the russian revolution russia before the revolution the causes of the revolution the key players the...

The Russian Revolution

• Russia before the Revolution

• The Causes of the Revolution

• The Key players

• The events of the revolution

• The impact of the revolution

What were the Causes of the Russian Revolution?

Russia before the Revolution

Government• the ruler of Russia was Tsar Nicholas II (1894 – 1917)• everything that happened in Russia was his responsibility • He believed he was chosen by God and therefore was

answerable to nobody (an absolute monarch)• The civil service was poorly educated and corrupt

Economy• The majority of the population works in agriculture• Investment in industry during late 1800s was late

compared to many other European nations

Society• Russian Society was dominated by a rural peasant class

that had only recently been freed from serfdom• An increasing urban proletariat worked in the factories

suffering from poor wages and conditions

Government• the ruler of Russia

was Tsar Nicholas II (1894 – 1917)

• He was an absolute monarch

Economy• Agricultural based

economy

Society• Increasing urban

workforce



Russia was still a feudal society with the mass majority of the population working on the land as peasants


In 1904 the Russo-Japanese war begins

This was a European power versus an Asian power


The yellow peril


By 1905 Russia has been humiliated by the war

This shows how backward the country is and weakens support for the Czar


A practice run – the Revolution of 1905

In December 1904, a strike occurred at the Putilov railway plant

George Gapon led a huge workers' procession to the Winter Palace to deliver a petition

The troops guarding the Winter Palace who had been ordered to tell the demonstrators not to pass a certain point, according to Sergei Witte, opened fire on them, which resulted in 200 (according to Witte) to 1000 deaths. This is remembered as Bloody Sunday, January 22 1905

In December 1904 guards protecting the Winter Palace open fire on demonstrators asking for change

This is remembered as Bloody Sunday


A practice run – the Revolution of 1905

• Sailors from the Potemkin Battleship mutiny• Liberals formed the Kadet party - a Russian

political party advocating a radical change in Russian government toward a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain’s.

• Workers and Marxists created the Petersburg soviet - an organ to coordinate workers' strike activities

Naval units mutiny

Liberals formed the Kadet party

Workers and Marxists created the Petersburg soviet


The October Manifesto

• Nicholas II is forced to make concessions and agrees to the October Manifesto in October 30, 1905

- Civil liberties - Freedom of speech - Freedom of assembly - No laws to be introduced without the agreement of the Duma

Nicholas survives as the army remains loyal

He also makes concessions


Why did the Czar survive?

• His opponents were not united• He made a compromise at a

critical moment• The army remained loyal


The Russian Constitution of 1906Known as the Fundamental Laws [April 23, 1906].

The autocracy of the Russian Tsar was declared.

The Czar was supreme over the law, the church, and the Duma.

It confirmed the basic human rights granted by the October Manifesto, BUT made them subordinate to the supremacy of the law.

Despite the promises of the October Manifesto the new constitution still gave all power to the Czar


The first Dumas of 1906 -7 were to revolutionary for the Czar and he quickly closed them down

After a change in the rules, the third and fourth Dumas were more loyal

The Opening of the Duma: Possible Reforms?

The First Duma had a left majority consisting of Socialist-revolutionaries, Mensheviks, Bolsheviks, Octobrists and Constitutional Democrat Party.

At their first meeting, members of the Duma put forward a series of demands including the release of political prisoners, trade union rights and land reform.

Nicholas II rejected all these proposals and dissolved the Duma in July, 1906.

Fixing the election

After the second Duma consisted of revolutionary groupings, Stolypin, the Csar’s chief minister changed the rules so that loyal members were elected in the majority in the third Duma

The Fourth Duma continued the policy of the Third Duma. Soon after the outbreak of the First World War the Duma voted to support Nicholas II and his government.

When the Bolshevik deputies voted against the government on this issue, they were arrested, had their property confiscated and sent to Siberia.


The Russian War Effort

In the first major battle of the war the Russian 1st and 2nd army was destroyed by a much smaller German army at the battle of Tannenberg.

By December, 1914, the Russian Army had 6,553,000 men. However, they only had 4,652,000 rifles. Untrained troops were ordered into battle without adequate arms or ammunition.

In 1915 Russia suffered over 2 million casualties and lost Kurland, Lithuania and much of Belorussia. Agricultural production slumped and civilians had to endure serious food shortages.

Russian army fails to win first major battle despite having a larger army

Despite preparation for war many Russian soldiers were not properly equipped or armed

Russian lost millions of men in the first years of the war


The Russian War Effort

In September 1915, Nicholas II replaced Grand Duke Nikolai as supreme commander of the Russian Army fighting on the Eastern Front.

The country's incompetent and corrupt system could not supply the necessary equipment to enable the Russian Army to fight a modern war. By 1917 over 1,300,000 men had been killed in battle, 4,200,000 wounded and 2,417,000 had been captured by the enemy.

Nicholas II takes control of the war effort and is blamed for Russia’s failures

The government is clearly too incompetent to organize the war effort and casualties run into the millions

With the Czar on the front line, the Czarina and Rasputin controlled government policy in the cities. Together they took a strong line with any dissent.

The Czarina and Rasputin take control of government with the Czar away


Trouble in the Cities

By January 1917 the price of commodities in Petrograd had increased six-fold. In an attempt to increase their wages, industrial workers went on strike and in Petrograd people took to the street demanding food.

On 11th February, 1917, a large crowd marched through the streets of Petrograd breaking shop windows and shouting anti-war slogans.

Women go on strike demanding bread

Other strikers join the protests on the street demanding higher wages



The situation deteriorated on 22nd February when the owners of the Putilov Iron Works locked out its workforce after they demanded higher wages.

Led by Bolshevik agitators, the 20,000 workers took to the streets. The army was ordered to disperse the demonstrations but they were unwilling to do this and in some cases the soldiers joined the protestors in demanding an end to the war.

Increasing numbers of protestors join the demonstrations



On 26th February Nicholas II ordered the Duma to close down. Members refused and they continued to meet and discuss what they should do.

Michael Rodzianko, President of the Duma, sent a telegram to the Czar suggesting that he appoint a new government led by someone who had the confidence of the people.

When the Czar did not reply, the Duma nominated a Provisional Government headed by Prince George Lvov.

The Czar orders the Duma closed down

Instead the Duma asks the Czar to appoint a new government

The Czar fails to respond and the Duma appoints a new leader



27th February an estimated 200,000 workers were on strike. Nicholas II, who was at Army Headquarters in Mogilev, ordered the commander of the Petrograd garrison to suppress "all the disorders on the streets of the capital".

28th February troops fired on demonstrators in different parts of the city. Others refused to obey the order and the Pavlovsk regiment mutinied. Others regiments followed and soldiers joined the striking workers in the streets.

The failure of the army to end the riots was the beginning of the end

Army units continue to mutiny in support of the revolution



The Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers Deputies was re-convened on 27th February. In the early months the soviet was dominated by the Mensheviks (more liberal in their demands for change)

Soldiers, as well as industrial workers, played an important role in the soviets established in 1917.

Every battalion (250 men) had the right to elect one deputy in Petrograd. Whereas there was one deputy for every 1,000 workers.

The Petrograd Soviet is reestablished in February 1917

The Soviet allowed all people the chance to vote for a representative



The High Command of the Russian Army now feared a violent revolution and on 28th February suggested that Nicholas II should abdicate in favour of a more popular member of the royal family.

Attempts were now made to persuade Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich to accept the throne. He refused.

1st March, 1917, the Czar abdicated leaving the Provisional Government in control of the country.

The Russian army asks the Czar to abdicate

The Czar abdicates in favour of the provisional government

Revolution from below or the failure of leadership?

Mini-Debate (five groups) • Each group is to split into two sections

– One group argues that it was a revolution from below– Another group argues that it was a failure from above

• You have 30 minutes to come up with your argument– You are to use your notes and any information you find on-line

• Each side will be asked to provide their point to the class– All points will be written on the board– The class will vote at the end using a spectrum debate

The Key players

The Bolsheviks: the leadership was not in Russia and had no real power to influence things. Politically active members of the rank and file affected the crowds.

Petrograd: the only city in which major unrest challenges the Tsar’s authority. Is this really a rebellion?

The police and army: Unwilling to continue fighting the protestors many of whom are against the war and want better conditions.

The Duma: willing to support the Tsar as long as he makes concessions. When these are not forthcoming they provide an alternative centre of power.

Ministers and Generals: incompetent and unwilling to force concessions on the Tsar, at the end they give in rather than fight.

Protestors: their biggest impact was to affect the support of the army and the police already tired of war.

The Bolsheviks:

Petrograd:

The police and army:

The Duma:

Ministers and Generals:

Protestors:

Street demonstration, Petrograd, 18 June 1917. The banner in the foreground reads “Down With The 10 Capitalist Ministers/ All Power To The Soviets Of Workers’, Soldiers’, And Peasants’ Deputies/ And To The Socialist Ministers/ [We Demand That Nicholas II Be Transfered To The Peter-Paul Fortress.”

the russian revolution russia before the revolution the causes of the revolution the key players the...

Documents

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russian revolution russia

revolution government

russian government

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