The Russian RevolutionThe Russian RevolutionBackground: 1917 Background: 1917 RevolutionRevolution

Repressive autocratic Repressive autocratic empire; rapid empire; rapid industrialization -1900-industrialization -1900-1913, wretched 1913, wretched conditions of workers conditions of workers and peasants and peasants

revolutionary ideas revolutionary ideas embraced by working embraced by working classclass

middle class press for middle class press for constitutional reformsconstitutional reforms

Nicholas II - Nicholas II - stubborn, stubborn, incompetent, incompetent, autocraticautocratic

1905 Revolution 1905 Revolution - a dress - a dress rehearsal for rehearsal for 1917 1917

Russia - challenge from Russia - challenge from Austria/Hungary; Austria/Hungary; maintain Great Power maintain Great Power statusstatus

brief patriotic support brief patriotic support for war, followed by for war, followed by battlefield defeatsbattlefield defeats

opportunity for centrist opportunity for centrist parties - progressive parties - progressive bloc formed, demanded bloc formed, demanded a government a government responsible to the responsible to the DumaDuma

W W I and RevolutionW W I and Revolution

Duma prorogued; Duma prorogued; Nicholas takes Nicholas takes command of the army command of the army and creates new and creates new institutions - Union of institutions - Union of ZemstvosZemstvos

war leads to scarcity war leads to scarcity of food supplies at the of food supplies at the front and in the cities; front and in the cities; refugees; unrest in refugees; unrest in military and among military and among minoritiesminorities

February Revolution February Revolution 19171917Petrograd - food shortages - Petrograd - food shortages -

women demonstrate - striking women demonstrate - striking workers join in demonstrations workers join in demonstrations call for general strikecall for general strike

soldiers fire on demonstrators; soldiers fire on demonstrators; but following day join revolutionbut following day join revolution

by 28th February tsarist by 28th February tsarist ministers are under arrestministers are under arrest

Nicholas dissolves Duma, then Nicholas dissolves Duma, then abdicates; offers crown to his abdicates; offers crown to his brother Michael, but offer brother Michael, but offer rejectedrejected

Duma returns - represents Duma returns - represents propertied classespropertied classes

intelligentsia and intelligentsia and workers form workers form “Petrograd Soviet of “Petrograd Soviet of Workers, Soldiers and Workers, Soldiers and Deputies” - willing to Deputies” - willing to support “bourgeois” support “bourgeois” stage of revolutionstage of revolution

‘‘dual power’ emerges dual power’ emerges - Duma and soviets; - Duma and soviets; but Petrograd soviet but Petrograd soviet issues ‘Order No. 1. issues ‘Order No. 1. Provided for soviet Provided for soviet authority over army authority over army unitsunits

Provisional Government Provisional Government established - includes established - includes Kadet party leader Kadet party leader Miliukov and Kerensky, Miliukov and Kerensky, (SR) as Justice minister(SR) as Justice minister

program includes program includes support for democracy, support for democracy, rights, autonomy for rights, autonomy for minorities, rule of law; minorities, rule of law; new local government new local government institutionsinstitutions

PG promises to PG promises to recognize Poland’s recognize Poland’s independence independence

by March 25th Provisional by March 25th Provisional Government forced to Government forced to adopt socialist policies - adopt socialist policies - state regulation of the state regulation of the grain supplygrain supply

war undermines ‘dual war undermines ‘dual power’ arrangement - power’ arrangement - soviets reject soviets reject government’s war aims government’s war aims and support “revolutionary and support “revolutionary defencism”defencism”

coalition between soviets coalition between soviets and government following and government following unrest in Petrogradunrest in Petrograd

April 1917 - Lenin April 1917 - Lenin returns from exile in returns from exile in Switzerland, with Switzerland, with German assistanceGerman assistance

rejection of rejection of “bourgeois” by “bourgeois” by radicals - Stalin radicals - Stalin willing to work with willing to work with government and government and reconcile with reconcile with MensheviksMensheviks

Lenin’s role is to Lenin’s role is to prove decisive in prove decisive in the unfolding of the the unfolding of the revolutionrevolution

Lenin publishes his Lenin publishes his “April Theses” - “April Theses” - slogans call for slogans call for “Peace, Bread and “Peace, Bread and Land” and “All Land” and “All Power to the Power to the Soviets” - calls for Soviets” - calls for end to ‘dual power’end to ‘dual power’

LeninLenin

Lenin’s vision - a Lenin’s vision - a complete complete transformation of Russia transformation of Russia based on Marxist-based on Marxist-Leninist principlesLeninist principles

increased increased disagreements in disagreements in coalition - regulation of coalition - regulation of economy, labor, land economy, labor, land and minorities question and minorities question

but war decisive - but war decisive - Bolsheviks present Bolsheviks present united frontunited front

Orlovsky challenges Orlovsky challenges interpretations of the interpretations of the revolution which revolution which denigrate the role of denigrate the role of the working class - the working class - Pipes/Melia - Pipes/Melia - conservative view conservative view influenced by influenced by Menshevik biasMenshevik bias

workers not simply a workers not simply a “backward” class “backward” class manipulated by manipulated by Bolshevik ideologyBolshevik ideology

For Orlovsky collective For Orlovsky collective action by workers action by workers profoundly shaped the profoundly shaped the revolutionrevolution

radicalization of radicalization of workers favors workers favors Bolsheviks over Bolsheviks over MensheviksMensheviks

widespread strikes widespread strikes show strength of show strength of opposition to the opposition to the Provisional Provisional GovernmentGovernment

peasants demand redistribution of peasants demand redistribution of landland

land question divides governmentland question divides government

socialists divided - Mensheviks Vs socialists divided - Mensheviks Vs more radical socialistsmore radical socialists

““July Days” - abortive insurrection July Days” - abortive insurrection by soldiers and workers - by soldiers and workers - Bolsheviks blamed, but popular Bolsheviks blamed, but popular radicalism key factorradicalism key factor

crisis in government - war, land crisis in government - war, land seizures, autonomy for Ukraine -seizures, autonomy for Ukraine -Kadet ministers resignKadet ministers resign

Kerensky succeeds as prime Kerensky succeeds as prime minister - ineptminister - inept

Kornilov Affair - commander-in-Kornilov Affair - commander-in-chiefchief

sought to end ‘dual power’ and sought to end ‘dual power’ and anarchy of democracy - anarchy of democracy - supported by industrialists, supported by industrialists, landownerslandowners

August - marched on Petrograd; August - marched on Petrograd; aim to suppress the soviets; but aim to suppress the soviets; but betrayed by Kerenskybetrayed by Kerensky

Kornilov defeated by ‘Red Kornilov defeated by ‘Red Guards’Guards’

Kerensky installs himself as head Kerensky installs himself as head of a new government, a of a new government, a “Directory”. Kerensky’s authority “Directory”. Kerensky’s authority undermined by Affair and undermined by Affair and assisted in Bolshevik takeover assisted in Bolshevik takeover

by September widespread by September widespread industrial unrest and increased industrial unrest and increased levels of violence lead to levels of violence lead to breakdown of law and orderbreakdown of law and order

moderate left and center unable moderate left and center unable to command situationto command situation

Lenin revived slogan “ all power to Lenin revived slogan “ all power to the soviets” - calls on soviets to the soviets” - calls on soviets to take power in the name of the take power in the name of the working classworking class

Lenin’s fears of German Lenin’s fears of German intervention or deal with Kerenskyintervention or deal with Kerensky

divisions in Bolshevik ranksdivisions in Bolshevik ranks

October RevolutionOctober Revolution

‘‘Old Bolsheviks’ Old Bolsheviks’ Kamenev and Kamenev and Zinoviev supported Zinoviev supported broad-based broad-based socialist coalition socialist coalition taking powertaking power

majority of Central majority of Central Committee support Committee support Lenin - including Lenin - including Stalin and Trotsky Stalin and Trotsky

‘‘Military Military Revolutionary Revolutionary Committee’ formed Committee’ formed in Petrograd - in Petrograd - significant for significant for revolutionrevolution

problems, divisions problems, divisions in opposition in opposition facilitated Bolshevik facilitated Bolshevik seizure of powerseizure of power

October 24/25 October 24/25 Kerensky Kerensky government falls - government falls - Winter PalaceWinter Palace

Bolsheviks take Bolsheviks take power in the name power in the name of the sovietsof the soviets