Russia 1 Flashcards
What was the Russian Civil Service?
Advisors to the Tsar who were intended to assist him.
Carried out instructions from the Tsar and his Ministers
What was the significance of the Russo-Japanese war (1904-05)
The Russian army was defeated badly despite being the largest in Europe, it was seen as embarrassing to lose to an Asian power and caused much rebellion. Led to the creation of the Duma.
Pre-1917 Peasantry LIfe
90% of population were peasantry
Many were Serfs (slaves) until Nicholas II’s Grandfather Alexander II granted them freedom in 1861. However had to buy their own freedom
Pre-1917 Russian Industry
Much behind other European powers like Germany and Britain. Bad working conditions. A few central hubs of Industry like Moscow and St Petersburg.
Industry was improving at a rate of 8% a year.
5th largest Industrial power
Mostly Agriculture, also had supplies of coal and oil.
3 million workers
The formation of the Duma (1905)
Passed through in the October Manifesto.
However, Nicholas limited its power by shutting it down frequently due to sections allowing him to dissolve it ant any time and veto any law and this angered the middle class.
The Russian Empire Pre-1917
8 million square miles
1/6 of the globe
Siberia and ‘European’ Russia separated by the Ural Mountains.
Only 1/2 of the Empire were ethnically Russian
Russian Politics Pre-1917
1905 allowed unions, previously striking had been illegal.
Okhrana used to take down leftist rebels.
Orthodox Church held a lot of power
Why did WW1 break out?
Franz Ferdinand assassinated by a Slav in Austo-Hungary.
Russia involved as they believed all Slavic people should be united under the Russian Empire.
Public Opinion of WW1
Initially popular due to Anti-German sentiment across the country
After the Battle of Tannenburg in August, 1914 (in which 300,000 died in 6 weeks) public opinion became more antiwar. Sentiment continued the longer they stayed in the war.
Conditions on the Eastern Front in WW1
12 million men conscripted between 1914 and 1917.
Very Understocked.
Lacked shoes and warm clothes in weather as cold as -35.
Only 66% of soldiers had a rifle.
Most officers inexperienced.
1.5 million desertions in 1914
Mutanies in regiments.
Why did the Tsar make himself Commander-in chief of the Army in September 1915?
Hoped it would inspire the troops to fight however, he had no military experience and made terrible decisions that worsened the war instead of just leaving it.
WW1 Economy
Inflation was as high as 300%
Taxes still very high, Nicholas did not care about the starving people.
Shortages of food as many peasants were on the Eastern Front.
Women spent as long as 40 hours a week in bread queues.
Politics during WW1
Tsarina Alexandra and Grigori Rasputin in charge. Disliked because she was German and he was a peasant and believed to be controlling the family/ sleeping with Tsarina.
Duma were pressuring Nicholas to give them the power via a Progressive Bloc.
Prince Yusupov murdered Rasputin in Dec of 1916.
1917 Liberals
(Parties like the Kadets, Octobrists and Progressive Bloc)
Octobrists most right leaning- wanted to stick to agreement in October Manifesto with the Duma alongside the Tsar)
Kadets most popular liberal party- national not class based, named themselves a ‘Party of Popular Freedom’.
Bloc- most liberal, pushed Tsar for constitutional monarchy.
Mostly supported by middle class I larger cities.
The Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) in 1917
Formed 1901 (before political parties were legal)
Wide group of people with varying views.
Interested in distributing and to peasants.
Believed in the development of Capitalism before any socialist revolutions- very Marxist.
Had support from Industrial workers.
Mensheviks/ Bolsheviks
Followed the theory of Karl Marx (and Engles).
Believed in action more than the SRs.
Originally one group (the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) but split into two in 1903.
Mensheviks were more democratic and believed in waiting for a middle class to form before revolution.
Bolshevik beliefs
A small number of educated revolutionaries should act as a vanguard on behalf of the working class.
The middle class are too weak to hold power and will lead to counter-revolution.
Russia will be the first of many revolutions so other powers can help them build a working class.
When and where did Nicholas II abdicate?
21st March 1917
In his train stopped at Pskov, 200 miles way from Petrograd.
Abdicated for both him and Alexei, giving power to the Duma.
When was it clear the Tsar would have to abdicate?
January 1917, General Krimov met with the President of the Duma to suggest they would be willing to support then given they were losing hope in the Tsar.
They also telegraphed the Tsar expressing concern for the Tsarinas ability to hold down the fort.
What happened on International Women’s Day 1917 (23rd February)?
Marching on the streets. Increased from the beginning on the strikes yesterday. 240,000 people on the streets of Petrograd including women, steel workers, students.
Events of 24th February 1917
Up to 200,000 on strike.
Singing revolutionary songs ‘La Marseillaise’
Overturning Tsarist statues.
Waving red flags.
No obvious organisers though
Events of 25th February 1917
250,000 on the street.
demanding an end to war and tsarist
Tsar ordered the chief of the Petrograd Garrison to calm down the people but the mounted police were killed. Some troops refused to attack the strikers.
When was teh provisional government formed?
26th Feb 1917
Included Prince Lvov (prime minister), Pavel Milyukov and Kerensky
27th February 1917
Volinskii Regement Mutiny.
The 66,000 soldiers handed out 40,000 rifles to the crowd.
Prisons attacked
Soviet set up
What power did the Provisional Government have?
‘Official’ power
International relations
Military and war
What power did the Soviet have?
Control of workers in Petrograd including services such as:
Rail, soldiers, Power, Factories, Telegraph, Press
What was the Petrograd Soviet?
Gathering of Political representatives for working class. Anyone could join in the soviet.
First meeting had 5000 members
What was Order Number 1?
Gave soldiers (in Petrograd) representatives in the Soviet and in exchange, the soldiers would only follow government orders if they had been approved by the Soviet
What are some laws Dual Authority passed between Feb and May?
Tsarist ministers arrested
Okhrana disbanded
Amnesty for political prisoners
Freedom of Speech
Death Penalty abolished
Elections to be arranged
8 hour working day
Right to strike
Trade unions
Why did they Prov. Gov. and Soviet disagree on the war?
PG wanted to stick with the secret treaties Tsar had made allowing Russia to take Ottoman land after the war.
Wanted to stay in the war.
When did Lenin return to Russia from Switzerland?
16th April 1917
What were Lenin’s ‘sayings’ when returning in April?
No support for the Provisional Government
All power to the soviet
Peace, Bread, Land
The points in Lenin’s April Theses
There must be an end to the imperialist war.
Power must be put into the hands of the proletariat.
Power to the Soviet, not the PG.
Land should be nationalised
Banks should be nationalised
How did Lenin get into Russia in April?
Took a sealed train through Germany (the Germans allowed them to do this as they believed political unrest would help them in the war) along with 31 other comrades.
Lenin and Pravda (the Bolshevik newspaper)
Lenin had 48 articles published in May 1917 alone
Was the most mentioned name in the whole newspaper
What was the Central Committee Of the Bolshevik Party?
A group of 21 leading Bolsheviks who made decisions on policy
How and when did Lenin win over the central Committee with his ideas?
By the end of April 1917
Backtracking and compromising on his ideas. A lot of arguing probably.
What problems did the Provisional Government have that contributed to their downfall?
Elections
WW1
Peasants seizing land in the countryside
Grain prices doubling
Shortages of materials
Lenin
Order Number 1
What was the June Offensive?
Planned offensive attack against Germany.
Aimed to:
Take pressure off Western Front
Get a leg up and not lose more land
Get more control of the troops
Planned to start 16th June
To gain support Kerensky toured the front lines and spread propaganda.
How successful was the June Offensive?
Unsuccessful
Only lasted 3 days
200,000 casualties
Lost support for the PG
Catalysed the July Days
Sill had major problems of unmotivated troops, Desertion, Mutiny
2 million deserters
What were the July days?
Between 3rd and 5th of July 1917
Series of protests and riots led by the Sailors of Kronstadt naval base out of frustration for the way the war was going.
20,000 people involved
Were not led by the Bolsheviks, Lenin didn’t endorse them, Bolsheviks were trying to calm the protestors but they were blamed for the disturbance
What were the consequences of the July Days?
Lenin and Stalin had to flee again, PG were after them
Trotsky and Kaminev were arrested.
Izvestia newspaper denounced Lenin believed him to be a German spy.
Lvov steps down as prime minister.
Trotsky becomes a Bolshevik.
What was the Kornilov affair?
August 1917
Kerensky makes Lavr Kornilov Commander-in-Chief of the Army
~Brought back the Death Penalty for desertion
Kornilov was right Wing
Takes 6x Regiments into Petrograd.
Kerensky only told him to stop. In reality he was stopped by Bolshevik leaders who had been released from prison.
How did the Kornilov affair benefit the Bolsheviks?
~Kerensky disliked
~Proved Lenin’s counter-revolution correct
~Increased party membership. 200,000 by Oct.
~Had majorities in Moscow + Petrograd soviets.
~Gained more military power
When did Trotsky become the chairman of the Petrograd Soviet?
September 26th
(3 days before Julien Baker’s birthday)
What were Kerensky’s jobs prior to Prime Minister?
Minister for Justice
May 1917, became War Minister
Prime Minister from July
Where did Lenin go to exile in July 1917?
Finland with Zinoviev
What happened on the 10th October 1917 (10/10)?
CCOB debated on how to attain the second revolution
10 hours
Lenin won 10:2 (Kaminev and Zinoviev)
When did Trotsky Create teh Military Revolutionary Committee?
16th October
What was Lenin’s argument on 10/10?
Should have a second revolution immediately and seize power
What was Trotsky’s argument on 10/10?
Wait until the Congress of Soviets on the 26th to get support from the other socialist parties.
What were Kaminev and Zinoviev’s argument on. 10/10?
They should gain power legally after the Constituent’s Assembly elections (which had no date set for them)
What was the MRC presented as being for?
To defend Russia from more counter-revolution.
What did Kerensky do on the 23rd that essentially began the October Revolution?
Took action against the Bolsheviks
Shut down their newspapers Pravda and Izvestia
Restricted the power of the MRC.
Tried to close bridges across the city to stop their movement (however the Soviet had control of the bridges)
How did the Bolsheviks gain an upper hand for the Oct revolution?
24th-25th October
Took over buildings and telegraphs across Petrograd
E.g. Stations, Gov buildings, Post office, banks, bridges
What were the first decrees Lenin announced?
The Decree on Peace
The Decree on Land
27th October
Who did the Bolsheviks have supporting them in October?
Kronstadt Soldiers
Red Guard
MRC
Aurora battleship
How did Trotsky help in the Oct revolution?
Organisation
Lenin’s 2nd in command (but not officially)
What resistance did teh Oct Revolution meet?
Vey little.
Late at night/ early morning
Kerensky had tried to find military support but found none
Was a few Kadets in the Winter Palace when they stormed in but no fight
Where were teh Bolshevik’s coordinating October from?
The Smolensk Institute
