The Russian Revolution
October 2, 2014
Daniel Sparler
Guiding Questions: See Handout
Russia from Empire to Union to Federation
I. Introduction: Russia’s place in the world.
A. Massive size of Russian Empire – Geographic enormity in the past – still
twice as big as any other country.
1. More than 100 Nationalities.
B. USSR as the world’s first communist state - 1945-1990 challenged the USA
or world supremacy.
C. Russia today – still difficult to figure out
II. Historical Origins: Foundation and Challenges
A. Birth and Development of Russian nation
1. National identity – kind of European but with differences, Eastern
Orthodox Christianity, different alphabet than other European
cultures.
2. Effects of repeated invasions – no natural boundaries. Tatars
(Mongols) in control 1240-1480. After 1480 emerges as a separate
state.
3. Unification under Ivan IV “Ivan the Terrible” r. 1547-1584 First rule
of unified Russia
a. Caesaropapism tzar (czar) in absolute control of state and church.
Seen as “Little Father” God as “Great Father”
b. Great Russians, White Russians and Little Russians (Ukrainians)
4. Reforms of Peter I “The Great” r. 1682-1725 Emperor and Autocrat
of all the Russias. Forced radical changes on society. Admire French –
rapid but superficial westernization. Modernized! Builds new capital city
that faces Europe – St. Petersburg – Russia’s window on the world. Built
all the farthest reach of the Baltic Sea. Northernmost major city on earth.
Wants a warm-weather port
B. Challenges to Russian progress – Absolute despotism of system. Tiny
middle class; nobles educated but impotent. Feudal society of
uneducated serfs = 80% of population. Persistence of superstition and
ignorance at all levels of society.
III. Reform and relapse in 19th Century
A. Great Reforms of Alexander II r. 1855-1881 “The Great Reformer”
1. The Crisis in Crimean War leads to liberation of serfs in 1861. His
attempt at reforms (local government reform, education, justice,
military) happen too little too late. He is assassinated by the ‘People’s
Will” an Anarchist group on their fifth try. 1881
B. Alexander III takes over Kremlin in 1881 in Moscow. r.1881-94
Repression - Reverses all his father’s reforms.
1. Brutal crackdown on liberals (upper middle class) and
revolutionaries, which starts secret revolutionary groups (thousands).
“People’s Will” wants to kill Alexander III. Led by Lenin’s brother who
is imprisoned.
2. Alexander III suggests and allows persecution against
minorities such as the Jews as a way for people to redirect their
frustration.
3. For 25 years, Jews are persecuted through pogroms (collective
mobs take out their anger on a scapegoat) which forced a mass
emigration of Jews to other parts of the world including the US.
4. Nicholas II 1868-1918 stands directly behind his father – last czar,
r. 1894-1917. His leadership was aloof, weak and ineffective.
C. Russo-Japanese War – struggle with Japan for control of Manchuria – an
area in China (weak) that was important for the super valuable mineral
resources it held and also important to Russia for the Railroad it is building.
Japan wins the war, Russia is humiliated.
1. Teddy Roosevelt brokers the peace treaty between the too and
gives everything back to Russia even though the Japanese were the
winners. (Treaty of Portsmouth 1905) Wins Nobel Peace Prize
2. Russia is shaken to the core by their loss.
3. Japan became the first Asian country in modern times to defeat a
European power.
IV. Crisis of 1905 reveals weakness of Caesaropapist system (the belief that
the Tsar controls both Church and State.)
A. The players: Russian political factions
1. Kadets –Constitutional Democrats - Western Style liberals – small
2. Socialist Revolutionaries – peasant based agrarian Non Marxist but
Socialist. Many Followers.
3. Social Democratic Labor Party – Intellectuals and industrial
workers. Marxist. International
a. Mensheviks (minority) want gradual change. Think that
Bourgeoisie capitalism will have to come before socialism.
b. Bolsheviks (majority)- want immediate change - socialism
B. Bloody Sunday – a peaceful demonstration (Peasants and factory workers
pray and implore the “Little Father’ to help them in their time of need) led by
Father Gapon turns in to bloody massacre by the Tsars guards. At least 130
killed under orders of Grand Duke Vladimir. Gapon escapes to Switzerland,
returns after a year and is assassinated. People are aghast.
C. Unrest in military – Battleship Potemkin – mutiny June 1905, fails but
creates hope of change.
D. General strike in St. Petersburg 1905 (Capital City).
E. Increasing Terror 1500 government officials assassinated by eth end of
the year. Kaydets (Constitutional Democrats) demand a Duma (parliament)
F. October Manifesto: Basic civil liberties promised.
Universal Male Suffrage.
Demonstration October 17th.
Tsar allows Duma (Parliament) 1906 the Duma opens- run by mostly middle
class. The Tsar lets them speaks but ignores what they say.
V. Impact of World War I (Russia wanted a dependable warm weather port –
this was their incentive to fight in the war. They wanted Constantinople)
A. Startling lack of preparation – the capital changes from St. Petersburg to
Petrograd in 1914 but little else is planned. Battle of Tannenberg - Perhaps
the most spectacular and complete German victory of the First World War,
the encirclement and destruction of the Russian Second Army in late August
1914 virtually ended Russia's invasion of East Prussia before it had really
started.
1. 250,000 Russian soldiers lost.
B. Tsar Nicholas increasingly out of touch. Takes over the military in 1915,
which makes things worse. Abandons the government. Focuses on his
sick son and lets a ‘healer’ Rasputin run the government for a year
because he claims he can cure Nicholas’ son (Alexei Nikolaevich)
Eventually, he is killed by the family (though it takes many attempts on all
the same night). Too late, he has already done the damage.
1. David Lloyd George British PM has no faith in Tsar.
C. March Revolution of 1917 Petrograd (after increasing public riots)
Public riots in February. Army ordered to fire on crowd but they take the
side of the public –soldiers, workers, peasants unite. Tsar forced to abdicate
on 15 March (falsely believing his younger brother will take over) End of
Empire in Russia
C. Initially Provisional Revolutionary Government is instilled run by the
Kadets (western-style liberals, small) Socialist Revolutionaries (peasant
based, agrarian, non-marxist, big)
D. Social Democratic Labor party (intellectuals and industrial workers,
Marxist and internationalists, medium split into Mesheviks strict adherence
to Marx’s theories about bourgeois capitalism, take it slow – Bolsheviks
wanted immediate change and rush straight to socialism)
E. Meanwhile al the socialist groups have formed a SOVIET in Petrograd.
Represents farmers, workers, soldiers.
F. Petrograd Soviet of workers and soldiers deputies meets 24 hours a
day. Goal is their own government. Struggle between provisional
government and Soviets. Provisional government offered the post of
Prime Minister to Alexander Kerensky (1881-1970)
G. Alexander Kerensky 2nd head of Provisional Government. Moderate
Socialist Revolutionary. Introduced basic civil rights such as freedom of
speech and equal rights for women but kept Russia in the war because
he believed they would get offered the warm water port if they won.
1. Secret treaty with Britain and France. Constantinople Agreement
of March 1915 – Constantinople will be given to Russia after the
defeat of the Central Powers – Constantinople – warm weather
port!
VI. October Revolution: “10 Days that Shook the World”
A. Lenin (1870-1924) First leader of the world’s first Communist State USSR.
Vanguard of the Proletariat (Intellectuals lead proletariat.)
1. Happy childhood, brilliant, radicalized by his brother’s death
2. Exiled in Switzerland in 1917. Appeals to the Germans for help.
Germans help because they are Russia’s enemy. Smuggle him into
Russia through Sweden on a train.
3. The Proletariat by itself is too feeble. To achieve socialism they
have to be led by highly disciplined intellectuals who know what
is best = vanguard of the proletariat. The real cause of the war
was capitalism – only a revolution can bring about peace.
4. Peace! Bread! Land! “All Power to the Soviets”
5. By September Proletariats have a lot of power, By October it is
time to seize power in the name of the workers, soldiers and
peasants.
B. Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Bolshevik theorist and agitator . He organizes
Red Guards (organized military group). Poaches soldiers from the ‘other’
side. Key leader of 1917 October Revolution. Red Guards become Red Army.
C. Bolsheviks seize power under guidance of Lenin
D. Kerensky’s provisional government flees in 2nd Revolution of the year 7
Nov. 1917, The Bolshevik Revolution.
E. Constituent Assembly dissolved
VII. Civil War and Aftermath – soldiers want out.
Leon Trotsky becomes the Commissar of Foreign Affairs
A. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – Russian negotiator (Trotsky) Peace treaty
between the Central Powers and Soviet Russia. Requires Russia to give
up all of its western territories. Includes an independent Ukraine.
Bolsheviks face three bad choices:
1. Defy the Germans and risk conquest
2. Give in and lose ½ of European Russia
3. Follow Trotsky’s idea – Neither war nor peace. Just walk away and
not sign the treaty. He thought Germany was going to collapse
anyway soon and there will be a Communist uprising and they will
collapse.
4. Ceasefire Dec 1917 – Germany resumes fighting in January 1918.
5. Russians come back to peace talks. Trotsky returns. Treaty signed
3 March 1918.
6. Capital moved back to Moscow (easier to defend, more interior)
54% of its industry, 89% of its coal mines, nearly all of its cotton.
Lenin is convinced Russia will get it all back.
B. Communist state declared in March of 1918
C. Civil War rages 1918-22 Outside countries try to help defeat the Red
Guards but the Red Guards win.
D. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established 1922 (win civil war)
E. Lenin dies 1924, Petrograd renamed Leningrad– what now????