L06 - “Conclusions” in The Russian Revolution, 1917. (2017). Flashcards
What were the concurrent revolutions during the Russian Revolution of 1917?
Popular revolt against the old regime; workers’ revolution against industrial and social hardships; soldiers’ revolt against military service and war; peasants’ revolution for land and autonomy; middle-class aspirations for civil rights and parliamentary system; nationalities’ revolution for self-determination; and opposition to war and its destruction.
What characterized the Russian Revolution of 1917?
Overlapping revolutions, competing cultural visions, political instability, economic collapse, and ongoing world war.
What political phases did the revolution pass through?
Liberal, moderate socialist, and radical socialist phases, culminating in the extreme left-wing Bolshevik rule.
How long did the revolution last?
Less than a year.
What did the February Revolution unleash?
Frustrations and aspirations of the population, resulting in long lists of expectations and rapid organization of new entities.
Name some organizations formed during the February Revolution.
Factory committees, army committees, village assemblies, Red Guards, unions, nationality organizations, cultural clubs, women’s and youth organizations, officers’ associations, industrialists’ associations, householders’ associations, and economic cooperatives.
What did the revolution represent for the people?
The opening of a new era and hopes for a better future
What were the struggles during the revolution?
Competing visions and conflicting aspirations over cultural identities, women’s rights, nationalities, and political dominance.
What were key positive and negative terms?
Positive: “democracy,” “freedom,” “liberty,” “republic.” Negative: “bourgeois,” “bourgeoisie,” “counter-revolutionaries,” “Kornilovite,” “dark forces,” “German agents.”
How did language and symbols contribute to the revolution?
They acted as codes of communication, legitimized actions, defined enemies, upheld principles, and generated authority.
What were the connotations of “citizen” and “comrade”?
“Citizen” symbolized unity and liberation, while “comrade” denoted revolutionary solidarity and marked distinctions from non-socialists.
How did class vocabulary influence the revolution?
It expressed identity, united excluded groups, and framed political discourse with socialist terminology.
How did renaming reflect revolutionary changes?
Streets, towns, and ships with tsarist names were renamed with revolutionary terms. Examples: “Alexander II” became “Freedom,” “Tsarevich” became “Citizen.”
What role did sound play in the revolution?
Speeches, debates, slogans, and revolutionary songs were integral to public life.
Name prominent revolutionary songs.
The “Marseillaise” (French and Russian versions) and “The Internationale.”
What names did individuals adopt?
Revolutionary-themed names such as “Republic,” “Freedom,” “Citizen,” “Democrat.”
What was the most prominent visual symbol of the revolution?
The color red, symbolized by banners, cockades, armbands, ribbons, and decorations.
How were music and revolutionary themes incorporated into daily life?
Demonstrations, public meetings, theater performances, and “concert meetings” combined music and speeches.
What happened to tsarist symbols?
Tsarist symbols, like the two-headed eagle, were destroyed, often in public rituals.
What were the two largest revolutionary festivals in early 1917?
The March 23 burial of revolution victims in Petrograd and the April 18 “May Day” celebrations.
How did soldiers symbolize revolutionary changes?
Cutting off officers’ shoulder boards and wearing uniforms askew symbolized a world turned upside down.
What occurred during the March 23 burial at the “Field of Mars”?
184 people were buried with great ceremony—revolutionary, not religious—attended by leaders of the Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet. The location was renamed “Square of the Victims of the Revolution.”
How were festivals of freedom celebrated?
They featured red decorations, the Marseillaise, revolutionary songs, fervent speeches about freedom and democracy, parades, and ritualistic destruction of tsarist emblems.
How did film themes evolve by mid-1917?
Films shifted to standard themes like romance, melodrama, mystery, and darker themes like suicide, violence, and pessimism.
What slogans were carried on banners during the festivals?
Traditional slogans like “Land and Liberty” and new ones like “Long Live a Democratic Republic.”
How did film themes reflect the revolution in early 1917?
Early films focused on the revolution, revolutionary movements, and negative portrayals of Nicholas and Rasputin.
What happened to enthusiasm for revolutionary ideals in the arts as 1917 progressed?
Enthusiasm flourished immediately after February but faded as conditions became more difficult.
What was the role of mass activism in 1917?
It was central to political crises and the revolution’s evolution, influencing the Duma, Provisional Government, and soviets.
What dilemmas did political elites face due to mass activism?
Educated elites wanted to guide and “tutor” the masses while fearing anarchism. They were caught between their democratic ideals and the need to control popular self-assertiveness.
How did mass activism shape political organizations?
It radicalized city councils, soviets, factory committees, and trade unions, setting the stage for the October Revolution.
What was the significance of the February Revolution for political elites?
It swept away the old right wing, transformed liberals into conservatives, and split socialists and nonsocialists into centrist and extreme factions.
Who led the center-right bloc in the first Provisional Government?
Prince G. E. Lvov, N. V. Nekrasov, and A. I. Konovalov.
How was the right realigned after the revolution?
The Provisional Government and Kadet Party represented liberal triumph, with divisions over war and relations with the Petrograd Soviet.
Who was P. N. Miliukov and what was his stance?
Leader of the Kadet Party and foreign minister, staunchly pro-war and opposed to the Petrograd Soviet’s role.
How was the left realigned after the revolution?
Socialist parties split into moderate socialists (led by Tsereteli) and radicals (led by Lenin), with debates over cooperation with liberals and war responses.
What did moderate socialists support under Tsereteli’s leadership?
“Revolutionary Defensism”—cooperation with liberals and a focus on managing revolutionary change while defending the revolution.
How did the masses view the revolution?
As a means to achieve specific aspirations and throw off domination by the bourgeoisie.
What challenges did the relationship between elites and masses present?
The masses distrusted the educated elites but relied on their knowledge and skills.
What are the two main branches of economics?
The two main branches are microeconomics (study of individual and business decisions) and macroeconomics (study of the economy as a whole).
What was a central problem for political elites in 1917?
Establishing a viable government and political system to balance popular self-assertion and elite control.
What is the difference between scarcity and shortage?
Scarcity refers to the limited nature of resources, while a shortage occurs when demand exceeds supply at a specific price.
What is economics?
Economics is the study of how people, businesses, and governments allocate scarce resources to satisfy needs and wants.
What is the law of demand?
The law of demand states that as the price of a good decreases, the quantity demanded increases, ceteris paribus.
What is the law of supply?
The law of supply states that as the price of a good increases, the quantity supplied increases, ceteris paribus.
What is equilibrium in the context of supply and demand?
Equilibrium is the point where the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied, resulting in a stable price.
What causes a shift in the demand curve?
Factors include changes in income, preferences, prices of related goods, expectations, and population.
What causes a shift in the supply curve?
Factors include changes in production costs, technology, taxes, subsidies, and the number of suppliers.
What are the four main types of market structures?
Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly.
What is perfect competition?
A market structure with many buyers and sellers, identical products, and no barriers to entry.
What is a monopoly?
A market structure where one seller controls the entire market with no close substitutes and significant barriers to entry.
What is an oligopoly?
A market structure dominated by a few large firms, often with significant barriers to entry and interdependent decision-making.
What is GDP?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of all goods and services produced within a country during a specific time period.
What is the difference between nominal GDP and real GDP?
Nominal GDP is measured at current prices, while real GDP is adjusted for inflation.
What is unemployment rate?
The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment.
