Russia and the Revolution
Setting the stage for a
New World Order
Objective:
Students will understand what life was like in
Russia prior to the Russian Revolution. Through
this study students will determine the causes of
the Russian Revolution.
CA Standard: 10.7
GEOGRAPHY
• The largest country in the world
• Very far north; taiga forest covers a great deal
of the land (Siberia)
• Only 5% arable land (south-west)
• Coastline frozen much of the year, so no ocean
access except from Black Sea; Ob, Yenisey and
Lena rivers also freeze.
• Trans-Siberian railway was being built, but was
only half-completed by 1900
Russia…in the beginning
• Russia was a feudal society (controlled by several powerful lords
that “owned different regions”)
• Serfdom was introduced by the upper classes: Lords promised
protection from foreign (and domestic) invaders if the peasants
worked the land for them and swore fealty to that lord.
• No central government. Each lord was ruler in his region.
• The Code of 1497 limited the rights of peasant movement unless
they could pay to leave.
• In 1550, an additional law was added that allowed the lords the
right to refuse a peasants request to leave, even if they could pay
the fee.
• By the 1600’s peasants could not leave the land at all.
• Essentially, a slave society was formed.
• Peasants could be sold, breaking up families at will.
• Lords were the judicial system.
• Daily routine run by the “Mir” under the Elders of dvors.
• (Patriarchal system).
• The Romanov Dynasty began in 1613 when Michael Romanov
took the title “Emperor and Autocrat of all Russia”.
• Later this title was shortened to Tsar (Czar) of Russia.
• Michael was 16 when he took the thrown and ruled under the
influence of his mother for six years. His step-father killed
him.
• Most early tsars were younger than 20 years old when they
took the thrown and most died within 10 years.
• Russia survived because of the “Zemsky Sobor” a
“parliamentary panel” of Lords that supported and advised
the tsars in military, foreign, and domestic matters.
Daily warm up
• Study the flag hanging on the board.
• What do you think it means?
• Write a paragraph analyzing the flag… even if
you aren’t sure make an educated guess and
justify your thoughts.
• (Hint: it is an American flag)
Objective:
Students will understand what life was like in
Russia prior to the Russian Revolution. Through
this study students will determine the causes of
the Russian Revolution.
CA Standard: 10.7
Peter the Great
1682-1725
Who is he?
•
•
•
•
Peter the Great became Czar of Russia in 1682.
He believed Russia needed a strong central ruler.
He is considered an Enlightened Despot.
He made many societal changes…
• You decide if he is good or bad…
• Top 12 Changes to Society
1.
Placed Throne over Church, Peter was tolerant to western religions as well as
Eastern Orthodoxy.
2.
Abolished the Patriarchate (highest position in Church) with the “Holy Synod” a
governmental cabinet that stayed in place for 220 years (Stalin changed this
system during WWII for political reasons.)
3.
New taxes: doubled state revenue by taxing the peasant class.
4.
Developed state monopolies on essentials to enhance revenues by reselling
necessities at double the cost.
5.
Established schools to “modernize” Russia (military education)
6.
Developed St. Petersburg as a “window to Europe” as Russian capital designed
after European cities (Paris, France). Adopted Western European ideas, styles,
culture, music. Forced Russians to adopt Western influences.
7.
Maintained wife Catherine’s extravagance and built her “Peter’s Palace”
Government reforms
8. Centralized government reforms: Replaced “boyar duma” with a new model of “senate and
colleges.” Positions were chosen based on merit rather than heredity or “blood”
9. Developed 10 gubernii (governors) into sub districts with local boards of the gentry to
assist the governor (Landraty). Essentially shifted the dominant influence of the gentry to
the appointed governors.
10. Secret police: encouraged accusers, informers = approximately 100 torture cases per year:
either the informer or the accused would be tortured to ensure the “truth” was told.
11. Law of Succession: traditionally primogeniture: changed so that Tsar could appoint his own
successor (Peter failed to name his successor upon his death despite law change).
12. Developed a Service State: either give money or give service
Every male member of gentry
must serve in one branch,
beginning from bottom and work
through the ranks based on merit.
Registered males at the age of seven.
At age 12, left family to begin training.
At age 14, began lifetime service.
Peter’s Legacy:
• Under the reign of Peter I
– 9 million registered male serfs
– 7 million registered male slaves
– It is assumed there were an equal amount of
women
– Therefore: There were approximately 32-34
million people in servitude or slavery.
– Russian population= 36 Million people total.
Why the reform?
• How do all of these reforms alter traditional Russian society?
• What do you think Peter the Great was trying to do with these
reforms in terms of the nobility?
• How do these reforms affect the peasant class (if at all?)
• Are one’s achievements measured by tangible evidence or by
spiritual endeavors?
• Was Peter an early enlightened despot? Did he change the
tsardom?
Catherine the Great
1762-1796
True Enlightened Despot?
• Rumor has it, Catherine led a conspiracy to assassinate her husband. Either
way, she became Empress of Russia after her husband was murdered.
• Catherine was German-born; therefore a foreign ruler in Russia. Many
argued she was not a legitimate ruler to Russia.
• Promoted religious tolerance of all Christian religions, following Peter’s
example. Weakened Orthodox Church, secularized church leadership, and
granted Church lands to “favorites.”
• She favored and promoted Western culture and ideas.
– Promoted literature and is considered the most literate ruler of Russia.
– Built universities, a teacher’s college, and opened schools for noble children.
• She was close friends with Enlightened thinkers including Voltaire, Diderot,
and Montesquieu.
– She “liked the spirit of republican democracy, but feared the usurpation of her
own power. Greatly feared a Russian revolution, especially after the American
Revolution and uprisings in France.
– Created the “Nakaz” a legislative commission to develop to codify new laws
promising a constitutional government and a parliamentary representation.
– No constitution ever developed!!! Never followed through.
Pugachev Rebellion of 1772-1775
(notice the time)
• She “spoke liberal” but “acted conservative”
– Hard labor permitted for serfs
– Punishment: exile to Siberia
– Gave large lands to proprietary owners increasing poor conditions of serfs.
– (Peter worked to break down the large estates, thus reducing the regional power of the lords)
•
Worsening conditions of Russian serfs allowed for Emalian Pugachev to instigate a
revolt against Catherine.
•
Pugachev claimed he was the rightful ruler to the throne.
•
Simultaneously, Russia was engaged in a war against Turkey that depleted Russian
resources and allowed Pugachev near success.
•
When the war with Turkey ended, Catherine diverted her resources against Pugachev
and squashed the rebellion.
•
Catherine was shaken by the revolt and agreed to create new reforms to pacify the
people and avoid future revolts.
Reforms:
•Established an advisory body made of nobles.
•Gubernia law: decentralized the government- regions divided
into 50 states with new local governors and subregions ruled by
gentry. Eliminated the college and senate.
•1785 Charter of Nobility
– Reiterated emancipation of gentry from state services and taxes.
– No member of the gentry could be subjected to corporal punishment
by the monarchy (including military)
– Solidified land ownership except by jury of peers.
– Gave gentry freedom to develop land in spite of serfs.
– Charter limited the rights of the monarchy.
The reforms did not benefit the serfs who suffered more
under the new freedom of the gentry.
Foreign Relations
• Russia created tenuous relationships with other European powers.
• Largest Jewish community develops on Russian lands (5,000,000
Jewish people, 1/5 of total Jewish population).
• Catherine encouraged Western European émigrés in Russia,
creating foreign states with autonomy.
• Catherine expands Russian territory into Poland, Poles rebel.
• Tensions build with France over Russian expansion.
• Russia, Prussia, and Austria develop shaky alliance based on
Emperor’s unification.
Absolutism in the 1800’s
• In response to the Pugachev Rebellion and the American and
French revolutions, Eastern European countries (including
Russia) became reactionary and developed inflexible
opposition to revolution within national boundaries.
• These absolutists cherished “existing institutions” and
supported one another in international conflicts supporting
preexisting governments.
• Absolutists opposed any type of change because it subverted
the established order. Consequently, the absolutist leaders
opposed all speculation and learning.
• To weaken the powerful nobility, new laws were instituted in
the 1800’s that declared all property (including serfs)
belonged to the “state.”
Using the triangle below and a series of colored pencils, create an
illustration showing the shift of power structure of Russia.
Key:
Before the
Romanovs
During Peter the Great
During Catherine
the Great
Russian Society
Nicholas II
The Last Tsar
An Empire of many Peoples
• 125 million people, ruled by a Tsar
• Less than half the inhabitants of the empire
were Russians; 60% spoke a native language
that was not Russian
• Ukraine and Poland had been conquered by
Tsar Nicholas II
• Frequent famines in the countryside
Russian Government
• Autocracy—no power sharing
• Civil servants to take care of
mundane details; 14 ranks of
under-paid officials
• Okhrana: “Protective Section”—
secret police, censors, political
courts, Siberian prison camps
• The Cossacks: Special
mounted soldiers with
swords who served as riot
police
• Russian Orthodox Church
propped up the authority
of the Tsars
Question:
• What were some of the ways that the Russian
people were kept submissive?
• Tsar Nicholas II
– Unready to take power from his
father in 1894
– Inexperienced in foreign relations
– Autocratic
– Ingenuous
– Gentle but uneducated
– Bored by ministers and reports
– Considered himself appointed by
God
• Tsarina Alexandra
– German
– Confident and strong-willed
– Happily married to Nicholas; five
children in the first 10 years of
marriage
– Four older girls and the youngest
was a boy, Alexis.
– Alexis had haemophilia—prevents
blood from clotting. (State secret)
– Extremely religious
Russian Society
• 80% peasant farmers; emancipated in 1861
from being Serfs to their landlords
• Peasants had communal land—a mir
controlled division of land
• Payment for land took place in 49 annual
“redemption payments.”
• Decreasing size of family plots
• 50% of newborns died before age 5; 50-year
life expectancy
• Town workers:
– Factory or mine workers until harvest
– St. Petersburg, the Capitol, had more than 1
million unemployed
– Trade unions illegal
• The Rich:
– Tsar Nicholas owned 15 palaces and employed
15,000 servants
– 20 railway carriages needed to carry Tsar’s family
luggage
– 1% of population was nobles; owned 25% of the
land
– New class of capitalists: people who make money
from banking, industry and trade
– Finance Minister, Sergei Witte, made life easy for
the self-serving capitalists
Opponents of the Tsar
• Tsar Alexander II (Nicholas’s grandfather)
assassinated in March, 1881 by “People’s Will”
terrorist group
• Alexander III and Nicholas II used the Okhrana
and Siberian exile to control opponents
• Nicholas II is already on shaky ground with his
people… being a harsh ruler and marrying a
foreign princess doesn’t help his case!
Russo-Japanese War
• Otherwise known as the:
– Sino-Japanese War of 1905.
– Russia and Japan fought over control of the Manchurian
territory in China.
– The Japanese fought to control natural resources for their
growing industry. They were fully imperialized under the
Meiji Restoration.
– Russia also wanted control of the Manchurian region for
food, resources, and access to the Pacific.
The 1905 Revolution
(The dress rehearsal)
• In 1904, Russia was defeated in war against
Japan for Manchuria and Korea
– Two fleets destroyed; Battle of Tsushima
– War conditions made food more scarce and closed
non-war related factories
What did you just learn?
• Who did Russia fight in 1904?
• Why did Russia get into this fight? What were they
fighting for?
• Who won? Why?
• What do you predict the consequences will be for this
war?
• How does the defeat in the war undermine the Tsar?
•Bloody Sunday: Sunday, 22nd January, 1905
–200,000 unemployed workers and their families march
through St. Petersburg to the Tsar’s Winter Palace
–Led by sympathetic priest Father Gapon (new ID Term)
–The fighting begins!
– Soldiers and police try to stop the march; soldiers
open fire and 500 are killed; thousands more
wounded
– As word spreads, riots break out; hundreds of
government officials are murdered; Grand Duke
Serge assassinated by bomb
Study guide… 5 W’s
• Who is involved in “Bloody Sunday”?
• What is Bloody Sunday?
• When did Bloody Sunday occur?
• Where did Bloody Sunday occur?
Why?
• Why is Bloody Sunday Significant?
• How will Bloody Sunday undermine the
authority of the Tsar?
• What do you predict will be a long term
consequence of Bloody Sunday?
• June, 1905: The crew of the battleship
Potemkin mutinies in the Black Sea.
– Lasts only a few weeks, but undermines Tsar
Nicholas’ trust in the armed forces
• Peasants rebel against their landlords and
burn their farms
• Georgia and Poland declare their
independence
Marx Quote:
“When people speak of ideas that revolutionize
society they do but express the fact that within
the old society the elements of a new one has
been created.”
-- Karl Marx, Manifesto
Question:
How do the actions of the people reflect the idea of
Marx’s statement in the Communist Manifesto even
though it was written over 50 years earlier?
How would the philosophy of the Social Democratic Party
(supporters of Karl Marx and Marxism) have appealed to
Russian peasants?
Begin your response:
“The actions of the people of Russia during the Revolution
of 1905 reflect Marx’s quote because…”
• September, 1905: A general strike begins.
Strikers set up councils called Soviets to run
the towns.
• The October Manifesto (new ID term):
October, 1905: This document says that Russia
should have a Duma, an elected parliament,
and allows the formation of political parties
and free speech.
• 1.) The Socialist Revolutionary Party:
• The “SRs” wanted all land to be given to the
mirs—taking land from the nobles and even
the Tsar
• The “fighting organization” assassinated 3
government ministers and dozens of officials
from 1900 to 1905
• Had massive peasant support
• 2.) The Liberals:
• Wanted a democratic system of government,
with a parliament
3.) The Social Democratic Party
• Followed the ideas of Karl Marx, a
German who wrote the Communist
Manifesto in 1848
– Predicted violent revolution where the
working class overthrew the capitalists
– Working class would take the means of
production (mines, factories, raw
materials) and share them out equally
(“Socialism”)
– Eventually abolish private property:
achieve “Communism”
• May, 1906: At the first
meeting of the new Duma,
Tsar Nicholas issues the
Fundamental Laws declaring,
in part:
“To the Emperor of all the
Russias belongs supreme
autocratic power.”
What is he really saying?
Aftermath of the 1905 Revolution
• The Duma was broken up after 75 days, having
been surrounded by the army after
demanding a share in government power
• A second Duma was elected in 1907, but
contained SRs and Social Democrats, and
lasted only 3 months
• The Third Duma lasted 5 years, composed of
only moderates who did what the Tsar told
them.
Question:
•
•
•
•
•
What were the Fundamental Laws?
What is a Duma?
Who created the Fundamental Laws?
Who were the Fundamental Laws against?
What did the Fundamental Laws do?
• What, if anything, had changed after the 1905
Revolution?
• In 1906, the Tsar
appointed a new, tough
Prime Minister to make
sure that the people
stayed in line: Peter
Stolypin (ID Term).
• In his first year, Stolypin
executed 1008 terrorists
and exiles 21,000 to
Siberia
• December 1906: Members of the St.
Petersburg Soviet were arrested, and 15 sent
into exile in Siberia. Lenin and Trotsky were
some of these these.
• Street fighting in Moscow kills 1,000
• Thugs called the Black Hundreds massacre
revolutionaries in over 100 cities
• May, 1907: all revolution crushed.
• Also, to pacify peasants, he abolished the
“redemption payments” and the “mirs”
controlling all land.
• Industry grew, wages increased, and harvests
were plentiful.
• In 1911, Peter Stolypin was shot dead by one
of his own anti-terrorist police agents.
Rasputin (ID Term)
• Nicholas and, especially,
Tsarina Alexandra became
involved with a Starets—a
Russian holy man.
• This man, named Gregory
Efimovitch, claimed (and
appeared) to be able to heal
Alexis’s haemophilia.
Question:
• What effect do you predict the replacement of
Stolypin with Rasputin will have on the
Russian Autocracy? Why?
Breakout of WWI
• Nicholas II had a romantic vision of him leading his army.
• He spent much time at the Eastern Front with the military
• This was a disastrous move as it left Alexandra in control back
in the cities.
– She had become increasingly under the influence of the
one man who seemingly had the power to help her son
– Alexandra believed that Rasputin was a man of God and
referred to him as “Our Friend”.
– Others, appalled at his influence over the tsarina, called
him the “Mad Monk” – though not in public unless they
wanted to incur the wrath of Alexandra.
– Alexandra built a cabinet around her of Rasputin’s friends
(They turned out to be embezzlers and thieves)
• Unfortunately, this
Gregory had a troubled
past, and a nickname—
Rasputin—that meant
“the disreputable one.”
• Indeed, he drank
heavily, indulged in wild
orgies, and even
reputedly raped a nun!
• After the assassination of
Prime Minister Stolypin in
1911, Rasputin’s influence over
the royal family increased.
• Rasputin exerted influence at
court, and his friends grew in
prominence and success.
• Rumors spread that Rasputin
was having an affair with
Tsarina Alexandra (we now
think this is not true... But how
would it affect people at the
time?)
Rasputin
Rasputin with Admirers
• While chaos ensued at home, the war at the front was going
badly.
– Poland was lost to the Germans in 1916 and they advanced to just 200
miles from Moscow.
– It became clear that the morale of the ordinary Russian soldier was
extremely poor and desertion became a growing problem.
– Food supplies were poor and erratic.
– As the front line got closer to the home front, it became obvious to
many that both fronts were in total chaos.
WARM UP:
Why was WWI a disaster for
Russia?
• What was happening domestically?
• What happened on the war front?
• Why did Nicholas ultimately lose the support
of his people?
February Revolution
(Beginning of the End)
• In October 1916, rail workers in Petrograd (St Petersburg)
went on strike in protest about their working conditions.
– Soldiers were sent from the front to coerce the strikers back to work.
– They joined the rail men.
• Nicholas was forced to recall the Duma to assist Alexandra in
domestic government decisions. The Duma fought amongst
themselves and against Alexandra
• In December: Rasputin is found dead and the
Tsars have lost their most powerful ally.
February Revolution (cont.)
• Soviet cooperated with Provisional Government
– Wanted to avoid civil war and counter-revolution
• Provisional Government announces elections and civil
rights for people
• Situation did not immediately get better
– War still going on, food and fuel were in short supply
• On February 27th, the Duma met for the first time after the
Christmas recess.
– The city had no transport system.
– There was food stored in the city, but no way of moving it around.
– Food shortages and food queues brought even more people out onto the streets.
• On March 12th, those in a bread queue, spurred on by the
cold and hunger, charged a bakery.
– The police fired on them in an effort to restore order. I
– It was to prove a very costly error for the government as around the city about
100,000 were on strike and on the streets.
– They quickly rallied to the support of those who had been fired on.
• Nicholas ordered that the military governor of the city,
General Habalov, should restore order.
– Habalov ordered the elite Volhynian Regiment to do just this.
– They joined the strikers and used their might to disarm the police.
– The city’s arsenal was opened and prisoners were freed from prisons that
were later burned.
• On March 13th, more soldiers were ordered on to the streets
to dispel the strikers. They saw the size of the crowds and
returned to their barracks, thus disobeying their orders.
• It is known that Rodzyanko telegraphed Nicholas requesting
that he appoint a Prime Minister who had the confidence of
the people.
• Rodzyanko received no answer to his telegraph.
• On March 14th, rumors swept through the city that soldiers
from the front were being sent in to put down the uprising.
• In reality, the Provisional Government in Petrograd had little
to fear from troops at the front.
– Discipline was already breaking down and thousands of soldiers
deserted.
– The Petrograd Soviet had sent an instruction to the front that soldiers
should not obey their officers and that they should not march on the
capital.
March Revolution (1917)
• 1917- protests spread through St. Petersburg
and the Royal palace is taken over.
• The Czar tries to come home to squash the
revolution. His train gets stopped.
• Czar (Tsar) abdicates (His brother Michael
also refused to take the throne)
• Provisional government (Duma) takes control
lead by Alexander Kerensky
• The Provisional government decided to
remain in the war as a “People’s War” against
Germany.
• The morale and discipline of the Russian
army was terribly low.
• Provisional government unpopular after
decision to stay in WWI
• Bolsheviks are creating instability in the
Duma and fighting for the Revolution to
continue to a Communist Revolution.
Key issues in March 1917
• War
– Peace, defensive war, fight to win?
• Land
– Land redistribution?
• Social Reform
– How quickly and how far to go?
• Economy
– Improvement in food and fuel?
• National Minorities
– Independence or more self government?
Warm Up: Write a reflection about the photo from the
February Revolution of 1917.
October (Bolshevik) Revolution-1917
• Some historians argue that the October
Revolution is a separate revolution from the
February Revolution.
• Others argue they are the same long fight…
• Think about this while you take notes.
Political Parties involved
• Liberals- Formed after the 1905 Revolution
– Wanted a Duma, civil rights, and free elections
– Advocated peace, non-violence
• Socialist Revolutionaries- Formed in 1901,
part of the “People’s Will” Marxists assassinsadvocated violence.
• Social Democrats
– Bolsheviks
– Mensheviks
SR’s: Beliefs and Methods
• Beliefs
– Main hope for revolution in the peasants, who would
instigate a popular uprising and established a democratic
republic
– Land would be taken from landlords and divided up among
the peasants
– SRs accepted the development of capitalism
• Would promote growth of the proletariat
• Saw no need for peasants to pass through capitalism, they could move
straight to “rural socialism”
– Methods
• Agitation, terrorism and assassination of government officials
Social Democrats
• Based on Marxist philosophy
• Formed in 1898
• Split into two factions at Second Party Congress 1903
– Mensheviks (minority)
– Bolsheviks (majority)
• Split largely caused by Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin)
• Ironically Mensheviks were majority of party until 1917
Social Democrats: Beliefs
• Both factions accepted the main tenets of Marxism but
split on role of the party
• Mensheviks
– Party should be broadly based, more democratic, allowing
members a say in policy-making
– Encourage trade unions to help working class improve
conditions
– Believed their would be long period of bourgeois democratic
government during which workers would develop class and
revolutionary consciousness until ready for socialist
revolution
Social Democrats: Beliefs
• Bolsheviks
– Party should be made up of small number of
disciplined, professional revolutionaries
– Operate under centralized leadership
– Have a system of small cells (three people) for
security
– Job of party to bring socialist consciousness to the
workers and lead them through socialist
revolution
Social Democrats: Support
• Support came mainly from working class
• Bolsheviks attracted younger, more militant
peasant workers who liked discipline, firm
leadership and simple slogans
• Mensheviks attracted different types of
workers and members of the intelligentsia,
also a broader range of people (more nonRussians, Jews, Georgians
Policies of Socialists
Socialists were very mixed group yet
even many Bolsheviks assumed there
would be a bourgeois’ stage of the
revolution
Lenin Returns from Switzerland
• Germans allow Lenin
through on a “sealed train”
• Arrives in Petrograd
• Provisional Government
leader Chkheidze, told Lenin
they did not need him to
“rock the boat”
• Lenin delivers the April
Theses
April Theses
• Lenin calls for:
–
–
–
–
–
Worldwide socialist revolution
Immediate end to the war
End to co-operation with Provisional Government
Soviet to take power
Land to be given to peasants
• Lenin had written these points down during trip
• Next day he delivers Theses at meeting of Social
Democrats and is booed by Mensheviks as ignoring the
lessons of Marx
Bolshevik reaction
• Bolshevik leaders were also stunned at Lenin’s
Theses
• Opposed by some of the Bolshevik Central
Committee
• By end of the month Lenin had won them over by
personality and power of his argument – the April
Theses was party policy
• Bolsheviks now provided radical alternative to the
Provisional Government
• Theses became slogans: “Bread, Peace and Land”,
“All Power to the Soviets”
Marxism v. Leninism
• Lenin believed the situation in Russia called
for a direct move to Socialist Revolution,
skipping the Bourgeois (Middle Class)
Revolution called for by Marx
Why did Bolsheviks become
popular?
• Main focus for groups dissatisfied with government
• Their program
–
–
–
–
Ending war
Controlling employers
Social reform for workers
Prioritizing food supplies was appealing
• May-June workers/soldiers in Petrograd began to
differentiate between Mensheviks and Bolsheviks
• Left wing SRs and Mensheviks drawn to Bolsheviks
(Trotsky)
July Days
• In early July several days of uncontrolled
street rioting by workers and soldiers
– Workers angry at economic problems
– Petrograd garrison feared that they were to be
sent to the front
• July 4 events turned more violent
– 20,000 armed sailors arrive from Kronstadt naval
base (a hotbed of revolutionary activity Red
Kronstadt)
– Crowd Marches on the Tauride Palace
July Days (cont.)
• Provisional Government and Soviet are located at the
Tauride Palace
• Sailors demand that the Soviet take power
• Chernov attempts to calm the crowd and is “arrested”
• Trotsky, with others, is sent to seek his release and
addresses the crowd from the hood of the car in which
Chernov is being held
• Chernov is released but both he and the others quickly
reenter the palace before the crowd changes its mind
July Days (cont.)
• Troops loyal to the Soviet arrive and help to
disperse the crowd
• Bolsheviks are blamed for the uprising (seen as
an early attempt to take power)
– Some middle level Bolsheviks encouraged action but
leadership seems less committed
– Lenin had been on holiday and when he returned he
called for restraint
July Days (cont.)
• Soviet newspaper Izvestia denounces role of
Bolsheviks and government uses uprising to
limit power of the party
• Trotsky and other leading Bolsheviks are
arrested
• Lenin is forced back into exile in Finland
• Bolshevik cause was badly damaged and this
could limit their ability to influence events
Alexander Kerensky
• Becomes Prime Minister July 8
• Similar to Lenin
– Both from same area in Russia
– Both had fathers who became Chief Inspector of Schools
•
•
•
•
Involved in radical politics
Master of art of 20th century political communication
Great skills as an orator
Ideal link between Provisional government and the
Soviet (human bridge between socialists and liberals
• Temperamental and vain
How Kerensky dealt with problems
• The war
– Unwilling to make a separate peace with Germany
• Law and order
– Had to find a military leader he could depend upon
• Bolsheviks
– Did not want to implement full-scale suppression of
Bolsheviks, he thought this could lead to rioting and
violence
• Deteriorating economy
– Did not know how to deal with this, believed little could be
done as long as war continued
Kornilov affair
• Appointed new Supreme Commander of
Russian forces - General Kornilov
– Agreement to bring trustworthy troops to
Petrograd
– Kornilov, becoming “middle class” hope for
salvation, saw opportunity to crush radical
socialists and to restore order and authority in
Petrograd
– Troops march on city with intent to seize control
of the government
Kornilov affair (cont.)
• Kerensky panicked when he realized what was
happening
• Denounced Kornilov
• Called on Soviet to defend Petrograd from counterrevolution
• People needed help and Bolsheviks provided it
• Much of defense of city was organized by Bolsheviks
– Bolshevik Red Guard (secretly trained militia) appeared on
the streets and Kerensky supplied them with weapons
– Kornilov’s troops did not arrive, trains stopped by railway
workers. Kornilov is arrested.
Consequences of Kornilov affair
• Kerensky’s reputation was irretrievably damaged
• Menshevik and Socialist Revolutionary leaders were
discredited by association with Kerensky
• Mass of people completely distrusted Kadets and
other liberals
• Soldiers, upset by what they thought was an officer’s
plot, murdered hundreds of officers while officers
felt Kerensky had betrayed Kornilov
• Bolsheviks gained popular support as saviors of the
city, true defenders of the revolution. They are
elected in huge numbers to soviets, gain control of
Petrograd Soviet with Trotsky elected President
October Revolution
• Lenin calls for action from Finland in early
October due to following factors
– Bolsheviks in control of the Soviet
– Popularity was at an all-time high
– Liberals and other conservative forces were
demoralized after Kornilov affair
– Provisional Government was helpless
• Zinoviev and Kamenev oppose October action
and publicly state so in Gorky’s paper
– This haunts them later in power struggle
October Revolution
• Kerensky tried to send radical troops out of
Peterograd (rumors that he was abandoning
city)
– Petrograd Soviet (Bolshevik controlled) set up
Military Revolutionary Committee, controlled by
Trotsky
• Gives Bolsheviks more direct control of soldiers, arms
and ammunition
– Open secret that Bolsheviks intend to seize power
October Revolution (cont.)
• Last ditch efforts by Kerensky to stop Bolsheviks
– Tries to close down 2 Bolsheviks newspapers, restrict
power of MRC, raise bridges between working class
districts and center of Petrograd
• Actions give Soviets an excuse for action “Kerensky
was attacking the Soviet”
• Kerensky, not finding loyal troops to counter
Bolsheviks in Petrograd left for the front (had to
borrow a car from the American embassy)
• At Smolny Institute (Bolshevik headquarters) Trotsky
and Sverdlov organize final stages of Revolution
October Revolution (cont.)
• October 24-25 night Red Guard were sent out to
seize key points in the city, troops in most cases
“faded away” as Red Guard took their positions
• Next day Petrograd was normal
• Night of Oct. 25-26 Bolsheviks entered Winter
Palace (2 AM) and arrested what remained of the
government. Storming of the Winter Palace
becomes great myth of the Revolution defining
heroism of Revolutionaries
Warm Up
• Based on what you know, do you believe the
Russians experienced two separate
revolutions or only one long revolution?
• Defend your response.
Russian Civil War
War Communism
• Bolsheviks had handed over control of land to
peasants and control of factories to workers
– Results were shortages (no goods to exchange and money
was worthless)
• Lenin geared whole economy toward need of the
army
– Grain requisitioning (forced)
• Peasants resist
– Banning of private trade and manufacture
• State trading was extremely chaotic and industry did not produce
enough consumer goods = Black Market
War Communism (cont.)
• Nationalization of industry
– All industry brought under state control and administered by
Supreme Council of national Economy (Vesenkha)
» Workers committees replaced by single manager
» Kept factories open and jobs available which many workers
favored
• Labor discipline brought back to the workplace
• Rationing
–
–
–
–
Class based system of rationing
Labor force and army were given priority
Small rations to civil servants and professional people
Smallest ration to former middle class
• By 1921 Soviet economy was in ruins
– Civil war was over but grain requisitioning was still going
on - led to peasant revolts
War Communism
– Severe winter led to strikes and food
demonstrations
– Urban workers were angry with
• Food shortages
• Militarized factories
• State taking “control” of unions
– Strikes in Petrograd supported by Kronstadt sailors
• March 1921 meeting hoping to start general revolt
against Bolsheviks (Heroes of 1917) shocked the regime
War Communism
– Lenin realized concessions and economic
liberalism were needed to survive, government
could not continue War Communism even though
many Bolsheviks wanted to
• Trotsky wanted to militarize labor
Rule of Lenin 1920-1924
• Economic Reforms included the New
Economic Plan (NEP)
-moderate mix of capitalism and socialism
• Political Reforms
-Bolshevik party became Communist Party
-Russia becomes the United Soviet Socialist
Republics
New Economic Policy (NEP)
• Worked out by members of the Politburo
– “Temporary deviation” Zinoviev
– “Economic concessions to avoid political
concessions” Bukharin
• By 1922 NEP results were very good
– Increase in food and consumer goods production
– Traders or “Nepmen” by 1923 handle 3/4 of retail
trade
1924
•
•
•
•
•
Lenin Dies
Power Vaccuum
Leon Trotsky vs. Joseph Stalin
Stalin takes control
Now must decide how he will maintain
power
• Decides to create a totalitarian state