Key Issue I Dissent and Revolution

Russia's size and population

· Russian empire at its peak made up 1/6 of the worlds landscape · Most of the empire was uninhabitable because of the difficult climate - like Serbia · Most of the Russian population lived in the Western areas · 1900s Russian population was around 126,000,000

Religion of Russia in 1917

· Russian society was also dominated by the influence of the Orthodox Church
· Religion of Russia: Orthodox Christianity (controlled by the Tsar)

Ruler of Russia in the 1880s

The Tsar (emperor)
Alexander III and Nicholas II

Social structure 1917

Rigid

Serfs freed

1861 but backfired as many former serfs moved to the city to work in factories

Proportion of people serfs

1/3

Problems in the cities

Overcrowding

After Serfdom

The Mir or commune

Free Trade Era

After abolition there was a 'free trade era' where industrialisation began to develop - the emancipation.
While in the decades that followed some population movement aiding industrialisation occurred this was coupled with land hunger

When were political parties and trade unions legalised

1905

Russian political parties

Up to the year 1917 a number of different political parties were increasingly popular: Octobrists

Political parties: liberals

Groups who favoured moderate reform and constitutional monarchy.

Included the Kadets - Constitutional Democrats

Political parties: social revolutionaries

The social revolutionary party was formed in 1901 and evolved from groups from the 1860s who wanted to improve and organise the positions of peasantry.
As industrialisation grew in the 1890s

Political parties: social democrats

An All-Russian Social Democrat Labour Party which was founded in 1898. Led by mainly educated intellectuals who created a programme which was based on the theories of Karl Marx. Its support was mainly from the proletariat

Liberalism

Ideology that focuses on individual rights and the participation of government in certain situations such as the economy

Karl Marx

A German Economist who mainly studied industrialised nations. Founder of communism - his ideas of socialism and communism were applied in Russia

Communism

Theory or system of social organisation in which the community and each person own all property contributes and receives according to needs/abilities. State 'withers away' and resources fairly shared.

Socialism

Social organisation which advocates the means of production

Bolshevik-Menshevik split: what happened

The Second Congress of the RSDLP was held in 1903. Lenin brought up the issue of who had the right to be a member of the party. Lenin wanted to force a choice between Plekhanov's idea of a broad-based party with his of a small

Bolshevik-Menshevik split: consequences

Lenin and his supporters became known as Bolsheviks (from the Russian word for majority) while Martov's group became known as the Mensheviks (from the Russian word for minority). By 1912 the two parties were two distinct Marxists parties.

1905 Revolution

Failure of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) and political issues caused the revolution
Tsar wanted war: To rally support and distract Russians from their dissatisfaction with things at home

1905 Revolution - Bloody Sunday

Protestors march on 22nd January 1905: Marched towards the Winter Palace carrying religious icons and led by a young priest

October Manifesto

October Manifesto created a national parliament

Duma

National legislature that would have to approve of all new laws

Stolypin

Tsar's head of Government between 1906 and 1911 was Pyotr Stolypin
Stolypin had been complicit in restoring order through a policy of small reforms and brutal representation
The first Minister of the Interior (1885) and then became Prime Minister in 1906
Assassinated in 1911

Political repression 1907

By 1907

Stolypin and crime

Stolypin's courts found 37

Workers Strikes (1906-14)

From 1906 to 1914

Economic situation 1917

The weather conditions and large amounts of Tundra makes agricultural life and industrialisation hard
The Mir prevented the peasants from leaving or seek work elsewhere
Serfs were freed but given no land

Industry before 1917

Industrialisation led to the building of factories which had long working hours

1914 Peasants and land

By 1914: 50% of peasants had some land

Autocracy

System of government

Tsar Nicholas II

He believed he was put there by God directly
Tolerated no questioning of his power
He ruled with ukase
Tsar Nicholas II had been the monarch since 1894The Tsar was a family man

Ukase

Could not be rejected and ministers could not act without his approval

Tsars government

The Tsar's government was made up of a cabinet

Romanovs

· The dynasty

Before the war: political system

Duma had little power. Controlled - censorship (Russian public did not have freedom of speech)

Before the war: middle class

Unhappy as they wanted more political power. Supported the liberal political parties such as the Kadets (Constitutional Democrats) and the Octobrists

Before the war: urban workers

Long hours 6 days a week and little pay

Before the war: peasants

Still restricted by the Mir. Hard to find work with no land - poverty and land hunger. 50% had land when WWI broke out.

Impact of WWI

· Humiliating military defeats and huge losses
· Increased opposition within regime
· Peasants called to the army

Impact of WWI: Transport

· Transport used for army

Impact of WWI: Naval blockades

· Naval blockades

Impact of WWI: Trade

· The war cut foreign trade

Impact of WWI: industry

Industry was concentrating on armament production - consumer goods and agricultural tools not being produced

Impact of WWI: Losses

· 1.7 million Russians died in WWI. Hundreds of square miles of Russian territory were lost
· 30% of government revenue had come from tax on the alcohol but Nicholas had banned the manufacture of vodka to keep Russians sober for the war effort

Impact of WWI: Army and Spending

· Over 1.5 billion roubles were spent on the war effort between 1914-17
· By 1917 the army had conscripted 14 million men

Economic and social crisis in the cities: Bread rationed

· Shortage of bread (Especially in Petrograd) - news that it would be rationed from 1st March
· Daily civilian bread ration in Petrograd (in pounds weight): January 1916 \= 2.7

Economic and social crisis in the cities: Food and fuel shortages

· Late 1916 Petrograd and Moscow were only getting about 1/3 of their food requirements and Petrograd only about half the fuel it needed
· Food and fuel shortages in 1916 had alienated all urban dwellers
· 1917 Petrograd received only 300 wagon loads of grain instead of the 1000 needed

Economic and social crisis in the cities: Wages

· In the cities

Economic and social crisis in the cities: Inflation and cost of living

Cost of living increased by 300%
Inflation of 200%

Economic and social crisis in the cities: Rail network

· The rail network was collapsing which meant that the grain was not being transported to the cities where it was needed - there was plenty of grain just not transported to the places it was needed.

Economic and social crisis in the cities: Strikes

· Led to a rising number of strikes across Moscow and Petrograd - for example in 1914 there were 10

Bolshevik Party 1916

· The Bolsheviks in Petrograd numbered fewer than 500 members. In spring 1916 the Bolsheviks played a leading role in a big strike at the New Lessner machine-building plant in Petrograd. By the end of 1916 they had 3000 members in the capital and 10

Incompetency of the regime: Ministerial leapfrog

Tsarina encouraged the Tsar to change ministers often - political instability and the prestige of the Imperial couple decreased
The appointment of Alexander Protopopov as Minster of Interior - undermined the effectiveness of a crucial ministry at a critical time

Incompetence of the regime: Loss of support

By 1917 many had lost faith in the Tsar regime

Incompetence of the regime: Mistakes

Nicholas II decided to take command of the Russian army (Commander of Chief) in 1915 which put the blame for all the bad decisions and losses on him and consequently further deteriorate his prestige. Leaving the Tsarina to hold the balance between his ministers
The Tsar and his ministers refused to cooperate fully with the non-governmental organisations such as the Union of Zemstva and the Union of Town Councils which at the beginning of the war had been wholly willing to work with the government in the national war effort

Incompetency of the regime: 23rd and 25th of February

23rd of February

Incompetence of the regime: Tsar and the Duma

Nicholas II was unaware of the seriousness of the strike situation and ordered military force and that the Duma be prorogued. He then offered to share power with the Duma who refused and said it was too late. Tsar Nicholas II ignored warning from Rodzianko

Abdication of the Tsar

March 2nd - abdication of Tsar Nicholas II
Representatives from the Duma met with the Tsar on board his train - they were there to request his abdication
Nicholas II accepted that he must abdicate as he recognised he had lost power
The dynasty had existed since 1613 - 304years
Tsar abdicated for him and his son (since he believed his son was too ill and too young to rule)

Okhrana

Tsar's secret police

Economic and social crisis in the countryside: Grain

· Peasants began hoarding grain when it got to the point that there was nothing affordable to buy. Inflation made trading unprofitable
· Price of grain kept low so the peasants were unable to make any profit
· By 1916 20% less grain was reaching markets than in 1914.

Economic and social crisis in the countryside: Peasants and the army

· Due to many men being called up into the army

Economic and social crisis in the countryside: the rich

· Hit by labour shortages

Breakdown of military morale: unprepared and lack of resources

· Munitions crises

Breakdown of military morale: 27th February

Soldiers ordered onto streets

Breakdown of military morale: Casualties

· By the end of 1914 a quarter of the Russian army had been killed wounded or taken prisoner
· By the end of 1915 the army had been forced into a headlong retreat of nearly 1000 kilometres. 2

Breakdown of military morale: Mutiny

· Half of the 160

Breakdown of military morale: authority division

· Military authority was divided between the War Ministry

Breakdown of military morale: failures/defeats

· Russian armies were defeated at Tannenberg in August and at the Masurian lakes in September

Loss of support of loyal groups: Middle class

· Middle class discontent in 1915 - criticized the government and war (although they originally wanted the war)
· Middle classes and the elite were driven by fear of revolution

Loss of support of loyal groups: Liberals and socialists

Leaders of liberal parties plotted against the Tsar. Role of Alexander Kerensky - socialist who had revolutionary contacts. Mass urban discontent led to many supporting liberal politicians. Defeat in 1915 had alienated the liberal politicians

Loss of support of loyal groups: Generals

· Generals favoured the ministry of Duma politicians over the Tsar as they believed that would improve the chance of winning the war as the first was more likely to restore order in the country

Loss of support of loyal groups: Tsarina and Rasputin

Tsarina Alexandra was unpopular and interfered with government with the assistance of Rasputin. Rasputin was allowed to make political decisions (such as appointing ministers) although he had no experience

Loss of support of loyal groups: Duma and progressive bloc

Nicholas II rejected the overtures of the "Progressive Bloc" to form a Duma-based cabinet - refused to surrender power and he became isolated from virtually all the educated classes

Loss of support of loyal groups: no one content

· Extreme left wanted a revolution

Bloody Sunday anniversay demonstration

Workers strikes February and March 1917

14th February: 100

Authorities lack of control

· Internationals Women's Day 23rd February)
· Shalfeev

Role of the Duma and Rodizanko

Duma held a meeting (27th February) and set up a 12-man Provisional Committee to take over the government - army High Command stopped soldiers marching on the streets and gave support to Duma Committee instead

The people in Petrograd looked to Duma politicians for leadership but as many did not wish to defy the Tsar they compromised and the Duma was dissolved but the Provisional Duma Committee remained to restore order

Members of the establishment

February Revolution Events: 23rd

Thousands of women took to the streets to celebrate International Women's day

February Revolution Events: 25th

200

February Revolution Events: 26th

o Tsar Nicholas II ignored warning from Rodzianko

February Revolution Events: 27th

o Tsar ordered military to restore control

Order Number 1

Charter of soldiers' rights
Produced on the 1st March
All units to elect a deputy to the Soviet and agree to political control of the Petrograd Soviet
Military Commission of the Duma to be obeyed

Provisional government

· The power of the PG came from the fact it was drawn from the state Duma

Prime Minister of PG

The PM of the PG was Prince G.E. Lvov

Kerensky role

Social revolutionary
Alexander Kerensky played a very important role as he was a member of both PG and the soviet

Petrograd Soviet

· Soviets had appeared in Russia during the revolution of 1905 and were literally "councils".
· Following the revolution of February/March 1917

Petrograd Soviet power

Control of the local garrisons

Petrograd Soviet membership

10th March \= 3000 members

Lenin's beliefs

Demanded socialist revolution immediately
Made the promise of "peace

Bolshevik party

The Bolsheviks played a minor role in the events prior to 1914.
The Bolsheviks were not listed by the tsarist authorities as a major threat to the regime.

Bolshevik party membership 1917

There were between 5

Lenin and the Tsar's abdication

Lenin had not expected the Tsar to abdicate as early as March of 1917

Lenin's return

Lenin returned to Russia from Switzerland on 3rd April 1917 after being in exile for 17 years
Lenin had to enlist the help of Germans to enable his return

Impact of Lenin's return

Initially very little impact - not many people cared
April Thesis did not win much popular support

PG Failure: Weakness of the PG

· Petrograd soviet controlled the railways

PG Failure: Popular dissatisfaction

· Some were unhappy about the removal of legal restrictions based on class

PG Failure: Popular dissatisfaction - riots and strikes

· At the Kronstadt naval base