I: ““The Last StrawThe Last Straw”” War revealed War revealed

the ineptitude the ineptitude and arrogance and arrogance of the countryof the country’’s s aristocratic aristocratic eliteelite

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

Average Average peasants had peasants had very little very little invested in the invested in the WarWar

World War I (cont)World War I (cont) ill-trained, ineffective ill-trained, ineffective

officers, poorly officers, poorly equipped (Russ. was equipped (Russ. was not ready for ind. not ready for ind. war) – the result was war) – the result was mass desertions and mass desertions and 2 million casualties by 2 million casualties by 19151915

RResult: Chaos and esult: Chaos and Disintegration of the Disintegration of the Russian ArmyRussian Army

In all, Russia had over In all, Russia had over 6 million casualties by 6 million casualties by the time they left the the time they left the warwar

The Collapse of the Imperial The Collapse of the Imperial GovernmentGovernment

Nicholas left for the Nicholas left for the Front—September, Front—September, 19151915

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

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

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

He was poisoned, shot He was poisoned, shot several times and several times and thrown into the river thrown into the river to drownto drown

starvation was starvation was rampant, and the rampant, and the cities were cities were overflowing w/ overflowing w/ refugeesrefugees

they became a hotbed they became a hotbed for pol. activism, and for pol. activism, and this was ignited by this was ignited by serious food shortages serious food shortages in March 1917, esp. in in March 1917, esp. in St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg

The The TwoTwo Revolutions of Revolutions of 19171917

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

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

The March The March RevolutionRevolution

Origins: Food Origins: Food riots/strikesriots/strikes

Duma declared itself a Duma declared itself a Provisional GovernmentProvisional Government on March12on March12

Tsar ordered soldiers Tsar ordered soldiers to intervene; instead to intervene; instead they joined the they joined the rebellion…the Tsar thus rebellion…the Tsar thus abdicated abdicated on March 17 on March 17

the the Menshevik Menshevik Alexander KerenskyAlexander Kerensky headed the Provisional headed the Provisional Government, along w/ Government, along w/ Prince LvovPrince Lvov

The Tsar and his family The Tsar and his family were all assassinated were all assassinated on July 17 1918on July 17 1918

Kornilov AffairKornilov Affair General Kornilov General Kornilov

attempted to attempted to overthrow Provisional overthrow Provisional Government with Government with military takeovermilitary takeover

To prevent this To prevent this takeover, Kerensky takeover, Kerensky freed many Bolshevik freed many Bolshevik leaders from prison leaders from prison and supplied arms to and supplied arms to many revolutionariesmany revolutionaries

The Petrograd SovietThe Petrograd Soviet leftists in St. leftists in St.

Petersburg formed Petersburg formed the Petrograd the Petrograd Soviet, which they Soviet, which they claimed to be the claimed to be the legit. gov’t legit. gov’t

Ger. even played a Ger. even played a role in returning role in returning Lenin to Russia, so Lenin to Russia, so he could create rev.he could create rev.

– Having been Having been granted “safe granted “safe passage”, Lenin passage”, Lenin returned in April returned in April 19171917

Soviet Political IdeologySoviet Political Ideology More radical and More radical and

revolutionary revolutionary than the than the Provisional Provisional GovernmentGovernment

Most influenced Most influenced by Marxist by Marxist thinkingthinking

Two FactionsTwo Factions

-- -- ““MensheviksMensheviks””

-- -- ““BolsheviksBolsheviks””

Founder of Bolshevism: Vladimir Founder of Bolshevism: Vladimir LeninLenin

His Early YearsHis Early Years

--Exiled to Siberia in 1897--Exiled to Siberia in 1897 Committed to Class Committed to Class

Struggle and RevolutionStruggle and Revolution Moved to London in 1902 Moved to London in 1902

and befriended Leon and befriended Leon TrotskyTrotsky

He played a role in the He played a role in the first revolution and sent first revolution and sent to exile againto exile again

He would become the He would become the first official Communist first official Communist leader in world historyleader in world history

Lenin Steps into This VacuumLenin Steps into This Vacuum Amnesty granted to all Amnesty granted to all

political prisoners in March political prisoners in March of 1917of 1917

LeninLenin’’s arrival in Petrograds arrival in Petrograd A tremendously charismatic A tremendously charismatic

personalitypersonality ““Peace, Land, BreadPeace, Land, Bread”” ““All Power to the SovietsAll Power to the Soviets”” He preached that the war He preached that the war

was a capitalist/imperialist was a capitalist/imperialist war that offered no rewards war that offered no rewards for the peasants/workers; for the peasants/workers; he also felt the war was he also felt the war was over w/ the czar’s over w/ the czar’s abdicationabdication

Bolshevik party Bolshevik party membership exploded; their membership exploded; their power was consolidatedpower was consolidated

Lenin formed the Lenin formed the Military-Military-Revolutionary Revolutionary CouncilCouncil and in May and in May 1917 he urged the 1917 he urged the Pet. Soviet to pass Pet. Soviet to pass Army Order # 1Army Order # 1– This gave control This gave control of the army to the of the army to the common soldiers; common soldiers; discipline thus discipline thus collapsed, and collapsed, and Kerensky was Kerensky was underminedundermined

The November The November RevolutionRevolution

Nov. 6, 1917…Nov. 6, 1917… this was the ideological this was the ideological

aspect of the rev., w/ the aspect of the rev., w/ the coup itself planned by coup itself planned by Leon TrotskyLeon Trotsky, who had , who had gained the confidence of gained the confidence of the army (= the “Red the army (= the “Red Miracle”)Miracle”)

Bolsheviks stormed the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and took Winter Palace and took controlcontrol

All private property was All private property was abolished and divided abolished and divided among the peasantryamong the peasantry

Largest industrial Largest industrial enterprises nationalizedenterprises nationalized

November Revolution (cont)November Revolution (cont) Political Police Political Police

organized: organized: CHEKACHEKA

Revolutionary Revolutionary army created army created with Trotsky in with Trotsky in charge = charge = ““Red Red ArmyArmy””

Bolshevik Party Bolshevik Party renamed renamed Communist Communist Party in March Party in March of 1918of 1918

November Revolution (cont)November Revolution (cont) Lenin’s 1st task was to Lenin’s 1st task was to

get Russia out of the get Russia out of the warwar

The The Treaty of Brest-Treaty of Brest-LitovskLitovsk negotiated with negotiated with the Germans, the Germans, giving giving them much Russian them much Russian territory, population, territory, population, and resourcesand resources

Civil War followed, Civil War followed, 1917-19201917-1920““RedsReds”” versus versus ““WhiteWhitess””

The United States would send The United States would send supplies to help the whites supplies to help the whites during the civil warduring the civil war

In total over 9 million Russians In total over 9 million Russians died during wardied during war

Interpreting the Russian Interpreting the Russian RevolutionRevolution

The official Marxist The official Marxist interpretationinterpretation

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

The Soviet Union was The Soviet Union was officially created in officially created in 1922 and would last 1922 and would last until 1991until 1991