Russian Revolution Flashcards

The 1905 Revolution

• Politically: Russia remained in the 18th century due to its absolutist structure until 1905.

• Economically: Russia started to modernize, largely due to Sergei Witte.- Witte was the Finance Minister from 1892-1903.

  • He put the Russian currency (ruble) on the gold standard, similar to other top currencies (Pound, Dollar, French Franc).

  • Witte increased taxes for peasants and workers and introduced tariffs on imports.

  • Russia relied heavily on foreign direct investment through loans, which were partly invested in industry and railways.

  • Russia had to pay higher interest rates on loans, incentivizing top powers to lend to them.

  • Between 1890:-

    • Coal production tripled.

    • Iron ore production increased 3.5x.

Social Changes

• Working Class:-

  • By 1897, 14 million people identified as working class (12% of the population).

  • Over half worked in factories in large cities.

  • Working conditions were poor: low pay, long hours, no trade unions.

  • The increase in the working class posed a challenge to the regime due to unfair treatment.

• Peasants:-

  • Had grievances resulting from emancipation.

  • They bore the brunt of taxes and resented it.

  • Demanded direct ownership of land, elimination of redemption payments, fairer tax systems, and the right to vote.

  • The 1789 Revolution began as a tax revolt.

  • Bad harvests encouraged revolution.

• Nobility:-

  • Unhappy with relinquishing control of around 1/3 of their land due to emancipation.

• Middle Class:-

  • Disliked being shut out of power and wanted a constitution and free press.

  • They preferred to join the system and exclude workers.

Reasons for Rebellion - Short Term Causes

• Trade recession began in 1899, increasing unemployment and illegal strikes.

• More people occupied the countryside, pressuring land ownership ('land hunger').

• Between 1877-1905, the rural population increased by 1/4, and the average size of a peasant's land holding decreased by 20%.

• The percentage of the population working in agriculture decreased from 74% to 72% between 1880-1913.

• 1901 brought bad harvests, leading to higher food prices and inflation.

Nationalism

• The Russian Empire was multicultural, but many groups wanted independence.

• The regime pursued Russification, leading to discrimination against non-Russian groups.-

  • The Jewish population was forced to live in the Pale of Settlement.

  • Additional taxes were enforced and attacks (pogroms) were carried out.

• 1904 – Russo-Japanese War-

  • Occurred over territorial disputes regarding Korea and Manchuria.

  • The events proved to be national humiliation for Russia.

  • Much of its navy was sunk in the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.

  • This presented the government as incompetent and strengthened public fury.

• Mirsky's Appointment-

  • July 1904 – Mirsky took over as Interior Minister after Plehve's assassination.

  • Mirsky allowed a Zemstva meeting in November in St. Petersburg.-

    • 40% of its members were directly elected (peasants), but mostly dominated by local nobles.

  • The council demanded a constitution.

  • There was a growing sense of crisis in Russia.

• Strikes-

  • Early 1905 – An extremely harsh winter led to illegal strikes.

  • The first strike occurred within the Putilov Armaments Factory, calling for food and political reform.

• Bloody Sunday-

  • January 22, 1905, Bloody Sunday occurred, led by Father Gapon.

  • Peaceful protestors marched to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, seeking reforms.

  • Imperial forces opened fire, leading to over 200 deaths, 800 injuries, and nearly 7000 arrests.

  • News of the massacre spread across Russia, causing anarchy over the next 12 months.

Reforms of 1905

• Tsar's Response-

  • February 18, 1905 – Tsar Nicholas asked for public suggestions and offered an advisory assembly.

  • Liberal groups formed the umbrella organization 'Union of Unions'.

• University Autonomy-

  • August 27 – Minister of Labour, Alexander Trepov, granted universities autonomy, leading to student and lecturer protests.

• St. Petersburg Soviet-

  • October 13 – The St. Petersburg Soviet was established, led by Menshevik, Trotsky.

  • In December 1905, the Soviet was broken up, and Trotsky was imprisoned.

  • An Electoral Law was passed, artificially weighted in favor of the aristocracy.

• October Manifesto-

  • October 17 – Nicholas published the October Manifesto.

  • It attempted to bribe the opposition and seemed to agree to protestors' demands, such as:-

    • Freedom of press, speech, and conscience

    • No arbitrary arrests

    • Formation of political parties

  • It established a national assembly – the Duma – the first of which met in 1906 (4 total before 1914).

  • No reforms were made for the workers, isolating them.

• Limitations on the Duma-

  • February 1906 – The Tsar stated that the State Council would become the Second Chamber, able to veto anything passed by the Duma.-

    • The Second Chamber had 189 members, all elected by the Tsar.

  • The Regime obtained a large loan from France in 1906, meaning it did not need the Duma to approve its taxes.

• Fundamental Laws-

  • April 23, 1906 – The Fundamental Laws were published, stating:-

    • The Tsar could veto any law.

    • The Tsar could close the Duma whenever he wanted.

    • If the Duma was not in session, the Tsar could still issue laws by decree.

    • The Tsar had total control over foreign policy.

Was the Regime Stable or Unstable by 1914?

• Peter Stolypin-

  • Elected Prime Minister in 1906, remained in position until his death in 1911.

  • Determined to issue a combination of repressions and concessions.

  • Many ringleaders of the 1905 Revolution were executed in the period known as 'Stolypin’s Necktie'.

• Stolypin’s Reforms-

  • PEASANTS:-

    • Stolypin eliminated redemption payments, lifting the burden off peasants.

    • Aimed to consolidate peasant strips of land into large farms, creating a new rich class of super-peasants known as 'kulaks'.-

      • These peasants could use new fertilizer and technology, encouraging innovation.

    • The Peasants Land Bank provided loans to peasants to turn their leaseholds into freeholds.

    • The reform lacked sufficient financial support and time and was abandoned after Stolypin’s assassination.

    • Peasants largely remained dissatisfied.

  • WORKERS:-

    • Happy that trade unions were legalized and socialist political parties were formed.

    • This was limited due to the state's ability to call upon the military.

• Lena Goldfields Massacre – April 17, 1912-

  • Workers carried out a strike demanding reduced hours, increased wages, and better food.

  • Military troops were sent in to arrest strike committee members.

  • 270 were killed, and 250 were wounded.

  • In April 1912, there were 700 strikes across the country, triggering working-class discontent.-

    • 1400 strikes took place across 1905.

    • 1918 strikes in 1912.

  • MIDDLE CLASS:-

    • Mostly satisfied with reforms, especially the ability to form political parties.

    • Unhappy with fundamental laws, as the Dumy lacked real power.-

      • Nicholas' impatience led to constant Duma shutdowns.

      • Duma created the illusion of political stability for loans.

      • The last Duma was from 1912-1917, continuing even after WWI.

      • The Duma massively overrepresented the aristocracy compared to workers.

    • The middle class remained discontented.

The Outbreak of WWI

• The Russian Empire bordered Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1914.

• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy had allied with the Triple Alliance of 1882.

• Russia made a military alliance with France in 1894, known as the Franco-Russian alliance.

• By 1914, the Russian Army was unfit to declare war on Germany.

• Germany’s Schlieffen Plan in 1915:-

  • If war broke out, Germany would send most of its army west, defeat France in 6 weeks, and tackle Russia.

  • Relied on Germany mobilizing first.

• Assassination of Franz Ferdinand-

  • Franz Ferdinand and his wife were murdered on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo.

• Austria's Ultimatum-

  • Austria delivered the ultimatum to Serbia in July.-

    • They drew up a list of 10 demands and gave Serbia 48 hours to reply.

    • Serbia accepted 9 of the 10 demands.

    • Austria declared war.

• War Declarations-

  • On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

  • Nicholas II authorized mobilization of the Russian army two days later.

  • On July 31, German emperor Wilhelm II threatened Tsar Nicholas.

  • From July 23 to August 4, the British government attempted peace talks.-

    • Russia and Serbia agreed, but Germany and Austria refused.

  • Germany declared war on Russia.

  • German troops invaded Luxembourg and gave an ultimatum to Belgium.-

    • The Belgians turned to the British, reminding them of the 1839 Treaty of Westminster.

  • On August 3, Germany invaded Belgium and declared war.

  • Italy stayed neutral, later joining the British and French in May 1915.

  • On August 4, Britain declared war on Germany.

  • On August 6, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia.

• Initial Enthusiasm-

  • Initially, the war was met with enthusiasm, but the feeling didn’t last.

Impact of WWI on Russia

• Early Invasions-

  • Arguably, Russia’s quick mobilization contributed to German defeat.

• Defeats-

  • Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff inflicted great defeats.-

    • In the Battle of Tannenberg (August 26-30, 1914), Germany lost 14,000 soldiers, but Russia lost 170,000.

    • The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes (September 2-16, 1914) cost Germany 50,000 soldiers and Russia 125,000.

• Nicholas II as Commander-in-Chief-

  • Following the Great Retreat in 1915, Nicholas II became commander-in-chief of the Russian army which was a blunder.-

    • It took him away from St. Petersburg and appointed his wife Alexandra to resume his role.-

      • She was German, damaging reputationally.

      • The press promoted the idea that she was in league with the German government.

      • She was untrained and made multiple mistakes.

    • Nicholas had no military training.

• Economic Suffering-

  • Russia’s losses led to immense economic suffering.

  • During 1916-1917, inflation gripped the country.

Causes of the February 1917 Revolution

• Inflation:-

  • Russia suffered hyperinflation during the war.-

    • In 1914, 98% of Russia’s bank notes were backed by gold.

  • Between 1914-1917, the state spent over 1.5 billion rubles on the war.-

    • To pay for this, taxes and borrowing increased.

    • Wages doubled, but prices quadrupled.

    • Living standards were hit.

• Food Shortages:-

  • Russia was producing enough food, but it was diverted away from cities.-

    • The army had priority over food and railway access.

  • Most farmers were peasants called up to fight.

  • By 1916, there was a fall in food production.-

    • Grain-hoarding occurred, driving prices up.

    • This led to famine, particularly in Petrograd.

  • More people migrated to towns and cities searching for food, causing overcrowding.

• Transportation Problems:-

  • The railway system descended into chaos.

  • This led to difficulty in transporting goods across the country.

  • The Tsar was blamed.

Events of the February 1917 Revolution

• Strikes-

  • On February 18, workers of the Putilov Factory announced a strike to demand higher wages.

  • Strikes were triggered by rumors that bread rations were going to be cut.

  • On February 23, Putilov protestors were joined by female protestors for International Women’s Day.-

    • Around 200,000 people filled the streets.

  • By February 25, there were strikes across the entire city.

• Tsar's Response-

  • The Tsar ordered the commander of the Petrograd garrison to suppress the rioting by force.

  • The Duma was ordered to shut down, but 12 Duma deputies refused and formed a provisional government.

• Kerensky's Role-

  • Kerensky (a Marxist) was made Minister of Justice on March 3.

• Petrograd Soviet-

  • On February 27, the Petrograd Soviet was established.-

    • Menshevik’s and Socialist Revolutionaries took part.

    • Kerensky was elected vice-chairman.

    • The Bolsheviks did not.

• Nicholas' Abdication-

  • Nicholas II left Mogilev on February 28 but never arrived in Petrograd.

  • The trains were diverted due to strikes.

• Soldier Mutiny-

  • On March 11, soldiers began to refuse orders.-

    • They shot officers or fired into the sky instead of at the protesting mob.

  • On March 2, Nicholas II abdicated, and his brother declined the crown a day later.-

    • This ended the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty.

Dual Authority

• Between March and October 1917, Russia fell under dual authority.-

  • 1 – The provisional government-

    • Comprised of middle- and upper-class deputies of the Duma.

    • It incorporated a number of different parties, but NOT the Mensheviks or Bolsheviks.

    • The first Prime Minister was Prince Lvov.

    • The provisional government lacked legitimacy.

  • 2 – Petrograd Soviet-

    • Comprised of Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, and Socialist Revolutionaries.

    • The provisional government agreed to the first decree of the Petrograd Soviet.-

      • Orders from the provisional government would only be respected if the Soviet agrees with them.

• Cooperation and Tension-

  • The two bodies agreed to work together until national elections.-

    • Both agreed on laws including:-

      • An 8-hour workday

      • Civil and Religious freedom

      • Amnesty for prisoners

      • Legalization of trade unions

      • The right to strike

  • Tensions emerged over land reforms and the war.

Lenin's Return and the Bolshevik Revolution

• German Involvement-

  • Feb march 1917 – German government had been bankrolling the Bolsehivks for years.

• Lenin's Return-

  • 1917 - Germany offered Lenin (Switzerland rn) transport to Russia, wanting him to rebel, get Russia and stop the war

  • Lenin agrees, traveling back on the sealed train. Reutrns 4th September 1917

• Lenin's Theses-

  • In April 1917 Lenin returned and publishes 10 theses talking about his ideas/views.-

    • They condemned the provisional government as a “parliamentary bourgeouis republic”

    • It called for the overthrow of the government.

• Lenin's Slogan-

  • “Peace, Bread, Land, all power to the Soviets” was Lenin’s slogan:

• Problem 1: Provisional Government's Insistence on War-

  • They insist on keeping Russia in the war – casualties, war weariness, and defeatism increase.

  • Due to public discontent, the provisional government have to commit to a change in personnel in May 1917.

  • The June Offensive of 1917 led to a number of deaths, discrediting the government in the eyes of the Soviets.

  • Importantly, Kerensky appoints Lavr Kornilov the Supreme Commander in Chief at the end of July.

• Problem 2: Land Issues-

  • The Peasantry were directly seizing control of land.

  • Lenin allows this to gain support for the time being.

• Problem 3: The July Days-

  • The July Days were a period of unrest in Petrograd, between 16-20 July 1917.

  • The uprising was a failure, as the government had enough troops in Petrograd to suppress it.

  • In reponse to the July Days, the government attempts to re-establish itself as a strong authority by through severe measures:-

    • Trotsky (along with many other leading Bolsheviks) was imprisoned.

    • However, Lenin flees to Finland and successfully went into hiding.

    • Kerensky reintroduces the death penalty for military desertion.

• The Kornilov Affair-

  • The Kornilov Affair of late August was a forceful organisation in which Commander-in -Chief Kornilov travelled with soldiers to restore law and order in Petrograd.

  • Kerensky turns to the Soviets to defend the city from Kornilov and soldiers.-

    • Kerensky must release all the imprisoned Bolsheviks and grant them weapons…which he does. (fckn idiot)

  • Kerensky turns to the Soviets to defend the city from Kornilov and soldiers.

• Rise of Trotsky-

  • He is chairman of the Petrograd Soviets

  • And the chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee, which includes soldiers.

• Bolshevik Seizure of Power-

  • He has contacts in the army, and with the Kronstadt sailors.

  • On the 27th October, Lenin announces to congress of Soviets that the Bolsheviks had seized power from the provisional government for the sake of the people

REASONS FOR THE BOLSHEVIKS’ SUCCESS

• All parties except the Bolsheviks had either joined or cooperated with the provisional government.

• All parties except the Bolsheviks supported WW1

• The lack of tradition of party politics made it easy for Lenin to ban other parties and make Russia a one-party state.

• Keresnky’s decision to release the Bolsheviks from prison aided success hugely.

• The Bolshevik’s were united and dedicated to the same cause – their rivals were not.

• The provisional government was only ever meant to be temporary due to the expected national elections in November

• The provisional government was very half-hearted and delayed the suppression of the Bolsheviks