Title III Consortium Grant
Lecture by
Adam Kanarek, Esq.
March 10, 2007
Ravena Diner
WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW BEFORE THE LECTURE
Violent serfs: Worked for nobles
Was in Russia Marxism
Tsar Nicholas Romanov Tsar and Family were killed in 1918
Political Problems
LECTURE
I.
Examples of other revolutions
A.
American Revolution (1776)
1.) Not really a revolution in the true sense.
2.) Was a colony which rebelled against the mother country
3.) DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE a.
colonists tell England what they do not like about it b.
America did not like England’s quartering of English soldiers in American homes without paying c.
King as a “despot” d.
America now has guarantees of civil rights. e.
English kings were not as powerful as other kings. King
John had to sign the “ MAGNA CARTA .”
B.
French Revolution (1789)
1.) rigid class structure
2.) 3 rd
Estate as NO rights
3.) Revolutionaries start to kill one another
II.
RUSSIA in 1917
A.
No idea of rights like the Americans
B.
Economic issue becomes a political issue
C.
Karl Marx : when a product is made the person who put the labor into it gets the least money for it.
D.
World War I begins-1914
2.)
1.) 3 Empires: Austro-Hungary, Russia, Germany
AUSTRIA vs RUSSIA; England and France begin to help Russia due to alliances and treaties.
E.
1914-1917: RUSSIA still had ABSOLUTE MONARCHY

4.)
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Russian Revolution Notes
March 10, 2007
E.
continued: ENGLAND is a CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY and
FRANCE is a REPUBLIC
F.
Napoleon had invaded Russia in 1812: was an emperor and a despot.
1.) Brings some ideas, however, from the
ENLIGHTENMENT , e.g liberty, fraternity, equality, across Europe INTO Russia.
2.) This interests the the Russian intellectuals
3.) Young nobility like these ideas
4.) Russians at this time only want a CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
5.) 1825- Young intellectuals want king to give up some power. He kills them or imprisons them. a.
PUSHKIN is one of them. Becomes Russia’s
GREATEST POET. (killed in a duel over his wife’s honor.) b.
This conspiracy was called the DECEMBER
CONSPIRACY.
Participants were called
“
Decembrists
.” Plot to take King’s power.
MAIN IDEA: THEY WANTED TO LIMIT THE TSAR’s POWER .
G.
A new movement called the “ PEOPLES’ WILL ” is formed
H.
1850-this movement of liberalization of government gets connected to
MARXISM.
1.)
New “
Social Democrat
” political parties spring up all over Europe.
2.) The Russian secret police capture the participants and ship them off to SIBERIA. a.
TROTSKY is an early member b.
STALIN is an early member c.
LENIN is an early member d.
Trotsky is a forceful speaker but Stalin is not.
I.
1906-1907 CONGRESS OF RUSSIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRAT PARTY
1.) Two Groups a.
REVOLUTION (Bolsheviks) b.
DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS ( Mensheviks )
2.) BOLSHEVIKS WIN!!! They want violent revolution against the Tsar.
J.
WORLD WAR I BREAKS OUT (1914)
1.) Russia suffers terrible military defeat
2.) War ends with the TREATY OF VERSAILLES
3.) America is represented by WOODROW WILSON
KERENSKY is named new Prime Minister of Russia after the Tsar has abdicated.

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Russian Revolution
March 10, 2007
K.
LENIN wants Socialist State run by peasants and workers.
THE MARCH REVOLUTION TAKES PLACE!
(Next lecture: the OCTOBER REVOLUTION)