Dissent and Revolution, 1917 Flashcards
the tsar and political authority
1913 - Romanov Tercentenary
felt he needed to keep ministers weak in order to preserve his own authority
combined the church and monarchy - idea that not even god is more powerful than the Tsar
1905 revolution “bloody sunday” - workers strike led to October manifesto which increased voting rights and created a state duma however this was shut down using the 1906 fundamental laws
war effort
Battle of Tannenberg = 92,000 taken prisoner and 30,000 killed
Tsar made himself commander in chief in 1915, left Rasputin in charge, personally blamed for defeats creating a loss of support and growing awareness of incapabilities
introduction of conscription = untrained soldiers on front lines and less people working in factories and countryside
not enough artillery to go round
ministerial leapfrog
economic and social state of Russia
more people moved to cities = poor living conditions, 300% increase in cost of living and increased starvation
many workers moved back to countryside during harvest
introduced rationing
increased taxes to wage war
inflation, by 1916, food prices were 4 times higher than pre war but wages only increased by 2 times
railway system collapsed as only used to transport to front lines
discontent
desertion on front lines due to outbursts of anger
series of strikes in cities reduced production of supplies
Tsar forced to abdicate due to failures in war
causes of February revolution
series of strikes ( Petrograd = 145,000) due to rationing on bread combined with international women’s day strike = hundreds of thousands on street, soldiers sent to deal with this but as many were conscripted peasants they refused to shoot and mutinied
unsanitary living
poor war effort = lost hope
kaleidoscope of revolutions - spontaneous, of the people
course of February revolution
rationing if bread - joined international women’s day - mutiny began - Tsar offered to share power with soviet - too late - forced to abdicate
Tsars abdication
train back to Petrograd was diverted, forced to abdicate, placed son in charge and his brother was to step in until Alexei was of age
his brother refused and end of Tsarist regime
as there was no leader in revolution it was unclear who would rule
provisional government
ran by Prince Lvov
right side of Tauride Palace
made up of member of the tsarist elite and army officers
temporary - in charge until elections for provisional government
accepted as legitimate by police
petrograd soviet
merge of political parties = Social Revolutionaries, mensheviks, bolsheviks
set up in left side of Tauride palace
KERENSKY IN BOTH
soviet order number 1 = army to only take orders from the soviet
controlled factories and essential services
wanted some form of democracy
workings of dual authority
agreed terms for constituent assembly but constantly postponed elections
opposing political ideologies made it difficult to get stuff done, use of soviet order no.1
disagreements about end to war, PS wanted out but PG felt bound by alliance, agreed on “ defensive effort”
Kerenskey made prime minister in 1917
return of Lenin
been in exile in switzerland, took a train to Petrograd, said to be helped by germans
greeted by large crowds, gave speech where he declared april theses
size of bolshevik party = 23,000
lenin’s ideology and april theses
‘peace, bread, land” - immediate end to war, allow for reallocation of land
all power to the soviets
marxist - idea of permanent revolution
attended factory meetings and wore workers cap
won over party by sheer personality
july days
started by kronstadt, lenin did not support as said premature revolution risked failure
PG brought in reinforcements to crush and bolshevik’s helped but were blamed for bloodshed
damaged lenin’s credibility
leading bolshevik’s were imprisoned and lenin fled to finland
pravda closed
kornilov coup
kerensky appointed right wing kornilov as commander in chief of army - gone back on promise about defensive war, reinstated death penalty
began coup - claimed army on brink of anarchy, sent 6 regiments to capture petrograd
keresnky armed imprisoned bolshevik’s - never used
loss of support for kerensky - bolshevik’s milked propaganda
central committee
stunning of october, bolshevik’s = 200,000 members
from finland lenin sent letters to CC (12 men) to prepare for revolution, CC voted against - not economically ready, trotsky said should work through PS and wait for congress of soviets wouldn’t have go resort to violence
lenin returned on 10th october and harangued committee until they agreed “history will not forgive us if we do not act now”
