The Russian Revolution, 1917
- PRAKASH ARULAPPA
BACKGROUND
In the 19th century, Russia was the largest state in Europe. It was also the largest in the world next only to the British
Empire. More than sixty ethnic groups, which differed widely in languages and cultures, inhabited Russia.
The first Revolution in Russia broke out in 1905. The causes of this Revolution were mainly economic and military. As a
result, Russia became, at least outwardly, a parliamentary type of state. Subsequently, in 1917, a second Revolution
broke out under the leadership of Lenin. This Revolution is known as the Bolshevik Revolution. "Bolshevik- means a
member of the socialist group supporting the Revolution of 1917. The Bolshevik Revolution is as significant as the
French Revolution. It was the first successful attempt to give a practical shape to the Marxist ideology.
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1917
The causes of the Revolution were:
•
Political
•
Social
•
Impact of the Industrial Revolution
•
Military, and the
•
Impact of the Marxian ideology
1. POLITICAL CAUSE
(1) Autocratic rule: The most striking feature of the Russian Empire was the unrestrained autocracy of the tsars
(emperors). The will of the tsar was the sole source of law, of taxation, and of justice. His dictates controlled every walk
of life. As an old proverb goes, "In Russia two are everywhere, God and the tsar".
(ii)
Control of the Church: Unlike in France, the nobles in Russia were mere servants of the tsar. Even the Church
was completely subordinated to the tsar. The tsar was the head of the Church, and was considered sacred.
(iii)
Reactionary tsars: The reign of Tsar Alexander III (1881-1894) was reactionary. He ordered the police to launch a
vigorous battle against the intellectuals. He also gagged the press. Alexander's principle was: "One king, one law, one
faith". He followed a policy known as Russification.1 The last tsar was Tsar Nicholas 11 (1894-1917). He opposed all
reforms. As a result, a strong revolutionary mood began to appear among the masses. Thus the autocratic and
reactionaq policies led to the Revolution in Russia.
2. SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND CORRUPTION
(i)
Conditions of serfs: The most pressing problem of Russia in the early 19th century was the bondage of the
Russian peasants. The peasants in Russia formed 94.5 per cent of the population. The great majority of the peasants
were serfs. Their conditions were most miserable.
(ii)
Discontented nobility: In Russia there was no middle-class to lead the revolt against the existing regime. The
nobility was a discontented class in Russia. Their properties might be confiscated by the state, or they might be exiled to
Siberia. Many nobles who had fought as officers in the army in Western Europe returned to Russia with a liberal
outlook. In order to spread the ideas of constitutional monarchy, the nobles formed secret societies on the model of the
Carbonari of Italy.
(iii) Corruption: "Everything was corrupt, everything unjust, everything dishonest". This was how the 19th century
Russian bureaucracy was described. Every office of the state was 'purchased' by the highest bidder. Bribery existed
everywhere. It was impossible to get justice in any civil court without greasing judge's palm.
3. IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
In the 1880s Russia began to pass through the Industrial Revolution. With the rapid growth of large-scale manufacturing
industry, a new force emerged — the working class. The conditions of the working class in Russia were bad. They
generally worked for twelve hours a day and were paid very low wages. The working class, which was exploited,
developed a hatred for the tsarist rule. The revolutionaries made the working class a tool in their hands.
4. MILITARY WEAKNESS OF RUSSIA
The tsar involved Russia in a war with the Turkish empire in 1854. The war, known as the Crimean War (1854-56),
showed the rottenness of both the administration and its military systems.
In 1904 Russia involved itself in yet another war with Japan. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) revealed the inner
weakness of the Empire. Russia, the largest nation of Asia, got blow after blow from a small power - Japan. Russia did
not score even a single victory. As a result, the prestige of the government sank lower and lower. Soon a Revolution
broke out in 1905. It was a prelude to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
5. IMPACT OF THE MARXIAN IDEOLOGY
The ideology which propelled the revolutionaries to overthrow the tsarist rule was the Marxian ideology. The
intelligentsia of Russia was an educated class full of western ideas. They were made up of persons who had a lot of
leisure to read. They organized themselves through secret societies. Their aim was to overthrow the monarchy. They
read and respected Marx and Engels. In 1901 they founded a party known as the Social Revolutionary Party. Among the
younger revolutionary intelligentsia were Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin.
LENIN (1870-1924) was the foremost leader of the Bolshevik Revolution. A man of upper class origin. Lenin was the son
of an inspector of schools. After discountinuing his law studies, Lenin plunged into revolutionary activities. Later he was
arrested and exiled to Siberia for a term of three years. After being freed, Lenin proceeded to western Europe in 1900
where he remained until 1917.
IMMEDIATE CAUSE
(i) Defeat in the First World War: The immediate cause was provided by the inability of the Tsar to manage the First
World War which broke out in 1914. Russia sacrificed five arid a half million people in the war. In 1915 Russia was badly
defeated by Germany and Austria. Russia's military power collapsed, and it was forced to sue for peace.
(ii) Food riots and mutiny: What toppled the tsarist regime was a series of strikes and food riots in Petrograd and a
mutiny of the troops in the Russian capital.
COURSE OF THE REVOLUTION
(i)
Food riots: On March 8, 1917 the women working in Petrograd went on a strike demanding food. The next day
other workers joined them. On the third day there was a general strike. When ordered to fire on the crowds, the
soldiers refused, and they gradually joined the demonstration against the government. The city of Petrograd thus fell
into the hands of the revolutionaries. Tsar Nicholas II finally resigned on March 15, 1917.
(ii)
Provisional Government: The Revolution of March 1917 placed the government in the hands of the liberal
elements. The political future of Russia now centred on three problems: • war; • the demand of the peasants for land ;
and the revolutionary temper of the industrial workers.
The Provisional Government took the fatal decision to continue to participate in the First World War in spite of Russia
being defeated badly. The defeat ruined the prestige of the government. Kerensky, a social revolutionary, headed the
government in May 1917. The lack of a strong leadership gave the Bolsheviks an opportunity to acquire power.
The leader of the Bolsheviks was Lenin. Lenin knew exactly what he and the people at large wanted. He won the soldiers
by promises of peace. He won the peasants by promises of land. However. the real objective of Lenin was the
dictatorship of the Bolshevik Party. The Bolsheviks accomplished a revolution in November 1917 by almost trivial
means. That day, at two o'clock in the morning the wheel of Revolution was set in motion. A group of Bolsheviks quietly
seized the railway sta-tion, military staff quarters, the central postal, telegraph and telephone offices, and the State
Bank. A warship was ready on the river Neva to bombard the Winter Palace which was the headquarters of the
Provi¬sional Government. But the members of the Provisional Government meekly surrendered. Thus thc Provisional
Government was overthrown easily. The Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917 was bloodless. On that day Russia
was proclaimed a 'Soviet Republic'. Lenin became the head of the new Bolshevik government. He continued to lead
Soviet Russia until his death in 1924. His first act was to withdraw Russia from the First World War.
RESULTS OF THE REVOLUTION
The results of the Russian Revolution were far-reaching and historically significant. The results were:
1.
End of the tsarist rule: The foremost result of the Revolution was the overthrow of the tsarist rule in Russia and
the destruction of the power of the Christian church.
2.
Birth of U.S.S.R.: The Russian empire was transformed into a new state called the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republic (U.S.S.R.) or, in short, Soviet Union.
3.
Adoption of socialist ideals: • Private property was abolished. The motive of private profit was also eliminated •
Economic planning was adopted. • Work became an essential requirement for every person. It became the duty of the
state to provide employment to every individual.
4.
Spread of communism: Soon after the Revolution, the Communist International (Comintern) was formed to
promote revolution in other countries of the world. In course of time, the Soviet Union emerged as the leader of the
world communist movement.
IMPORTANCE OF THE REVOLUTION
1.
Influence of the Russian ideas: The Russian ideas and examples profoundly influenced the political, social, and
economic thinking of many countries.
2.
Revolution appealed to all men: The Russian Revolution of 1917 is as important as the French Revolution. It
appealed to all men regardless of creed or colour. It was the first successful attempt to give a practical shape to the
Marxist ideology.
3.
Revolution gave new hopes to the exploited: The Revolution gave new hopes to the exploited working class the
world over. In course of time, more than one-third of the world turned to communism. By a revolution, China, the most
populous country of the world, accepted Marxism.
4.
Stalin's dictatorship: The Revolution did not lead to the rule of the working class. Instead, a totalitarian
dictatorship under Joseph Stalin was established in U.S.S.R. It was similar to Hitler's dictatorship. Like Hitler, Stalin got
his opponents killed mercilessly.
- PRAKASH ARULAPPA