The Russian Revolutions

The Russian Revolutions (1905, 1917)

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  • "The Barricades of Presnya, 1905" by Ivan Vladimirov

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Major Themes in Tsarist Russia from 1870 to 1905

  • Emancipation of the Serfs

  • Radical and Violent Traditions

  • 1905 Russian Revolution

  • Failed Reforms after 1905

Tsar Alexander II (1855-1881)

Emancipation of the Serfs

  • Instituted Great Reforms to address SERFDOM

    • Serfs were indentured laborers viewed negatively by the cultural elite (intelligentsia)

    • Major reform was the Emancipation of the Serfs.

Problems with Emancipation

  • Nobles sought compensation.

  • Serfs had limited financial means.

  • State intervention:

    • State bought their freedom and land from nobles.

  • Mir: A peasant community structure where peasants worked collectively and owed debt to the state.

  • Land reform remained a pivotal issue.

Turning to the Countryside

  • Intelligentsia believed peasantry was key to Russia's future greatness.

  • Going to the People Movement (1870s): A failed attempt to radicalize peasants, influenced by Marxism.

Nikolai Chernyshevsky

  • Author of "What is to be Done?" which tells the story of a woman escaping an arranged marriage to join a workers’ co-op.

    • Character Rakhmetov symbolizes a new generation of radicals and has influenced Russian terrorists.

    • Narodnaya Volya: A terrorist group targeting the Russian Tsar.

The Assassination of Alexander II (1881)

  • Significant turning point; Alexander II was assassinated.

Changes in Russia (1860-1905)

  • Growth in the working and middle class.

  • Lack of roles for these classes in Russian society.

  • Emergence of a liberal movement amidst a multi-ethnic empire.

  • Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905): Russian ships attacked in Port Arthur, exposing national vulnerabilities.

The 1905 Revolution

Events Leading to the Revolution

  • Bloody Sunday (9 January 1905): Father Gapon leads a peaceful protest to the Winter Palace, seeking help from Tsar.

    • Violence erupts with soldiers firing on the crowd (200 dead, 800 wounded).

    • Resulted in widespread disillusionment and strikes.

  • Strikes persisted until the October Manifesto and the end of the war with Japan.

Aftermath of 1905 Revolution

  • Nicholas II reaffirms autocratic rule.

  • Creation of the State Duma in response to increased unrest.

  • Stolypin reforms aimed at modernizing the countryside, largely ineffective and angering peasants, leading to instability.

Nicholas II at the Front

Military Leadership (September 1915)

  • Nicholas II assumes direct control of military operations.

  • Challenges included poor communication and the threat of blame for military failures.

  • Empress Alexandra Feodorovna governs at home in his absence.

Grigorii Rasputin

  • The controversial figure known as the “Mad monk.”

  • Gained favor with Alexandra and influenced Russian politics.

  • Allegations of political meddling and associations with dark forces, connecting to Alexandra’s German heritage.

The February Revolution (23 February 1917)

  • Initiated by International Women’s Day protests over bread shortages in Petrograd.

  • Up to 200,000 strikers, joined by soldiers protesting.

  • Nicholas II abdicates on March 2, 1917, leading to the formation of a Provisional Government.

Provisional Government

  • Comprised mainly of centrist and liberal politicians from the Duma with Prince L’vov as leader.

  • Promised liberal reforms: freedom of the press, end to secret police, abolition of the death penalty.

Petrograd Soviet

  • Power base comprised of soldiers and workers, originally 1200 deputies elected from factories.

  • Mainly left-wing factions including Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries.

Dual Power Scenario

  • A simultaneous distribution of power between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet, with the latter having greater influence due to Order No. 1.

Challenges Faced by the Provisional Government

  • Continued military engagement in WWI resulting in dwindling support.

  • Menasheveks join the government; Alexander Kerensky attempts military offensives which fail.

  • Rising anti-war sentiment and calls for a change in leadership.

The Bolshevik Message

  • Lenin returns from exile in April 1917 with the April Theses advocating for slogans like "bread, peace, and land," targeting the Provisional Government.

Kornilov Affair

  • General Kornilov attempted to undermine the Petrograd Soviet; Kerensky turned to Bolsheviks for support.

  • The incident weakened the Provisional Government's credibility.

Rise of the Bolsheviks

  • Gaining popularity as the most viable option for revolution amidst widespread dissatisfaction with the Provisional Government.

  • Trotsky elected chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, signaling a shift in power dynamics.

The Bolshevik Revolution (October 24-25, 1917)

  • Decisive uprising leading to the downfall of the Provisional Government.

  • Lenin's strategic moves culminate in the “Storming of the Winter Palace.”

The Bolsheviks in Power

  • Initial decrees focused on Peace, Land, and Bread.

  • Promotion of centralized authority through the Sovnarkom.

  • Concept of the proletariat dictatorship articulated.

Constituent Assembly Planning

  • Major goal following the February Revolution, elections for which took place in November 1917.

    • Election results revealed significant support for Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) over Bolsheviks.

Constituent Assembly Meetings

  • First convened on January 5, 1918; ultimately disbanded by Bolsheviks after one meeting, marking an end to democratic aspirations.

Government by Decree

  • Implemented reforms: introduced an eight-hour workday, civil marriage rights, and women’s equality.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

  • Negotiated peace with Germany to secure Bolshevik power.

Russian Civil War (May 1918 – December 1920)

  • Internal conflict between the Red Army (Bolsheviks) and the White Army (anti-Bolshevik factions).

  • Resulted in massive casualties and territorial control.

Allied Intervention

  • Multiple foreign powers intervened in support of the White Army to counter Bolshevism, complicating the civil conflict further.

Turn to Terror

  • The Bolsheviks, inspired by Lenin, ramped up censorship and founded the Cheka to combat dissent.

  • Terror became a tool against both enemies and internal dissenters, leading to widespread political violence.

Summary of the Russian Civil War

  • Culminated in 4.7 million deaths due to war and disease, leading to a victorious Bolshevik consolidation of power and the establishment of the first Communist state.