the internal divisions and crises within Russian society, including the impact of World War I; the causes, events and outcomes of the February and October Revolutions in 1917 Flashcards
Feb Revolution
o Tsar consistently failed to deal with various social and economic problems facing Russia.
o Outbreak of WW1 made many of these problems worse, with declining living standards and food shortages.
o Army suffered horrendous casualties and military defeats.
o Tsar made poor decisions. Making himself Commander-in-Chief, leaving Tsarina in charge.
o January 1917: there were few indications that revolution was imminent
Trigger causes, Jan-March
o 9 Jan: 140000 workers went on strike to commemorate the ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre of 1905.
o More strikes occurred, caused by food shortages and poor working conditions.
o Situation made worse when government announced rationing of bread on 19 Feb – caused in panic buying and further food shortages.
o 23 Feb: International Women’s Day was commemorated with thousands of women taking to the streets of Petrograd. At the same time workers from Putilov Engineering Works went on strike.
o 25 Feb: 200000 people were protesting on streets of Petrograd.
o Workers established Soviets to put forward their demands.
o 1 March: Petrograd Soviet established and issued Order No.1, which demanded officers had to be elected by soldiers.
Duma
o 26 February: Tsar ordered suspension of Duma.
o Duma established a 12 man committee to take over the running of Russia. Committee further undermined Tsar’s authority and revealed he was losing political influence.
Political situation February 1917
o Only way Tsar could have prevented revolution was by order front line troops into Petrograd to restore order.
o Key members of Duma convinced important generals that they controlled events in Petrograd and military intervention could ignite Civil War.
Abdication of Tsar
o 28 February: Tsar boarded train to Petrograd but was stopped by railway strikers.
o Representatives from Duma met with Tsar and requested abdicated. He agreed on 2 March.
o Abdication increased short-term political chaos and violence within Russia.
o Peasants began to seize land by force.
o Duma Committee became Provisional Government in March 1917 but didn’t have the support to govern effectively. Rivals to growing power of Petrograd Soviet.
o Russia still involved in war against Germany
Tsar contributed to his own downfall
o Personality and leadership
o Attitude toward political change
o Reform
o Misjudgements and mistakes
o Personality and leadership
- Weak, indecisive, lack of interest in the world around him.
- Didn’t have skills or capabilities to do the job of ruling Russia. Disorganised and unwilling to address people directly.
- Used repression as main way of dealing with problems, relying on army which didn’t like to be used as a police force.
o Attitude toward political change
- Resisted all forms of political change. Confirmed believer in autocracy. Not keen on Zemstva or allowing local self-government.
- Didn’t want Duma or representative body.
- Wouldn’t cooperate with Dumas 1906-1914 or with Progressives Bloc.
o Reform
- Half-heartedly supported Stolypin’s land reforms.
Resisted extension of Zemstva to Western provinces. - No real concessions to workers on limiting working day or improving working conditions. Rejected trade unions or bodies representing workers.
o Misjudgements and mistakes
- Failed to realised seriousness of situation building in 1904 and the need to respond to the demands of liberals and workers.
- Appointment of nonentities and incompetents to run govt. after Stolypin’s deaths.
- Support for Rasputin damaged reputation.
- Going to Front in 1915.
- Leaving government in hands of Tsarina and Rasputin.
- Rejecting proposals of Progressive Bloc in 1016.
- Feb 1917: still not really aware of dangers to the regime and took no action until too late.
Causes of the February revolution
Russia 1905-1914 o Issues; - Geography - Religion; Eastern Orthodox - Russification - Autocratic System - Feudalist Economy - Modernisation and Witte
1905 Revolution
o Leaderless uprising
- Blood Sunday, 9th January 1905- Father Gapon
- Tsars relationship with his people diminished
o October Manifesto
- Elected Duma (Parliament) ~ ‘to advise me, not to instruct me’ - Tsar Nicholas II 1908
o Civil rights - Freedom of Speech
o Right to form political parties
o End to censorship
1906-1914
o Stolypin (Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs)
- Carrot and stick approach - Political Promises to prevent unrest. Agricultural Reforms
- Stolypin’s necktie - Oppressed strikers, protesters and revolutionaries
- 20,000+ Exiled, 1,000+ Hanged = Reduced opposition through 1914
- Okhrana - Secret Police
+ positive economic step up for peasantry and industrial growth but too little too late
+Between 1912 and 1914, 8000 strikes occurred , (Corin & Fiehn)
+ Stolypin Assassination (1911)
+Tsar planned on firing him as he created a bad , image of the Russian family and was changing , Russia too much for the Tsar’s taste.
+Tsar ordered the assassination investigation to , a halt (Suspicious)
Six Steps of the February Revolution
- The Effects of the War on the Soldiers
- Loss of enthusiasm
- Defeats at the hands of the Germans. 8 million killed at end of 1914
- Soldiers blamed their officers which then blamed the Tsar - The effects of the War on the Russians at home
- Food shortages
- Coal and material shortages
- Price of goods rising rapidly
- Factories closed = Unemployment
- Loss of Confidence in the Government - Turning Point - A terrible mistake
- Tsar Nicholas becomes Chief in Command
- Blamed for defeats
- Running of the country to Tsarina - Distrusted by the public due to German roots and Rasputin
- She wouldn’t work with the Duma
- Dismissed ministers for ones that liked Rasputin
= Insufficient distribution of food, fuel and other supplies.
- Railway system fell
- Loss of support from Middle and Upper Class
- ‘Cost of living risen by 300 per cent’
~ Police Report, 1916 - The Revolution Begins
- By March 1917; discontent rose
- Workers demanded political changes
- March 7; 40,000 workers strike in Petrograd for higher wages, joined by women strikers
- Tsar ordered the protests be ended by force - Army takes sides
- 12 March; Soldiers in Petrograd refused to fire on crowds and some regiment shot their officers and joined demonstrations.
- Marched to the Duma to take control of the Government - Tsar Abdicates
- Nicholas tried to get back to Petrograd, but railway workers refused to let his train into the city.
- On March 15th, the Tsar abdicated favour of his brother Michael.
Provisional Govt
- TheProvisional Governmentwas the formally constituted authority in Russia, with responsibility for the conduct of the war between February and October 1917. The core of the new government was a provisional committee of Duma deputies, assembled during the unrest that became the February Revolution. On March 2nd, hours after Nicholas II abdicated the throne, the committee discarded three of its Octobrist members and reformed as the Provisional Government of Russia.
- In its first formation, the Provisional Government contained 12 ministers, seven of whom were liberal Kadets. Its first prime minister wasPrince Georgy Lvov, a minor royal and wealthy landowner who favoured a transition to a liberal-democratic government. The only socialist in Lvov’s cabinet wasAlexander Kerensky, a Socialist-Revolutionary lawyer who led theTrudoviklabour faction in the Duma.
Immediate problems of the Provisional Govt
o Membership consisted mainly of Octobrist and Kadet parties. Didn’t have popular support throughout Russia.
o Soviets controlled
o Land
o Membership consisted mainly of Octobrist and Kadet parties. Didn’t have popular support throughout Russia.
- Government didn’t include Mensheviks or Bolsheviks. This meant they helped form a rival power base in Petrograd government.
- Allowed more political freedoms and this meant people were allowed to criticise the government more openly.
- June 1917: Petrograd Soviet became All-Russia Soviet and claimed the right to issue laws for Russia. Issued Order No. 1.
= “The orders of the State Duma shall be carried out only…(when) they don’t contradict orders and decisions of the Soviet”
= “All kinds of arms, such as rifles and machine guns, must be under the control of the company and battalion committees and must in no case be handed over to officers even at their demand”.
= Gave soldiers representation.
= PG couldn’t do anything without Soviets knowing. - Soviet was dominated by left-wing political groups and became rivals to PG. - Major decisions had to be agreed by PG and Soviets but this didn’t encourage decisive and efficient government, which Russia desperately needed.
