THE 1917 REVOLUTION

MAIN CAUSES

A) NICHOLAS II’S PERSONALITY

B) WORLD WAR ONE

C) RASPUTIN’S INFLUENCE ON

THE ROYAL FAMILY

D) THE 1917 CRISIS

A) NICHOLAS II’S

PERSONALITY

He belonged to the Romanov Dynasty.

He wanted to maintain an absolute monarchy in Russia.

He established a policy of severe repression.

Nicholas II’s role in the 1905 Revolution:

He wasn’t at the Winter Palace when the Bloody Sunday occurred. However, many Russians blamed him for the massacre.

First he tried to suppress the protests through a harsh repression.

Then he made many promises (October Manifesto) but he didn’t comply with them.

After that, he was considered an untrustworthy person by many Russians.

Why did Nicholas not comply with

the October Manifesto?

THESE ARE

SOME

EXAMPLES

OF WHAT

ACTUALLY

HAPPENED

IN RUSSIA

BETWEEN

1906-1908

Instead of a Duma (Parliament) with fully legislative functions Nicholas II abolished the Duma in 1906 (Later on it was re-opened although it did not have important functions)

Instead of a Constitution Nicholas II passed The Russian Fundamental Law of 23 April 1906 establishing his total control over the legislative power, foreign policy, the army, the police and the central government.

Instead of civil rights and liberty Prime Minister Stolypin started a policy of repression (between 1906-1908 more than 21,000 revolutionaries and normal people were sent to prison and more than 1,000 were executed)

B) WORLD WAR ONE

Military defeats:

In 1914 there were two military defeats at the

battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes

(250,000 casualties)

In 1915 the Germans advanced into Russia.

One million soldiers died in a failed counter-

attack.

Poor Preparation:

The Russian troops were badly led and had

insufficient weapons (Nearly a million soldiers

were without rifles)

Conditions in Russia:

Fifteen million men were drafted into the

army which meant that there were not enough

left to run the factories or farm the land.

Transport system:

There were not enough trains to keep the

towns and army supplied with food.

Inflation:

To pay for the war the government printed

more money which caused the rouble to

lose its value. Between 1914 and 1917

there was a 400% rise in inflation. This

caused strikes and demonstrations

The Tsar takes charge:

In August 1915, the Tsar took personal

charge of the army. This was a mistake

because he was an incompetent

commander. He now made himself

responsible for Russian military

failures.

The Tsarina:

In the absence of the Tsar, the Tsarina

Alexandra was left in charge of the

government. She was German and

people did not trust her.

Another problem was the huge influence

Rasputin exerted over her.

Russian death toll in WWI

Mobilized

Dead

Wounded

Missing

Total

casualties

15,000,000

1,700,000

4,950,000

2,500,000

9,150,000

C) RASPUTIN’S INFLUENCE ON

THE ROYAL FAMILY

1. The Tsarina relied on Rasputin particularly in the selection of ministers Unpopular among the Russian political class.

2. There were rumours that they (Rasputin and the Tsarina) were German agents trying to undermine the war effort Unpopular among common people.

3. Since Rasputin once saved Prince Alexi’s life and controlled his haemophilia, the Tsar and Tsarina refused to pay attention to Rasputin’s weird way of life Unpopular among the nobles.

4. In December 1916, a small group, led by Prince Yusupov, assassinated Rasputin The unpopularity of the royal family remained.

D) THE 1917 CRISIS

SHORT TERM

CAUSES

WHICH LED

TO THE

REVOLUTION

IN

FEBRUARY

1917

Fuel and food shortages in

the most important

cities

Strikes in factories and demonstrations in

the streets

Chaos in the government, the army and

the administration

A REVOLUTION IN TWO STEPS: FEBRUARY

AND OCTOBER

Major events in February 1917

February 23rd

On the International Women’s Day a group of

women marched protesting for the lack of

food in Petrograd.

February 25th

Over half of the city was on strike

February 26th

The Tsar ordered the army to disband the

demonstrators and closed the Duma

February 27th

The army disobeyed and mutinied. Soldiers

demanded the Duma to seize power

Some MPs met to take control of the situation and

formed the Provisional Government

At the same time, the Soviet of Petrograd was

created

February 28th

The Tsar tried to return to Petrograd but he was stopped by mutinied

soldiers.

March 2nd-3rd

The Tsar abdicated on his brother, the Great Duke

Michael who did the same 24 hours later.

TSARISM WAS OVER

The Dual Power (I)

Provisional Government

Soviet of Petrograd

- SOCIAL REVOLUTIONARY (ESERS)

- MENSHEVIKS

- BOLSHEVIKS

- REVOLUTION

- WORKING CLASS

- KADET (HELP FROM MENSHEVIKS AND ESERS)

- LIBERALISM

- MIDDLE CLASS

- UPPER BOURGEOISIE

The Dual Power (II)

Political prisoners were released and

revolutionary exiles were allowed to

return to Russia.

Freedom of speech and press was

established

An 8 hour day was introduced for

industrial workers

The Tsar’s secret police (the Okhrana)

was abolished

Equality for all was announced

(irrespective of class, religion or

nationality)

The new Duma was to be elected by all

citizens through free elections

This was the real source of power in

Petrograd since it had 3000 elected

members and the Provisional

Government could not rule without its

support.

One of their first actions was to issue

Order Number One which gave them

control of the Russian army.

They announced that they would accept

the rulings of the Provisional

Government but only if they thought

that they were appropriate.

Provisional Government Soviet of Petrograd

The Dual Power (III)

They wanted to continue the war.

Food and fuel shortages continued.

Peasants took the land from the nobles and the Church whereas the government was trying to stop them.

Democratic elections and institutions were mere promises since their development was postponed until the end of the war.

In April 1917 Lenin

returned from exile.

He delivered a speech

called the April Thesis

promising peace, bread,

land and freedom.

Lenin told the Bolsheviks

to be ready for a second

revolution: ‘All Power to the

Soviets’

The Provisional Government became unpopular because…

The Bolsheviks became popular because…

Events from April to October (I)

APRIL:

LENIN’S THESIS.

MAY:

RESTRUCTURATION OF THE PROVISIONAL

GOVERNMENT (KADETS, ESERS AND

MENSHEVIKS)

PRINCE LVOV (PM)

KERENSKY (MINISTER OF WAR)

JUNE:

FAILED RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE ON THE EASTERN

FRONT

Events from April to October (II)

JULY:

THE BOLSHEVIKS ORGANISED AND ARMED DEMONSTRATION IN PETROGRAD TO TAKE THE POWER (“JULY DAYS”)

RIOTS LASTED THREE DAYS UNTIL THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT WAS ABLE TO PUT AN END TO THEM.

AS RESULT THE BOLSHEVIK PARTY WAS BANNED. LENIN WENT INTO EXILE AND TROTSKY WAS INPRISONED.

THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT CHANGED AGAIN. LVOV RESIGNED AND KERENSKI BECAME PM AND MINISTER OF WAR AT THE SAME TIME.

Events from April to October (III)

AUGUST: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAOS CREATED BY THE

BOLSHEVIKS, GENERAL KORNILOV (CHIEF COMMANDER OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY) STAGED A COUP (“KORNILOV’S PLOT”) AGAINST THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT. HE WANTED TO ESTABLISH A MILITARY DICTATORSHIP.

SINCE KERENSKI DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TROOPS IN PETROGRAD TO STOP KORNILOV HE HAD TO GIVE WEAPONS TO THE BOLSHEVIK MILITIA (“THE RED GUARD”)

THE BOLVSHEVIKS DEFEATED KORNILOV AND SAVE THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT. THEN THEY REFUSED TO GIVE THEIR WEAPONS BACK.

CONSEQUENTLY, THE BOLSHEVIKS IMPROVED THEIR POLITICAL POSITION.

Events from April to October (IV)

SEPTEMBER:

THE BOLSHEVIKS BECAME THE MOST POPULAR

POLITICAL OPTION (AGAINST THE WAR WHEREAS

THE ESERS AND THE MENSHEVIKS SUPPORTED

THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS IN

FAVOUR OF THE WAR)

THE BOLSHEVISKS TOOK CONTROL OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT SOVIETS (E.G. TROTSKY WAS

RELEASED FROM PRISON AND BECAME

PRESIDENT OF THE SOVIET OF PETROGRAD)

LIVING CONDITIONS WERE EVEN WORSE.

The October Revolution

October 9th

Lenin secretly came back to Petrograd

October 10th

Lenin ordered to seize power through an armed insurrection

October 24th

Bolshevik troops led by Trotsky stormed the Winter Palace, controlled the key points of Petrograd and arrested the Provisional Government.

October 25th

Lenin announced to the II Congress of Soviets the creation of a Bolshevik government. Mensheviks and Esers left the Congress in protest.

October 26th

Lenin decreed:

-Creation of the Committee of People's Commissars (SOVNARKEM)

- Negotiation of an immediate peace.

- Expropriation and distribution of land among peasants.

Other measures taken by the

Bolsheviks

During November and December they passed the following series of laws:

Peace talks were opened with Germany to end the war (Armistice of Brest Litovsk in December 1917 / Peace of Brest Litovsk was signed in March 1918)

Land which had belonged to the Tsar, church and nobility was redistributed.

Factory workers were to work a maximum 48 hours a week.

All non-Bolshevik newspapers were closed down.

A secret police force called the Cheka was set up.

The Bolshevik party was renamed the Communist Party.

Lenin allowed elections to a new parliament called the Constituent Assembly take place in order to maintain popular support.

Why were the Bolsheviks able to

seize power?

1. They had a strong political and economic centre in the Petrograd Soviet.

2. They had their own armed forces, the ‘Red Guards’.

3. They were organised and disciplined and had clear planned strategies.

4. They were realistic, practical and clever in setting their short term goals.

5. The Provisional Government was weak and ineffective.

6. Lenin was an inspiring leader with vision, clarity and ability.