Week 10- WWI and Russian Revolution

Lecture 1

WWI 

• Approx 13 million soldier deaths 

• 10 million civilian deaths 

Origins of WWI:

• Franz Ferdinand, successor to the Austro-Hungarian empire was assassinated, leading Austro-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and dragging all of Europe in  

• Austro-Hungarian empire recently annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina  

• A Serbian nationalist assassinated because as their neighbour, they wanted the Bosnia territory 

- done by a secret society called the blackhand, still don't know if Serbian government was aware  

Why did the assasination lead to WWI?

• After assasination the Austro-Hungarian empire decided they had to crush Serbia, anti-Serb propaganda began in Austria 

• July 5- Germany administrates the “Blank Cheque” to Austria-Hungary, saying that they have their back if a war starts 

• People knew that Russia and France would support Serbs, Germany would support Austro-Hungary, but unsure of Britain’s alliance  

• Germany did not believe that Russia was not ready to fight them at that point, and it’s in their best interest to fight the inevitable war sooner rather than later, so they don’t have time to gather resources   

Schlieffen Plan:

• Germany is geographically in the middle of their enemies France and Russia

• Lighting military attack on France, go through Belgium to get to Paris  

• Key to success: move fast so they don’t have to fight a two-front war 

France’s Plan 17 

Austria-Hungary gives ultimatum to Serbia on 23 July with deadline of July 25 for response 

• The Russians start to mobilize to possibly defend Serbia → this is not a declaration of war, but Germany takes it as if it is 

• On july 28, 1914, exactly one month after the assasination, Austro-Hungary declares war on Serbia  

• Germany declares war on Russia (1 August) and then on France and Belgium (3 August)  

The course of the war 

• Britain has 80 year old treaty with Belgium, had to protect them once Germany attacked  

• When the war began, people thought it would be short (assured their families it would be done by Christmas) 

• War begins with Germans advancing quickly through Belgium on a scale that nobody has seen before 

• 27,000 France soldiers died in one day  

Battle of the Marne, September 9, 1914 

• Germans fight very near Paris 

• France pushed them off further, became a bloody stalemate and Germany’s plan failed 

In the East: 

• Russia was able to mobilize and deploy troops much faster than Germany anticipated 

• Battle of Tannenberg- Germans captured Russian Prisoners  

Trench Warfare 

• The front end changes multiples times through the war 

• 25,000 miles of trenches dug along the Western front 

• Trenches are fundamentally defensive positions, machine guns, barbed wires. Advantage always to the defenders 

• Very little movement, war basically fought across a stable line across northern France and bit of Belgium 

• Germans thought they could out attrition the French; had higher birth rate and could withstand longer 

• On November 11, 1918, Germany asks to end the hostilities  

• The entire war was fought on French, Belgian, and Russian soils. Germany never had fighting on their land, but they surrendered. 

• Germany had to accept guilt for the war  

World War

By the time it was over, the war involved all of Europe and other international territories  

• British invade Iraq (Ottoman Empire territory) 

• German East Africa invaded  

• French troops from West Africa  

Total War 

• Machine gun fire  

• Gas masks - poisonous gas used for first time  

• 74 million soldiers mobilized during war  

• Death on scales unheard of before  

• The most brutal fighting was Austro-Hungarian Army to Serbs, especially to civilians 

• State had lot of duties- food rationing, healthcare, mobilize the economy 

- patriotic thing for civilians to buy war bonds

- to win a total war, you need money  

The Home Front 

• Two fronts for the first time- where the war is being fought and the women and children left at home  

• Women go into factories in unparallel numbers  

• Leads to an erosion between military combatants and civilians, the women making weapons were subject to targets of war   

New state practices 

Deportations 

• Subjects of Russian Empire who were ethnically Jewish were deported out 

Internment and Genocide 

• Armenians genocide by Austro-Hungarian empire

Wartime propaganda 

• More important because civilian roles in the war was more important 

Lecture 2

The End of the Autocracy:

• World War I and the Delegitimiaton of the Romanov Dynasty 

• Food shortages and the February Revolution, 1917  

• March 2, 1917: The abdication of the Tsar 

• Dual Power: Establishment of the Provisional Government and the Soviet (Council) of Workers and SOldiers’ Deputies

Russian Revolution of 1917 was a seismic event that reshaped global politics

• Overthrew the Romanov Dynasty, established the world’s first socialist state, sparked a civil war that devastated Russia 

• Led to establishment of the Soviet Union 

Romanov Dynasty Decline 

• The Romanov dynasty had ruled Russia since 1613 but faced increasing challenges to its authority in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

• Tsar Nicholas II, the last Romanov ruler, was seen as an ineffective leader who was out of touch with the needs of the Russian people

• The Romanov dynasty's resistance to political and social reforms contributed to growing opposition and revolutionary sentiment

Economic Hardships and Inequality: 

• Russia experienced significant economic challenges in the early 20th century, with widespread poverty, industrial backwardness, and uneven development

• The vast majority of the population consisted of impoverished peasants and industrial workers who faced harsh living and working conditions

• The concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a small elite (aristocracy and bourgeoisie) fueled resentment and calls for change

World War I Impact 

• The war led to massive military casualties, food shortages, and economic disruption, which further eroded support for the Tsarist regime

• The strains of the war effort exposed the inadequacies of the Russian government and military, leading to growing dissatisfaction and unrest

Influence of Revolutionary Ideologies:

• The spread of revolutionary ideologies, particularly Marxism (father of communism) and socialism, gained traction among Russian intellectuals and activists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

• These ideologies provided a framework for critiquing the existing social and political order and envisioning a radical transformation of society

• The writings and ideas of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and other revolutionary thinkers inspired and mobilized opposition movements seeking to overthrow the Tsarist system (Tsar held absolute power) 

1905 Revolution and aftermath

• The 1905 Revolution was a significant precursor to the 1917 revolutions, triggered by Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and the Bloody Sunday massacre of peaceful protesters

• Workers, peasants, and intellectuals engaged in widespread strikes, demonstrations, and uprisings demanding political reforms and improved living conditions

• Tsar Nicholas II was forced to make compromises, including the establishment of the State Duma (parliament) and limited civil liberties, but these reforms proved insufficient to address the underlying grievances

February Revolution of 1917

• The February Revolution began on March 8, 1917 with mass protests and strikes in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) amid wartime hardships and political discontent

• The Tsarist regime collapsed as soldiers and workers joined the uprising, leading to the formation of the Petrograd Soviet and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II

• A Provisional Government was established, consisting of liberal and moderate socialist leaders, which attempted to govern alongside the Petrograd Soviet in a system of dual power

October Revolution of 1917 , aka Bolshevik Revolution

• The October Revolution took place on November 7, 1917 when Bolshevik forces (red army, eventually became the Communist Party) led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power in Petrograd

• The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government and established a socialist government based on the soviets (workers' councils)

• The October Revolution marked the beginning of the Bolshevik consolidation of power and the establishment of a one-party communist state

Russian Civil War (1917-1922)

• The Russian Civil War was a multi-sided conflict that erupted in the aftermath of the October Revolution, pitting the Bolshevik Red Army against various anti-Bolshevik forces known as the White Army

• The civil war involved foreign intervention, with several countries supporting the White forces in an attempt to prevent the spread of communism

• The Bolsheviks ultimately emerged victorious, but the civil war resulted in widespread destruction, loss of life, and economic devastation

The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power in Russia during the October Revolution on October 25, 1917, overthrowing the Provisional Government.

White army: coalition of anti-Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War (1917-1922), opposing the Red Army, which represented the Bolsheviks. Composed of various groups, including monarchists, liberals, and socialists who rejected Bolshevik rule

Ukraine: The Red Army ended up controlling much of the Ukrainian territory after the Polish-Soviet Peace of Riga. On 30 December 1922, along with the Russian, Byelorussian and Transcaucasian republics, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Key figures:

Tsar Nicholas II

• Tsar Nicholas II was the last emperor of Russia, ruling from 1894 until his forced abdication (resignation) in March 1917 during the February Revolution

• Nicholas II was widely seen as a weak and ineffective leader who was resistant to political and social reforms, contributing to growing discontent and opposition to his rule

• His decision to enter World War I and the subsequent military defeats and economic hardships further eroded his support and legitimacy

Vladimir Lenin

• Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik Party and the key architect of the October Revolution and the establishment of Soviet power

• Lenin developed and promoted the theory of Marxism-Leninism, which emphasized the need for a disciplined revolutionary party to lead the working class in overthrowing capitalism and establishing a socialist state

• As the first leader of Soviet Russia, Lenin implemented sweeping political, economic, and social changes, including the nationalization of industry, land redistribution, and the suppression of opposition

Bolsheviks vs Mensheviks

The Bolsheviks and Mensheviks were two factions within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) that emerged in the early 20th century and played significant roles in the revolutionary events

Establishment of Soviet Union

• Established in 1922, a result of the earlier revolutions 

• Following the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks established a new government based on the system of soviets (workers' councils) and the principle of "all power to the soviets"

• The Bolsheviks disbanded the Constituent Assembly, and instead consolidated power in the hands of the Communist Party

Social and Cultural Changes

Shift in Social Hierarchy:

• The Russian Revolution aimed to overthrow the traditional social hierarchy based on aristocratic privilege and class divisions

• The Bolsheviks promoted the concept of a classless society, where the working class (proletariat) would hold political and economic power

• The Soviet government implemented policies to redistribute land, nationalize industry, and provide universal education and healthcare, seeking to create a more egalitarian society

• However, in practice, the Soviet system gave rise to a new hierarchy based on party membership, bureaucratic positions, and access to scarce resources and privileges

Role of women in revolution

• Many women were active in the Bolshevik Party and other revolutionary organizations, serving as organizers, agitators, and soldiers in the Red Army during the Civil War

• The Soviet government introduced progressive policies aimed at promoting gender equality, such as legal equality, divorce rights, and access to education and employment

• However, traditional gender roles persisted and female discrimination in Soviet society

What the October Revolution Gave Women Peasants: “Down with the Kitchen Slavery! Up with the new way of life”

• Maternal home 

• Soviet of Workers and Peasants’ Deputies 

• School for Adults 

• Day Care

• Library 

• Cafeteria 

• Women Workers’ Club 

Religion and the Church

• The Russian Revolution and the Soviet government adopted a hostile stance towards religion, particularly the Russian Orthodox Church, which had close ties to the Tsarist regime

• The Bolsheviks promoted atheism and sought to undermine the influence of religion in society, viewing it as a tool of oppression and an obstacle to progress

• The Soviet government confiscated church property, closed monasteries and religious schools, and persecuted religious leaders and believers

• Despite official repression, religious faith and practice persisted among some segments of the population, often in underground or unofficial forms