The Russian Revolution Flashcards
At the beginning of the 20th century,
Russia was a huge country with more than 140 million people
Three Pillars Sustaining Russia
Royalty, Orthodox Church and high administrative officials + secret police (Okhrana)
Government Style
Absolute Power in a Tzar Regime, led by Nicolas II
Abolition of the Feudal System
20 million peasants were freed from serfdom in 1861
The society was…..
very backward and only slightly industrialized
Russian Social-Democrat Party
Anti-Tzarist political group established in 1898 that later divided between Mensheviks and Bolsheviks
Mensheviks
preferred political change through legal methods and working with trade unions
the word means “minority”
Bolsheviks
the side lead by Vladimir Lenin, preferred political change through armed violence
wanted Marxist ideas in powers
the word means “majority”
Russian Middle Class
didn’t exist, everyone was either very rich or very poor
Okrana
secret police that cracked down on anti-Tzarism
Narodniks (3)
- Russian Populist and terrorist group established in 1870
- Wanted to help the rural and lower class
- Had the slogan “Land and Liberty”
Social Revolutionists
Socialist Agrarian party established 1905 (NOT communist) who wanted to help the peasants of Russia
All political parties in early 20th century were (3)
illegal, incompatible and wanted to get rid of the Tzar
Two Factors from 1904 than made the people very anti Tzar
Economic crisis of 1904 and Russia’s loss in the Russo-Japanese war
Soviet emerged to…
create and assembly against the Tzar
Revolutions of 1917
One in February and one in October
February Revolution 1917 (3)
- Took place in St. Petersburg, in which workers called for an to WW1, democratic reforms and and end to Tzarism
- Russian soldiers/guard joined the protesters
- Liberal political party and military generals forced Nicolas II to abdicate
October Revolution/Lenin’s Revolution of 1917 (3)
- Germans sent Lenin back to try to destabilize new Russian government
- Provisional Government dismantled and soviets in charge (part of communist ideas)
- Created an armed demonstration to seize power
Provisional Government in-between 1917 revolutions (3)
- Liberals of the State Duna made themselves the provisional government, the official government
- Workers in charge of the Soviets, or councils that were in charge of soldiers and workers
- Was extremely weak and failed to end Russia’s involvement with the war
Changes under Provisional Government (5)
- Disolved Tzar’s police (Okhrana)
- Amnesty for political prisoners
- Recognized Polish and Finnish independence
- Promised to give land from landlords to peasants
- Prepared for elections and allowed for democracy
April Theses Main Points (5)
Marxist Idea Document by Lenin declaring:
- Provisional Government and WW1 suck
- Power to the working class and poor people
- Abolition of police and army, and all elective officials to be paid the same as workers
- Creation of a singular national bank
- Power the Soviets and creation of Communist International
Mensheviks and Social Revolutionists aka the Provincial Government….
formed the coalition government called the cadets to quell Lenin’s power
they made the Bolshevik party illegal and Lenin fled to Finland
Totalitarianism
state controls entire government and all aspects of life
Russia Civil War Dates, Sides and Winner
1918-1921
Bolsheviks (led by Trotsky) vs. Old Tsarists (assisted by Britain, Japan and France)
Bolsheviks won
Soviet
an assembly often composed of peasants and workers (played a big part in Russian Revolution)
Russian Economy during the Civil War
suffered severely, so the NEP (New Economic Policy) was created
1920s Russian Government
Totalitarian with one party in charge of the state and one leader in charge of the party
Lenin Replacement
When Lenin died January 21, 1924, he was worried that Stalin would take over the party and all the power, which is exactly what happened
Stalin Government Position
General Secretary, so he was able to hire all his friends to join the party in his support, making him very powerful
Tronsky End
- Dismissed from the party in 1925, then Kamenev and Zinoviev two years later
- Kicked out of USSR in 1929 and assassinated in Mexico in 1940 on Stalin’s orders
Stalin’s Dictatorship Characteristics (4)
- The cult of personality of the leader
- Terror to achieve submission
- Purges (campaigns of imprisonment and assassination of opponents)
- Gulag (concentration camps)
1936 Constitución
- Universal suffrage but only Communist Party members could run
- The Party positions were creating a privileged bureaucracy (Nomenklatura), a social elite
Tronsky Ideal Russia (3)
- Genuine workers’ democracy
- Freedom of expression
- Election, not appointment, of political leaders (ending bureaucratization)
Trotsky vs. Stalin Struggle for Power
Trotsky:
-He had been responsible for the formation of the Red Army
-Arrived late and did not have important supporters in the Party
Stalin:
- In 1922 he had become General Secretary of the Party
-He had significant support within the Party
Komintern or Communist International (5)
- Third International / Communist International / Komintern)
- Aimed to create a tightly centralized and disciplined organization in charge of promoting the revolution in all countries
- Ruled by 21 conditions imposed by Lenin and which obliged a subordination to Moscow’s directives
- It became an instrument at the service of the foreign policy of the USSR
- Caused the world to divide between Social-democratic and reformist parties vs. communist parties.
Stalin Economic Plan and Agriculture
- Abandoned NEP and had the State control the economy
- Collectivization of agriculture / shared means of production / no more private farming
Stalin Industrial Goal
- Strengthen heavy industry
- Achieve economic, technological and military independence
all through State planning
First Five-Year Plan
rapid and large-scale industrialization across the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR)
Both the Second five-year plan and the Third five-year plan emphasized….
growth of the arnament industry
Military / Public Life Impact
Spectacular development of heavy and military industry at the expense of living standards and consumer industry
