The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union

1. The Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union

2. Russia in 1881: Reaction and Progress • Classes in Russia • Nobles and bureaucrats (Westernized and wealthy) • Intelligentsia (educated; not part of either the gov’t. or common people) • Serfs • Alexander II emancipated serfs (1861) and created local councils to help govern-zemstvos • 1881, Alexander II assassinated by People’s Will • Alexander III (1881-1894) enacted harsh reforms and Russification w/ worst pogroms to date • Alexander’s Assassination

3. Russia after 1881: Reaction and Progress • In spite of Russification, culturally Russia begins to look like the West • Novels by Tolstoy, Symphonies by Tchaikovsky • Russia began to industrialize • Railway mileage doubled (1888-1913) • Telegraph wire X5 • Russian industrial worker in 1890 like English worker in 1850 • 11 hrs. a day, horrible conditions • Russian industrial workers were highly concentrated • ½ worked in factories of over 500 workers

4. Russia after 1881: Reaction and Progress • The “Cadets” • Business/professional classes form Constitutional Democrat party (Cadets) in 1905 • More concerned w/creating a constitution than w/ the peasants • The Communes (Mirs) • No one can leave w/o communal permission • Land divided and redivided by community • Paid heavy taxes to Tsar • High exports meant less food

5. Russia after 1881: Reaction and Progress • Peasant Demands • More land • Communes grow but not fast enough • Kulaks (successful farmers) stand above the serfs

6. The Emergence of Revolutionary Parties • Emancipated Russian peasants revolutionary in that they were still extremely resentful of the gentry (landed class) • The Intelligentsia • Hated Russian empire and desired its violent overthrow • In constant struggle w/secret police • By 1890, no longer attempting assassinations but trying to gain an army through either: • Peasants or the factory workers

7. The Emergence of Revolutionary Parties • Populism • Believed Russia did not need to be capitalist before it became socialist • Believed in strength of the peasants and the communes • Populists formed Social Revolutionary (SRs) Party (1901) • Marxism • With the growth of factories and more strikes, many populists turned to Marxism

8. The Emergence of Revolutionary Parties • Lenin • From middle-class family of bureaucrats • Brother was incidentally involved in plot to assassinate Alexander III and was executed by the Tsar’s orders • Lenin could longer work in gov’t. so he became a professional revolutionary • Arrested and spent 3 yrs. of exile in Siberia, then immigrated to W. Europe where he stayed until 1917

9. The Emergence of Revolutionary Parties • The Social Democrats (SDs) • Founded in 1898 by Marxists in Russia • Saw revolution as international phenomenon • Believed revolution would occur in industrialized countries first • More oriented towards Europeand most leaders lived in exile • Did not see violence/assassinations as helpful

10. Split in the Social Democrats: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks • Russian Marxists split in 1903 between Bolsheviks (led by Lenin) and Menshevik factions • 1912 Bolsheviks form own party • Bolsheviks (Leninists) • Party should be small, strongly centralized, revolutionary elite • Central committee would act as a dictatorship of the proletariat • Mensheviks • Favored larger, more open party w/membership for mere sympathizers • Recommended cooperation w/liberals, progressives and bourgeoisie democrats

11. Split in the SDs: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks • Lenin accepted and added little to Marx’s main ideas: • Capitalism exploits the workers • History is shaped by economic forces and was moving towards socialism • Religion, philosophy, gov’t. and morals were weapons of the ruling class • Lenin believed himself a pure Marxist and did not tolerate any deviation from Marxist philosophy

12. Split in the SDs: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks • Lenin as activist • Lenin was the supreme agitator and organizer • Believed (unlike Marx) that small, revolutionary elite could impose its socialist ideas on the masses

13. Split in the SDs: Bolsheviks and Mensheviks • The Party • Lenin saw the party as the leader of the revolution • Embraced the use of secret codes, false names, and clandestine tactics • Saw trade unionism w/its day-to-day demands as allied with the bourgeoisie • Saw the party as the intellectual leaders and the workers as the muscle of the revolution • The insistence on a powerful party elite is a distinct feature of Leninism • Marriage of Marxism w/Russian revolutionary tactics became communism

14. The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events • Growing Discontent • Formation of SDs, SRs and Cadets was a sign of intelligentsia’s discontent • After 1900, popular discontent too • Peasant rebellions against tax collectors and landlords • No connection between popular discontent and political parties • Tsar Nicholas saw autocracy as the only way to rule Russia and offered no concessions

15. The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events • Response to Military Defeat • Russo-Japanese War exposed Russian gov’t. as incompetent • Bloody Sunday • In Jan. 1905 Father Gapon, a priest, led a group of 200,000 peaceful protestors to the Tsars’ palace asking for: • An 8 hr. day • A 50 cent minimum daily wage • An elected constituent assembly • Tsar was away, several hundred protestors were shot dead by troops

16. The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events • Reactions to “Bloody Sunday” • Peasants’ emotional bond to the Tsar is broken • Peasant rebellions occur throughout Russia • Gentry lands overrun, manor houses are burned • Councils of workers or “soviets” were formed in Moscow and St. Petersburg • SRs, Cadets and SDs (mostly Mensheviks) try to lead rebellions w/limited success • All agree there needs to be more representation in gov’t. • Tsar grudgingly gives vague promise of democratic legislature • In response St. Petersburg soviet (led by Mensheviks) calls general strike across Russia • Tsar issues October Manifesto promising constitution, civil liberties and a Duma (parliament) elected by all classes

17. The Revolution of 1905: Background and Revolutionary Events • Reaction to the October Manifesto • Manifesto divides opposition • Cadets got the Duma and were somewhat satisfied • Liberals were now afraid of revolutionaries • Workers/peasants still want demands met • Intelligentsia believe, rightly, that October Manifesto is a ruse • In the end, gov’t. is able to maintain itself through: • Contenting of middle class liberals • Crackdowns (arrests and executions) of revolutionaries • Peace w/Japan (reliable soldiers brought in from Far East)

18. The Results of the 1905 Revolution • The Duma • Created in 1906 and gave Russia (at least superficially) a parliamentary body • Tsar forbid Duma any say in: • Foreign policy • Gov’t. budget • Gov’t. hiring and firing • Both extreme right (Black Hundreds) and extreme left (SDs and SRs) boycotted Duma

19. The Results of 1905 • The First Duma • Unequal voting • Landlord votes outweighed peasants/workers • Kadets win majority and press for universal male suffrage and more authority for Duma • Tsar dismissed the Duma within 2 months • Second Duma had 83 SR and Menshevik deputies, but 50 were arrested by the Tsar • Due to electoral change, 3rd and 4th Dumas had conservative majorities who managed to keep up the appearance of constitutional gov’t. w/o addressing any of Russia’s underlying issues

20. Stolypin Reforms • Stolypin was a moderate who acted as Tsar’s chief minister • Believed that spread of private property would quell revolutionary tendencies • Reforms included: • Broader powers for the zemstvos • Allowed peasants to sell their shares of land in the commune and leave the villages • Allowed peasants the ability to buy land from the communes and the gentry

21. Success of Stolypin Reforms • Between 1907 and 1916, 6.2 million families out of 16 million eligible applied to opt out of the communes • Most peasants, however, stayed w/ the Communes • Kulaks increased in number and gentry still held a huge amount of land • Stolypin assassinated by left wing revolutionary double agent in 1911.

22. Westernization • On the eve of WWI, Russia looked to be modernizing • Railways expanding • Growing exports • Freedom of press (limited) • This fragile modernization was constantly threatened by extreme right and extreme left

23. Events of the Revolution February 1917 • Spontaneous uprising of peasants • Protesting shortage of bread: • Industrial strikes • Tramcars (city transit) forceably stopped • Breaking of shop windows • Waving red flags that read, “Down with war!”

24. Revolutionaries Take Over • When revolutionary leaders realized the revolution was actually happening, they tried to organize the events to their benefit. • Leaders of Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, and Social Revolutionaries all joined together calling a three-day general strike • At least 60,000 soldiers join the revolutionaries • These leaders, together with soldiers set up a Soviet (council) • Take control of Petrograd (St. Petersburg) • Duma disobeys Tsar’s orders to dissolve and form the Provisional Government to run Russia • Tsar Nicholas II steps down in favor of his son, Alexis, with Tsar’s brother acting as regent • Tsar’s brother refuses succession • Romanov line to Russian throne ends • Romanov family placed under house arrest (confined to palace) • Russia now governed by a Provisional Government

25. Provisional Government • Declared all Russian citizens equal • Freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly given to all citizens • Unions and strikes legal • Planned on continuing war • Provisional Government made these promises, but asked people to wait • People tired of waiting and listened more and more to the revolutionaries

26. Alexander Kerensky • Leader of small socialist party became Russia’s Prime Minister in July • Wanted to establish Parliamentary Democracy • Well educated and an excellent speaker, he lacked strong leadership abilities

27. Kornilov Affair • General Kornilov attempted to overthrow Provisional Government with military takeover • To prevent this takeover, Kerensky freed many Bolshevik leaders from prison and supplied arms to many revolutionaries

28. Bolshevik Revolution • By end of September, there was widespread peasant rebellion in Russia • Lenin left Finland in disguise and attended a secret Bolshevik meeting in Petrograd • Bolsheviks held mass meetings with thousands in attendance • Kerensky declares Russia to be in a state of emergency and orders arrest of Trotsky and other Bolshevik leaders

29. Events of Bolshevik Revolution • Cruiser Aurora listens to Trotsky and disobeys Governments order to go out to sea • Trotsky orders the removal of thousands of guns from the Fortress of Peter and Paul to arm the Red Guards (Bolshevik troops) • Small bands of armed Bolsheviks seize important buildings (rail stations, telegraph exchanges, banks, printing plants, and powerhouses). Most regiments in Petrograd did not get involved. • Trotsky declares Provisional Government overthrown, power now in hands of Soviets • Kerensky escapes in American Embassy car • Bolshevik troops surround Winter Palace and give ultimatum to surrender or be shelled; ministers would not surrender • Cruiser Aurora fires blank shells at Winter Palace to signal beginning of attack • Bolsheviks (composed of soldiers, sailors, and workers) storm Winter Palace • Bolsheviks encounter little resistance, mass confusion but few injuries • Bolsheviks control Government, Lenin was new leader

30. How Did Bolsheviks Win? • Kerensky not a strong leader • Provisional Government disorganized • Other parties not as organized as Bolsheviks • Bolsheviks composed of professional revolutionaries dedicated to their goals and capable of carrying them out

31. What Did Lenin Do Upon Coming to Power? • Immediately proposed an end to War (WWI) (what peasants wanted most was peace) • Proposed the distribution of all land to peasants, landowners would not be paid for land taken from them • Lenin’s proposals adopted

32. After the Revolution • Bolsheviks encountered stiff resistance in some cities • Bolsheviks defeated in Kiev (Ukraine) • Bolshevik power weak in Siberia, Georgia, Armenia, and Central Asia • Strongest in Central Russia and in large cities where many workers lived

33. Democracy? • November 25 elections held to form Constituent Assembly in Russia • Socialist Revolutionary Party got more than twice the votes of the Bolshevik Party (peasants liked SRP’s idea of peasant ownership of land) • When Constituent Assembly met on January 18, 1918, Bolsheviks posted their soldiers at the entrances preventing many Socialist Revolutionaries from entering • During meeting, Bolsheviks were disorderly and succeeded in closing down the assembly • Russia’s first chance at democracy short lived

34. Ending WWI • Bolsheviks needed peasant support to stay in power • Lenin decided to get Russia out of WWI and send peasant soldiers home • In March of 1918, Lenin signed treaty with Germany accepting German occupation of Ukraine, Belorussia, the Baltics, and Finland • Russia lost over one quarter of its farmland and one third of its population, almost all its coal mines, and more than half its industries • Huge loss to Russia’s economy

35. End of Romanovs • Taken to Western Siberia • After Bolsheviks took power taken to Ekaterinburg (in Ural Mountains) • Lenin sent telegram authorizing their execution • Taken to cellar at 1:30 a.m. with family doctor and servants • Nicholas and Alexandra fell first under the hail of bullets • Bullets bounced off the daughters, diamonds found in their corsets • Those who survived the bullets were killed by bayonets • Bodies loaded onto truck, stripped of jewels, thrown into a mine • Mine not deep enough to hide them, bodies dumped into a pit in a marshy area • Even the family dog was killed