In-Depth Notes on the Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution: Key Concepts, Events, and Impacts

Introduction

The Russian Revolution significantly altered both Russia's internal structure and global dynamics. The revolution unfolded in two major phases: the February Revolution and the October Revolution, leading to the rise of communism under Lenin and later Stalin.

Vocabulary Glossary

  • Communism: A political and economic ideology seeking to establish a classless society where the means of production are communally owned.

  • Bloody Sunday: A pivotal event in 1905 when peaceful protesters were shot by troops in St. Petersburg, catalyzing widespread unrest and revolution.

  • Civil Liberties: Personal freedoms protected from governmental infringement.

  • Duma: Russia’s Legislature (4 different Duma)

  • Serfs: Peasants tied to nobles land

  • Radical: individuals/group that seeks fundamental change or revolution

  • Emancipation: freedom from the restraint and power of another

  • Mutinied: rebel

Page 2: Lenin's Return and the Fall of the Czar

  • Czar Nicholas 2 was at the front rallying troops and he got news that a strike in Petrograd happened

    -Aids said it was all ok and the weather would shoo protestors away but the strike just spread and thousands gathered on the streets

    -Duma sent letter to Nicholas saying it was bad now

  • He sent army to restore order, it didn’t work, and so Duma told him he had to step down as czar to stop this

    -He tried to abdicate and give throne to brother Michael, he rejected, and the over 300 years of Russian czar monarchy ended

  • Vladimir Lenin's Return (April 1917):

    - News of abdication reached Vladmir Lenin, exiled Russian revolutionary, in Switzerland

    +He disliked the class-bias legal system and Russ gov

  • He returned secretly to Russia through Germany with their support of train passage and money

    +Germany and Russia war enemy, But Lenin said he would take Russia out of war if he gains power there

Page 3: The Czar's Absolute Rule

  • Autocracy of Czars: The czars had absolute power without constitutional limitations, Unlike most European nations who gradually limited monarch’s power

  • Social Structure:

  • Russia behind rest of Europe in social/economic development

    -Indus rev came late to them and by 1900’s, most of economic structure still mainly based on agriculture

    -significant population living as impoverished peasants; about 80% were rural laborers farming on small tracts living in grinding poverty; 20% of nation farmland had large estates owned by wealthy nobles

  • industrilization+city growth give oppertunities to entrepenurs, managers, engineers, and educated professionals

    -they created Russias 1st middle class; they chafed at their lack of power in gov

Page 4: Legacy of Czar Alexander II

  • Abolition of Serfdom (1861): Czar Alexander II abolished serfdom which the other European nations had stopped long ago, expecting socio-economic improvement. However, this led to widespread disappointment among peasants due to land payment requirements and dissatisfaction among nobles.

    -Alexander 2 take throne in 1855

  • Crimean War convinced Alexander II to free serfs; Russia defeated by forces of GB, Ottoman Turks, and France, revealing how advanced western Euro is compared to Russia

    -Also prove that Russia has to reform self to stay competitive with powerful Western nations; free serfs was significant reform

  • Peasants dissapointed by emancipation; expected to get their land that ancestors had farmed on centuries ago. But those who got land had to pay for it

  • Emancipation also made nobles unhappy; altho they are paid for the land given to peasents, they have no use of future income from it

    -some went bankrupt -some sold land and moved cities where they build factory and start other businesses

  • Nobels also upset bcs they have lack of political power

    -pressured Alexander II to make assembly to rep wealthy and educated ppl in Russ society

    -Alexander II said no and made regional assemblies to deal with local issues

    +all classes have a voice in the assemblies and electing the members

Page 5: Revolutionary Movements

  • Educational Reforms by Alexander II:

    -Made other reforms like changing edu system so more could attend school

    -relaxed laws that made speaking agasint the gov a crime

  • Caused revolutionary groups that want to overthrow the gov to form

    -members from the Intelligentsia: The educated class that began to question the government, forming revolutionary groups. Initial efforts to connect with peasants were largely unsuccessful.

    -most members no revolutionaries but many revolutionaries came out if it

  • Revolutionary’s saw peasants as best source of change

    -many peasents lived in villages where they owned the land jointly, and was redistributed based on families needs

  • 1873&74, uni students went to the villages to get the peasents to revolt

    -many didn’t understand what they trynna do, didn’t want to, and just didn’t like city kids telling them what to do

    -100’s of the stduents were arrested and sent to live in remote parts of empire

  • Studets failure cause great change in the revolutionary movement; groups split into 3

    - 1 group remained relying on peasents for revo action/change

    -2nd group went to focus on urban factory workers

    -3rd group gave up on influencing other and truned to terrorism

  • the government crackdown the stduets started, drove them underground

Page 6: Assassination of Alexander II and Its Aftermath

  • People’s Will: On of the terrorist groups assassinated Alexander II in 1881, leading to a harsher crackdown by his son, Alexander III

    -He greatly reduced educationl opp, reduced power of regional assemblies, and brought the peasents villages under closer control

    -increase censorship and surveillance on revolutionary groups, kept in check for next 10 yrs

  • Alexander III die in 1894, suceeded by his son Nicholas II

    -Did not inspire the fear and respect his father commanded

    -had few political ideas beyond protecting his power as czar

    -Angered many moderate reformers; rapid changes in Russ create conditions for more radical movements

Page 7: The Rise of Political Parties

  • Population Dynamics: By 1900, rapid urbanization transformed Russia’s demographics, leading to a new working class. Widespread poverty among workers intensified the revolutionary fervor.

  • 1850-1900, Russia population doubled

  • Russia factory workers in 1850 1.4 mill → 3.1 mill in 1913

  • Total working-class population (counting non-agricultural workers) abt 15 mil by 1913 = 4× 1860’s

  • Most industrial workers were once peasents; indus workers workerd long 12-14 hrs for low pay in unsafe and nasty conditions

    -lived in small tenants with several other families, also dirty

  • Workers believed there has to be a change in the gov before their conditions can improve

    -St. Peterburg and Moscow has high percentage of workers; give them political strength -Rev leaders saw indus workers as great potential source of rev

  • Political Parties

  • 1900, Revolutionary and reforms turned into formal political parties

    -became legal in 1905, but stayed secret at first

  • Socialist Rev Party: founded 1901; want czar overthrow, redistribution of, land to all peasants, believe that Russian society be based on socialism and equality found in peasant commune villages

  • Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party/Social Democrats: Founded 1898; believe Russ future lay with industrilization and society built around the indus working-class, views based on radical 19th cent thinker Karl Marx

    -they couldn’t agree on how to apply Marx ideas to bring a socialist rev in Russia so they split into two parties in 1903;

    -Lenin lead the Bolsheviks; the majority, Mensheviks is the minority; several groups that didn’t unite

  • Constitutional Democratic Party(Kadets): Formed 1905; reformers who opposed to socialism and revolution, Russia’s main moderate political party through 1905-17

Page 8: Marxism and Leninism

  • Marxist Ideology: Karl Marx predicted a proletariat revolution to establish a socialist state. Lenin adapted these ideas to fit Russia's unique conditions, coining the term Leninism.

  • Karl Marx: believe that the bourgeoisie (upper class/richs) took advatnage of the proletariat (working class) in order to make profit

    -predicted that when workers were pushes deep into poverty, they would revolt and make socialist state where ppl would collectly own means of production

    +classes society emerge without need of gov; communism

Page 9: Formation of Political Parties

  • Socialist Revolutionary Party: Advocated land redistribution and the overthrow of the czar, aiming to establish a socialist state.

  • Social Democratic Workers’ Party: Divided into the Bolsheviks (led by Lenin) and Mensheviks, focusing on the working class's role in the revolution.

Page 10: Bloody Sunday and 1905 Revolution

  • Triggering Events: Heavy discontent led to Bloody Sunday in 1905, where troops fired on peaceful protestors. This catalyzed the 1905 Revolution, with widespread strikes and protests.

Page 11: Government Response

  • Formation of Duma: Nicholas II established the Duma in response to unrest; however, the government maintained control, resulting in continued discontent among the populace.

Page 12: Growing Unrest and Repression

  • Persisting Unrest: Although repression slowed protests temporarily, the core issues of worker dissatisfaction remained.

Page 13: Impact of World War I

  • War Strains: The outbreak of WWI placed immense pressure on Russian society. Economic hardships led to increasing anti-war sentiments by 1916, contributing to revolutionary efforts.

Page 14: The February Revolution

  • Initiation: Protests began in February 1917, led by women over food shortages. The Provisional Government formed when Nicholas II abdicated.

Page 15: The October Revolution

  • Bolshevik Control: Gaining support, the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government in October 1917, marking a significant shift in power.

Page 16: Transition of Power

  • Quiet Takeover: Bolshevik forces strategically seized control throughout key points in Petrograd, resulting in minimal conflict during the takeover.

Page 17: Establishment of Communist Rule

  • Formation of Government: The new government, dominated by the Bolsheviks, quickly implemented socialist policies, redistributing land and nationalizing industries.

Page 18: Civil War and Opposition Forces

  • Civil War (1918-1921): The Bolsheviks (Reds) faced opposition from various factions (Whites) and foreign interventions, complicating the struggle for power.

Page 19: Red Terror and War Communism

  • Harsh Measures: To maintain control during the civil war, the Bolsheviks implemented strict policies (like the Red Terror), executing perceived enemies and suppressing dissent.

Page 20: Formation of the USSR

  • Post-War Structure: By 1922, the Bolsheviks established the USSR, combining several self-governing republics into a unified state despite civil unrest.

Page 21: Food Distribution Crisis

  • Economic Challenges: War communism led to significant food shortages and discontent among the populace, exacerbating hardships.

Page 22: Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP)

  • Economic Shift (1921): Recognizing the need for reform, the NEP relaxed strict state controls, allowing private enterprise in agricultural sectors while maintaining government control over major industries.

Page 23: Summary

  • Key Outcomes: The revolution transitioned power from a czarist autocracy to a communist regime, modifying Russia's social structures and economic practices. Peasants gained new status as society's backbone, achieving a semblance of equality, while the upper classes faced severe repression and decline.