Russian Revolution, Lenin & Stalin

Causes of the 1917 Russian Revolution

  • Weakness of Tsar Nicholas II: Absolute monarch with total power, used secret police (Okrana), faced censorship, undemocratic rule.
  • Discontent of workers: Poor conditions in industrial towns, low pay, illegal strikes led to violence.
  • Discontent of peasants: Poverty, lack of land after being freed in 1861.
  • Failure of the Duma: Tsar dismissed Dumas that criticized him, maintaining control.
  • Russian failures in World War I: Poorly equipped army, Tsar's poor command, low morale, desertions.
  • Rasputin and scandal: Undermined royal family's prestige through influence over Tsarina Alexandra.
  • Opposition of Communists: Believed in Marx's class struggle, Bolsheviks led by Lenin sought to seize power.
  • February Revolution 1917: Spontaneous uprising due to food riots and war failures, Tsar abdicated.

Lenin’s Imposition of Communist Control (1917-1924)

  • Abandonment of Constituent Assembly: Lenin shut it down after the Bolsheviks didn't gain a majority.
  • The Cheka: Secret police force, suppressed anti-communists, launched the Red Terror.
  • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918: Russia lost land to Germany, but Lenin prioritized retaining power.
  • Civil War 1918-1921: Communists (Reds) vs. opponents (Whites), Reds won due to White divisions.
  • Execution of Tsar Nicholas II: Romanovs executed in July 1918 to prevent them becoming a rallying point for the Whites.
  • War Communism: State control of factories, grain seizures from peasants, led to famine.
  • Kronstadt Revolt 1921: Sailors revolted against Lenin, leading to relaxation of War Communism.
  • New Economic Policy (NEP): Relaxed War Communism, allowed private ownership and free markets, improved economy.

Stalin's Rule in the USSR (1928-1941)

  • Power Struggle: Following Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin and Trotsky engaged in a power struggle.
  • Stalin's Success: Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party giving him power to appoint members.
  • Purges and Propaganda: Stalin conducted purges (1934-1938), used NKVD, created a cult of personality.
  • Collectivization: Forced joining of farms, targeted Kulaks, resulted in famine and deaths.
    • Grain 1928 =73.3= 73.3 million tons, 1934 =67.6= 67.6 million tons
    • Cattle 1929 =70.5= 70.5 million, 1934 =42.4= 42.4 million
    • Pigs 1928 =26= 26 million, 1934 =22.6= 22.6 million
    • Sheep and goats 1928 =146.7= 146.7 million, 1934 =51.9= 51.9 million
  • Five Year Plans: State-controlled industrial development, increased production, but with forced labor.
  • Impacts of Stalin’s rule: Purges, executions, forced labor, but also industrialization and social programs.
  • The Great Patriotic War: After Germany attacked the USSR in 1941, Stalin defended against Germany.
    • The final victory in 1945 was due to the leadership of Stalin by the Soviet propaganda machine.