The Way to Revolution

Autocracy:

A country or state that is governed by a single person with unlimited power.

So, what was the form of Autocracy in Russia before

1917?

Tsar / Tsaritsa: 1881 total power, head of church, decided policies,

chose gov.,

no respect =

arrest, Siberia;

secret police to find disloyal

= Police State

Tsarism

Tsarism: “system of autocracy rule and central government”

• 1881• Tsar decided all about all people, expected to be

obeyed or punished• Strong central gov = St. Petersburg (1703-1917)• Own land / business to ensure modernization,

development (private existed)• Large army

Modernization!

Influenced Greatly By . . .

– Peter the Great (1682-1725)– Russia fell behind science / tech, caught up

now– Main goal: modern European country

• New schools, professional classes, written media, travel, engineers, railroads, changes to old customs

– 1881: good economy = new industries• Urbanization: 1881: 1 million peasants in

factories• Moscow: major centre: textile, goods• St. Petersburg: metal, heavy industry• South Ukraine: iron ore / coal (region =

Donbas); major port for wheat export• Caucasus Mts: oil!

Donbas:

Population: 1881

– Nobility 1%• Held titles: duke, lord, earl; NOT inherited (do

service to earn from gov); wealth from farming / industry, gov.

• 1% uber-super wealthy (had parties)• 20% so-so wealthy (gentry) – politics, travel• 79% poor (some like peasants)

Other 18% (working class, military, clergy, professions)

– Peasants 81%

• 1861: peasants freed from serfdom (not allowed to leave location)

• Village commune: peasants farm land together; used 3 field system (1/3 unused in year); extended families; mandatory service in army

Expansion: 1881 = Multinational Empire!

• 1700-1800: expanded through warfare (PtheG: vs. Sweden & Turkey)

• Into: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, 1800s: Caucasus Mts, N. Asia, defeated Napoleon (1812)

•Expansion not stopping nationalistic feeling: not wanting to be controlled by Russia

Revolution!

1881 opposition to autocracy:

unhappy about poverty,

change to custom, religion,

lang.

= accept Marx’s ideas: violent

change

The Influence . . .

Marx – 1848 Communist Manifesto; 1867 Das Kapital.

• “Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of all lands, unite.”

German-born, influenced by Friedrich Engels:

– went to England for textile, – saw great poverty, became

concerned about I.R.– more factories = more

machines = more unemployed

– discussed socialism with Marx – political / economic system: workers own / control goods

Communist Manifesto:

a) Landlords exploit peasants, bourgeois exploit proletariat, rich owned factories / controlled gov, prolet. = no power

b) Machines will become best for factories, prolet. will lose jobs, lead to widespread poverty / loss of dignity / individuality

c) Only way for prolet. to stop this: rise up against rich, create new society (dictatorship of Proletariat): all belonging to rich to be seized, owned, operated by people

d)No private ownership, personal profit, shared by all (period called socialism)

e)Communism follows = fight remaining capitalists, create classless society, all dignity to be restored, liberty / equality for all ; no gov.

1870s: Marx-inspired rev. groups

• Narodniks

• nobility – want to educate peasants,

• thought Tsar wouldn’t change;

• 1881 – Alex II killed by bomb,

• Alex III arrested, executed man revolutionaries

The Gathering Storm

Alexander III Autocracy:

• no Western ideas, must rid Russia of revs. (person to change society, gov, esp. through violence)

Alexander . . .

a) Exiled revs.: Siberia

b) Total control of gov.: appointed all members, answered to him

c) Non-orthodox religions persecuted: Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jewish

d) Russian lang. official policy—all others forced to speak Russian

e) “One church, one language”

Russian orthodox

Russian Muslim

Expansion:

• not much under Alex III: only

into central Asia, Far East

Modernization

• industry – remarkable growth, but lagged behind West. Europe

– Foreigners encouraged to invest in Donbas; Russia gov. = Trans-Siberian Railway

– Agriculture problems: industry expand, but 1891-2, 1897 crop failure = starvation . . . hungry / angry peasants violent revolt: plots too small to support family

Revolution! (Again):

• Revolutionaries’ threat to Alex III:

– Proletariat (working class) – expanded under Alex III

• Worst working conditions in Europe• Strikes illegal, but happened

– Capitalists: small class 5% pop., growing fast

• Include: factory / business owners

• Also called bourgeoisie

Nicholas II – Last Tsar of Russia

a) People excited for new tsar, but he proved not interested in change to help people

b) Increasing people wanted to form elected gov. , no want for dictator

c) Revolutionary movements: clashes w/ gov, tsar (1905 – Bloody Sunday)

d) Tsar promised: parliament for people, changes to system land ownership

e) Promises broken: lead to Russian Revolution (1917)

Autocracy: Nicholas II followed Alex. III autocratic policies:

a) Powerful country = strong leader, unite different people

b) Changes to stop challenges to authority: force non-Russians to speak Russian, restrict native lang., convert non-Russian / Slavic to Russian Orthodox faith

KremlinRussia Orthodox

c) Oppressed: Catholic, Jewish, Muslim – Jews / Muslim not allowed to live in many parts of country

d) Illegal for political meetings, conferences – result = Siberia

e) Expanded Secret Police – many secretly joined rev. groups

Russian Catholic

Siberia

Russian Jewish

Ra, Ra, Rasputin:

a)Nic. II not strong personality, influenced by others

b)Rasp. responsible for Tsar’s overthrown 1917

c)Rasp. became 1 of most powerful in Russia

d) Brought to court to heal Tsar’s son of hemophilia – improved, seen as miraculous “cure”

e) Gained great power: influence Tsar / Tsaritsa, name / dismiss gov. members

f) Many policies bad for country – lead to people’s revolt

Modernization (again):

• Nich. II reign: economic growth highest in Europe

a) new factories = south, central

b) 1913: Russia 5th largest industrial power in world

c) Despite: industrial strikes, demonstrations: working conditions dangerous, low wage, crowded

d) Taxes: peasants poorer = heavy taxes, to pay for army & gov. in economy

1. 1905: ½ peasant wage paid in tax – starvation, deeper debt

e) Land reform: meant to improve working conditions; dissolved village commune; peasants now can own land, decide product, get loan

Revolution

(Again??! No, 1905 one)

Political Parties: illegal, secret; 2 kinds:

1. Revolutionary (overthrow Tsar, violent)

i. Social Democrat Party (1898): spread Marx’s ideas of socialism

Lenin: tight-controlled professional revolutionaries run by dictatorship: won by 2 votes, became Bolsheviks (majority)

Opposing party: looser structure, became Mensheviks (minority)

2. Party of Socialist Revolutionaries: formerly Narodniks socialism brought to Russia through

peasants, favoured terrorism/ violence to change

gov.

2. Non-Revolutionary (peaceful change):

1. Constitutional Democratic Party (Kadets): » Small, middle class» Change through election» Private farming / land ownership, growth of

industry

2. Octobrist Party:» Constitutional gov, Tsar as figurehead» Private farming, land reform

1905 Revolt = Bloody Sunday– Jan 22– St. Petersburg: demonstrators

vs. Tsar soldiers– Working classes for rev. ideas

due to:• Disparity• People opposing Russo-Japanese

War (over Russia expanding East) b/c caused food shortage, high prices at home, lost relatives in battle, anger over defeat by Japanese

Build up:

• Strikes, demonstrations in major cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, ending in armed uprisings: backed by rev. parties

• Student protests• Peasant rebellions in country: burning manor

houses: backed by Socialist Rev.• More land for peasants• Party of Socialist Rev. : campaign of terror:

killed many gov. officials• Procession led by Father Gapon: march to

Winter Palace, 1000s killed, wounded in event = Bloody Sunday

Winter Palace

Results: inspired rev. movement

• worker strikes,

• street battles,

• serious consider of armed revolution to solve problems

• break b/w Tsar & people

Trotsky & Lenin!!

• Trotski: Bolshevik, organized councils (Soviets) in shops / factories.– Most important Soviet: Petrograd Soviet – directed

much of rev. action 1905: strikes, pamphlets, challenged gov.

• Lenin: return to Russia 1905 to spread ideas: overthrow Tsar– few listened– late 1907: fled to Sweden to escape arrest– minor influence at this point

World War I:

– 1914 Archduke Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hugary throne, assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by Serbian terrorist.

– Austria threatened war if Serbia not meeting Austrian conditions

– Serbia failed, Austria declared war– Russia, Serbia ally, prepared to defend

Serbia

Ferdinand Assassination

– Germany, Austrian ally, sees this as hostile act, declares war on Russia

– Tsar enters Russia in war to protect Baltics, – All countries with treaties with others picked

sides– Assassination just trigger: WWI based on

many issues: nationalism, colonial issues, economic issues, political issues

Russia in WW1 . . .

– Russia on side of “Allies” vs. “Central Powers”

– Russia not prepared for war: needed new weapons, food, supplies, factories to make; poor organization, low morale

– Effects of war on Russia:• Soldiers deserting, hard to

fight, war shortages

Rasputin Influence:

• To prevent peasant deaths, advised Nich. II to not fight

• Urged Tsar to take command of army (unwise), real ruler = Rasputin

Poor economic conditions:

“catastrophic”

Royal Family:

• Russia not wanting war, on cruise when WWI began, Nich. II at first gave army

control to cousin

Rising Suspicion

1. People became suspicious, hateful towards all things German

2. Tsaritsa Alexandra German-born, but those knowing her knew her love of Russia

3. Tsar took control of army, moved to army headquarters; Tsaritsa happy (Grand Duke said Rasp. a fraud), she became substitute ruler: great energy, worked w/ Rasputin: bad b/c unorganized gov. now

Tsaritsa Alexandra

4. Tsarista wrote Tsar, gave advice, even war: he took some

5. People felt was German influence in Royals – saw Rasp. as spy, Tsaritsa as “German Woman” – nobility decided Rasp. must go: plotted assassination (1916): poisoned, shot many times, dumped in icy river, died of drowning

6. Rasp. never killed anyone

Letters to Tsar from Tsaritsa

Rasputin demise