Russia- Revolutions Of 1917 Flashcards
1
Q
Three reasons why subject nationalities were discontented with the tsarist regime.
A
- policy of Russification
- Russians were favourited
- Russian was a foreign language for most
- Wanted independence
2
Q
Three reasons why people were discontent with the government?
A
- Autocracy: tsar had all the power
- Little freedom due to Okhrana
- 70% supported tsar as they followed orthodox christian church
3
Q
What were Nicholas II’s weaknesses?
A
- Not a strong character but stubborn
- Reluctant to become tsar
- Governed as an autocrat/ refused to share power
- Ignorant of the extent of opposition
- Only heir Alexei had haemophilia
4
Q
What economic problems were there? Name two.
A
- 85% pop. in countryside
- agriculture was poor only subsistence
- old fashioned farming resulted in low food prod. and frequent famines
5
Q
What was the issue with industrial development?
A
- Industrialised very late
- Low manufacturing output despite resources
6
Q
Who stimulated industry? What outcomes were there?
A
- Count Sergei Witte
- Helped reform/ modernise economy
- More oil and coal
7
Q
Describe the aristocracy.
A
- 1% of pop.
- owned 1/4 of land
- extremely rich
- supported the tsarist regime
8
Q
Describe the peasantry.
A
- biggest and poorest pop.
- lived in the countryside
- suffered disease and famine regularly
- staple diet
9
Q
Describe the middle class.
A
- Skilled workers
- Bankers/ merchants/ factory owners
- Bourgeoisie
10
Q
Describe the proletariat.
A
- Factory workers/ urban peasantry
- Overcrowded slums in the big cities
- Overworkerd
- Forbidden to form trade unions
11
Q
What did the peasantry want?
A
More land
12
Q
What did the workers want?
A
better working conditions
13
Q
What did the liberals want?
A
more political freedom
14
Q
What did the nationalities want?
A
Independence from the empire
15
Q
What did radicals want?
A
To overthrow the regime
16
Q
Name four groups that supported the tsar.
A
Church
Army
Okhrana
Conservatives
17
Q
What two events in 1905 sparked the first revolution?
A
‘Bloody Sunday’
War lost against Japan over Manchuria
18
Q
What was Bloody Sunday?
A
- Peaceful protest by Father Gapon
- Soldiers fired them down
- Tsar not in winter palace
19
Q
What actually happened during the 1905 revolution?
A
- strikes
- mutiny in the navy
20
Q
What did Tsar Nicholas do to avoid further chaos after the 1905 revolution?
A
- October Manifesto
21
Q
List three things in the October Manifesto.
A
- No censorship
- Freedom of speech
- elected parliament/ Dumas
22
Q
What was Stolypin’s necktie? Who was he?
A
- Stolypin first prime minister
- introduced reform in education and agriculture
- hung anyone who opposed the rules
23
Q
Who was Rasputin?
A
- holy man
- helped tsar’s family by controlling Alexei’s haemophilia
- very powerful in court
24
Q
Why was Rasputin a piece of ammunition for radicals?
A
- he was hedonistic
- symbolised corruption and incompetence
25
How did the Dumas fail?
- Very little power
- Dissolved four times
- 1906-1914
26
What was the second massacre?
- Lena Goldfields
- 1912
- 200 strikers shot
27
What were the four political parties?
Social Democrats
Socialist Revolutionaries
Octobrists
Constitutional Democratic
28
Describe the Social Democrats.
- Marxists
- Mensheviks (Trotsky) and Bolsheviks (Lenin)
- Proletariat revolution
29
Describe the Socialist Revolutionaries.
- Peasantry revolution
- Kerensky
- Share all land
30
Describe the Octobrists.
- Tsarists
- Guchkov
31
Describe the Constitutional Democrats (Kadets)
-Bourgeoise
- Constitutional monarchy
- Milykov
32
What were the four main reasons for the defeat of Russia in WW1?
- Poor leadership
- Leadership of the Tsar
- Suppliess
- Lack of infrastructure
33
Why was poor leadership a disadvantage?
- lazy, incompetent, overconfident
- no teamwork
- moved forces too quickly, ahead of supplies and support
34
Why was leadership of the tsar a disadvantage?
- no experience
- not capable
- completely blamed for military defeat
35
Why was lack of infrastructure a disadvantage?
- outdated technology - easily intercepted telegraphs and no new weapons like machine guns
- inadequate railway system
- military order lost in telegraphs
36
Why were supplies a disadvantage?
- not enough steelworks, explosives, shipyards and medical supplies
- soldier had no equipment
37
What were three economic effects of WW1?
- inflation
- less food as no-one in fields
- lack of essential supplies like fuel
- unemployment and poverty
38
What were three military effects of WW1?
- Enthusiasm and patriotism waned
- army lost respect/ many mutinies
- violent resistance to conscription
39
What were the political effects of WW1?
- 1915 Nicholas went to lead
- Left German wife in charge
- Alexandra only listened to Rasputin
- Support decreased for Romanovs
40
How did the involvement of the Duma change across WW1?
- initially supported - lots of criticism later
- 1915 asked tsar to replace ministers
- tsar refused to share power/ duma centre of opposition against tsar
41
What three things happened to Russia/ Russia did to destroy its economy in WW1?
- Germany blocked trade routes so taxes increased
- loans from allies - national debt
- printed more money/inflation
42
Describe the death of Rasputin.
- members of royal family begged Alexandra to dismiss rasputin
- some led by Prince yusopov, assassinated him
- cyanide cakes, shot twice, rolled in carpet and drowned in river
43
Which revolt ended in the abdication of the tsar?
February 1917
44
Give 1 example each of a long-term and short term discontent that was a trigger for revolt
- discontent at government and king
- food shortages
- demoralisation of army
45
What was happening in Petrograd during Feb 1917?
- Strike at putilov steelworks
- international women's day strike
- demonstrations in support of Duma
46
What was happening in the army in Feb 1917?
- unhappy that they were being ordered to fire at demonstrattors
- mutinies
47
What two things did Nicholas do that lead directly to his abdication?
- left Petrograd
- ordered unrest in Petrograd to be suppressed
48
Describe the end of the Romanov dynasty.
- Nicholas abdicated in a railway carriage 320km away from petrograd
- thought his brother grand duke Michael would take over but he refused
49
Which two powers took control of Russia after the abdication? What was this called?
- Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government
- Dual Power
50
Who set up the Petrograd Soviet?
Revolutionaries
51
What was the provisional government? Who was it made up of?
- set up by a few members of the old Duma
- made up of bourgeoisie politicians and radicals
52
Who were the leaders of the PG?
First it was prince Lvov
Then it was Kerensky
53
What reforms did the PG introduce? Name three.
- freedom of religion
- freedom of speech
- freedom of trade unions
- 8hr work day for the proletariat
- promise of elected parliament
- abolishment of the Okhrana
- release of political prisoners
54
Why did the Petrograd Soviets have more power than the PG?
- They were an elected body so had more mandate
- military orders had to be approved by them
55
What was Soviet order number 1?
- Petrograd Soviet had the final say on military orders
56
What were the general weaknesses of the PG? Name three.
- lack of decisive leadership
- continued to fight the war
- failed to improve the economy
- failed to provide more land for the peasants
- failed to hold general elections
- lack of military control
- dual power
57
What triggered the July Days?
- Kerensky's 1917 June offensive on the Galician front
58
What happened during the June offensive and the July Days?
June: - massive failure and lots of deaths
July: - Germans sent Lenin back
- more riots in petrograd
- bolsheviks tried to overthrow pg
59
What did the PG look like after the July Days?
- Kerensky became prime minister
60
Who was General Kornilov?
Supreme Commander in Chief of Armed Forces
61
What were the Aims of the Kornilov revolt?
- continue the war
- socialist government
- military dictatorship
- stability of the country
- save the PG
62
What did Kerensky do to prevent the coup?
- Asked Bolshevik Red Army for help
- Armed them
63
What was the outcome of the Kornilov revolt?
- Military broke down fully
- PG seemed weak and incompetent/ Bolsheviks seemed strong and in control
64
What were the most significant impacts of the Kornilov revolt?
- increased popularity of bolsheviks and the red guard
- Kerensky seen as a weak leader
- Bolsheviks won election in Petrograd Soviet
65
Give a short timeline and description of Lenin's exile and return.
1914: - Poland
- arrested for being Russian traitor along with other Bolsheviks
1918: - Alps
- Returned with German help
66
How did the Bolsheviks use the July Days?
- Lenin fled after accused by Kerensky
- Came up with Bolshevik April Theses, Anti war policy, and Key Slogan
67
What were Lenin's April theses?
- End war
- Power to working classes
- Land for peasants
- Abolishment of police, army and bureacracy
- All power to Soviets
- Nationalise industries
68
What was the Bolshevik newspaper? How did it help them?
Pravda
Anti- PG
69
What were two of Lenin's powerful slogans?
ALL POWER TO THE SOVIETS
PEACE, LAND AND BREAD
70
On what date did Lenin come back from exile?
8th October 1917
71
Give three reasons why Lenin thought it was opportune to revolution
- July Days
- Kornilov Revolt
- Bolshevik members and Red Army increased
72
Which two members opposed the revolution?
Kamenev and Zinoviev
73
What did Kerensky do that made Lenin panic and start the revolution? When was this?
- order Bolshevik shutdown
- 23 October
- newspapers etc.
74
What did Trotsky set up to unite Soviet supporting soldiers? What was their role in the revolution?
- Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC)
- took control of roads and bridges
- army headquarters
- telegraph offices
75
What actually happened during the 'revolution'?
- B took key buildings around winter palace
- little resistance
- kerensky escaped/ no help came
- PG troops surrendered
- 6 soldiers died
- one broken window
- 18 arrests
76
What was the Soviet interpretation of the revolution?
- 'storming of Winter Palace'
- supported by masses/ working class
- Red Guards
77
What was the reality of the October revolution?
- walked into palace
- one small group of Red Guards
- little resistance
- only took half a day
78
What was Lenin's new government called? Name three positions and the people who occupied them.
Lenin: Head of government
Trotsky: Commissar of Foreign Affairs
Stalin: Commissar of Nationalities
79
Who was Trotsky?
- Menshevik until they supported PG
- Leader of PS
- da brain
- exiled to siberia twice
80
Who was Lenin?
- created red guard
- big man
- older brother hung for treason against tsar
- exiled for 11 years
- led bolshevik revolution
81
What were the three main reasons for Bolshevik success?
- B control of armed forces
- weaknesses of PG
- lack of alternatives/ other political parties
82
Why did Bolshevik control of armed forces matter?
- Red Guard
- Petrograd Soldiers didn't side w PG
- MRC
83
Why did the weak PG matter?
- no support from anyone L
- could not overturn Order No.1
- they armed the bolsheviks???
84
Why did lack of alternatives matter?
- no other parties offered clear alternatives
- did not address demands of people
- delayed elections constituent assembly
