russia 3 Flashcards
reasons for opposition to Tsar Nicholas II
Taking charge of army
- made himself commander in chief (sept
1915)
- not there in petrograd when needed (in mogilev - 780km away)
- blamed for army’s defeats
No land for peasants
- wanted wealthy landowners’ land to be redistributed
- resented gov interference
- rebelled and hoarded food to force up price
Involvement in war
- led to inflation (wages increased by 200% ; prices = 400%)
- < taxes to pay for gov spending 17,000 million roubles on war
the causes of the February Revolution
International Women’s Day
- unplanned trigger event
- bread shortages so women were joined by protesters
- 23-25 Feb = 240,000 protesters
Opposition to Tsar
- workers & peasants were discontent
- tsar was absent from petrograd
- blamed for war involvement / defeats
Mutiny in army
- 28th feb = reported to tsar that crowd had seized artillery supplies to garrison
- 27th feb - regiment decided to join protesters, followed by others
- gave weapons to crowds
reasons for changes in economic and social policy, 1918-24
Russia drifting into CW
- needed control of food supply / industry
- workers had to produce (red army needed food)
Wanted to end capitalism
- abolished money, free market, social class
- still a distinction between peasants & workers
> Population in cities
- russia lost grain - producing areas in ukraine (treaty of brest-litovsk) ; white army controlled others
- thousands moved to countryside to get more food
impacts of communist policies on women, ethnic minorities and culture
Increased women’s rights
- < influence = zhenotdel 1919 to promote freedom
- < education = learn to read & write from CW campaigns
- 1917 = legal equality (post card divorce; non religious marriage)
Hostile treatment to EM despite promises
- com. policy to promote languages / culture became sign of disloyalty
- groups forcibly removed (1930s - 171,000 koreans deported; 1941 - 89,000 finns deported)
- named ‘bourgeois nationalists’
Culture promoted communism
- agitprop (gov. department) made sure media etc supported ideas
- art, lit, film, music censored and overseen
- propaganda spread (e.g socialist realism novels w communist heroes)
reasons for changes in the treatment of ethnic minorities, 1917-39
Protected by early decrees
- positive treatment
- e.g dec. of rights of peoples of russia 1917
- promised equality, religious freedom, self determination
Kulaks resisting collectivisation
- treatment worsened
- stalin’s attitude to them changed
- seen as enemies of communism
Gov. suspicious of disloyalty
- persecuted / deported (1930s - 171,000 koreans deported; 1941 - 89,000 finns deported)
- feared they would become < independent of moscow gov. (‘bourgeois nationalists)
reasons for changes in the role and status of women, 1917-39
Stalin wanted < population
- 1936 abortions banned
- women forced into domestic roles
- set back progress (lower social status)
Five Year Plan needed < workers
- 1937 = 40% of industrial workers, 1940 = 13m female workers
- increased economic role
- treated with more equality
NEP
- cutbacks in gov. spending so no daycare areas in factories
- > job opportunities
- rights not prioritised, > promotion
reasons for the introduction of the ‘cult of Stalin’
Put Stalin beyond criticism
- focus on one man offered stability among problems country faced
- gave impression only he could make sense of all chaos
Stalin = new Lenin
- lenin had lost of loyalty
- continuing his legacy / replacing = improved ruling position
- seen as ‘leader, teacher, friend’
Increased support for communism
- able to work around problems w/o questioning one party rule
- leader could fix everything even if local party members make mess
reasons for Bolshevik success in October 1917
