Topic 1- Dissent And Rev Flashcards
Feb rev
Following international workers day march
Geenral strike 250,000 protesting- paralysing the capital
66,000 garison march i n support
27 feb- nicholas return petrograd and sdissolve duma
28 feb- armed crowds broke into prisons- peter and paul fort, kerensky emerged as leader winnng respect
1 mar- temporary comm created- petrograd soveit issued order no1- pledge recognise pg in return for tsar abdication
2 mar-nicholas abdicate in favour of his brother who rejects
Order no 1
Petrograd soveit issued
Pledge recognise pg in return for tsar abdication
Apr 1917
Lenin returns trograd
Deliver april thesis
April thesis
Soveit sole power- after lenin rule breifly
Not work with pg
Nationalisation of land
Sprread international socialism
Get out of war
May 1917
Pg coalition- 5 socialsts from liberal gov, war remains in hand of pg
Resignition of milykov after pg decide to continue until ‘just’ victory- public outrage
June 1917
Failed offensive on eastern front
Mutiny on front- officers shot by soliders
July 1917
Pg reshuffle- keerensky hea, gov more socialist than liebral
July days
July days
Several days of ucontrollable riots on streets
Sparked by a failure of a sumemr offensive- anegr at economy, petrograd garrison feared being sent to front, many wanted to size control
Kronstadt urpsising
Pg support men and sr in fighting back
Lenin exile
Kronstadt uprising
Major naval base
Og bolsheviks
V radical and anarchist
March on tauride palace (20,000) demand petrograd soveit take place - b slogans used ‘all power to the soviets’ ‘peace land bread’
Kornilov affair
Aug 1917
Kerensky appointed kornlov as commander general- right wing
Wanetd to crush radical sociealists by bringing law and order to petrograd
Kerenskyy panic and call bolsheviks for control rev
Pg bad jsugeemnt- soviets recieved more support
Sep 1917
Bolshevik majority
Lenin in exile- finland, bobard central comm with letters- prepared fro rev- ‘history will not forgve us if we do not secure power now’
Bolshevik majority- sep 1917
Trostky chair exec petrograd gov
23,000 deb to 300,000 by oct
Newspaper
10,000 red gaurds
Oct 1917
Lenin returns to russia
Speech central comm- ‘armed uprsing is the order of the day’ vote 10:2
Kamenev and ainoviev against
Mil rev com- trostky on 5 oct
Control 200,000 red gaurds, 60,000 baltic sailros, 100,000 petrograd garrison
Mistakes keerensky
Kornilov affair- poor judge of character- reliant on extrmsist
July days- men and sr to defeat bolsheviks
Failed offensive- spark july days, and anegr, huge casulties
Not cracked down on bolsheviks, economy, national identity/land q
Lenin background
Jewish
Privilegded porfessional family- simbrish- intellgensia
Older bro invlved in plot to assassinate tsar alexander 3rd- bro killed and family questioned
Uni- study law- involved student revolt
18950- joined marxist discussion group
Lenin books
What is to be done 1902
Imperialism and the highest state of caputalism 1916
The state and revolution 1917
What is to be done 1902
Idea rev party- highly centralised gov
Reprsent working class- need rev elite to give way
Network of agents
Small conspiratory party- professional and dedicated revoutionaries
The state and revlution 1917
What state willl look like post rev
Transformation of econ and society
State s6tructure take power by revolutionary
Spontaneous unit of people- support rev
Imperialism and highest state of capitalism 1916
Capitalism bankrupt- collapse in a series of wars between capital countried
Lead to civil war- class conflict= facilitated by rev
Why bolsheviks disagree with other parties
Cooperate with pg- sr
Some wanted to continue with war util better setllement
Kadet- dont want redistribution of land- middle class
Spread socialissm internationally
All power to the soviets- too far
The feb 1917 rev was an inevitability
Tsar decision making/gov
Failure by litcians to reform
Military failures
Feb rev inevitable- tar decision making/gov- yes
Tsar in control army 1915- professional bloc and snr officers plan coup
Army generals questioning command
Rasputing and gov tsarina (german- nevitable lost faih in- undermined
Supported by sycophants- advisers pointless
Previous tsar alex 3- russification 1881- anti jewish pgroms- jewish leader revolutionary
Trade unions- 190665
14 feb- 10,000 workers and international womens day on 23rd, 24,000 protest, wih general strike by 25th
1917 rev not inevitable- tsar decsision making/govv- no
Rasputin more fictional- supported by peasants as one himself
Previouss tsars didnst suggest would happen 1917- revolutionary group, many leaders suprised
Feb rev inevtable-failure to politically reform- yes
Public arent satisfied- duma and tsar in contrl= fundemental laws 1906- oct manifesto- automatic gov
Stolypin- didnt like hostility- 1907 dissove as riot start to take place, assassinated 1911
Sd plot to assasinate tsar
‘First pacifissm, and then and only then, reform’
;pacification’ priorities over reform- remove political voice
Failure to politically refom- no- feb rev inevitavle
Duma cause anger not failure to politically reform 1914- duma agreed that ssupport tsar war efforts99
Regardless choice- more power to tsar, wasnt the ‘powersharing’ in the eyes of the public
Military failures- feb rev inevitable yes
Previous rev 1905 bloody sunday - trigegr failure of r-japanese war- military defeat spurs revolutionary spirit
Ww1 own failures
G defeat r sep 1915- on northern front- may- 125,000 casulties
Tsar 1915 made himsefl control of army -responsibility held
Military failures- no- feb rev inevitable
Other factors
Legalisation of tu allowed 1905
1917- econ situation harsh- high no casulties and deaths due to war
Why did rev occur in feb 1917- politics
Sr
Gov tsarina alexandra- undermined by rasputin and surrounded by yes men
Failure to politically reform- whilst have duma, tsar in control
Oct manifesto ecemented
Lr
Social oppression lower classes- traditionally no tu (until 1905), poor reatment by factory owners
Political activism and parties- 1905 rev and bloody sunday, increased support left- bolsheviks
Failure to poliitical reform- previuous tsars tried to make reform however failed, oct manifesto
Why did rev occur in feb 1917 - economimc
Sr
Economic disaster 1914-17
Causes by war efforts and increase costs associatied
Loss of workforce esp peasants
Inflation and real wages fell
Lr
Economic backwardness- industrialised late on, traditionaly emphasis on agriculture- reliabel on weather00- instability caused as econ move
Why did rev occur 1917 feb- military failures
Sr
Tsar nich deciciosn making- head of army- decisions and reputation failed
War failures and sufering on home fronts- mass caultes andp ooer organisation contribute to army dissatisfaction and turning against later on
Lr
Historical military failures- 1905 r-j war, ww1 on diff fronts
first duma
Kadet majority,
Lots of demands- not sucessful
Amnesty political prisoners, fully democratic electoral systemes
Land reform- biggest failure- goremykin (pm 1914-16 and 1906) reected
Tauride palace proetested- crossed border to finland and issue vybord manifeto= many kadets arrested
Sucecess- cooperation during famine
Second duma-
Less kadets, cooperate famine regime
Debates end in fights
Stolpin- sd plot asassinate tsar- dissolve
Tu banned
Third duma
Right wing majority
1911 stolypin short
Agrarian reform go well
Defeatd bill to extend westwards in empire
third duma
Right wing majority
Agrarian reforms go well
1911 stolypin shot
Foruth duma
Centre right mahoirty
Fall back to policy of repression
Ww1 met intermittently during conflict
Culture and reform orthodox church
Provide uni education
Dissolve itself back war effort
Pg support base
Provision comm of dma
Those who supported constitutional monarch
Liberal middle class
Pg authority and guiding principles
Body ahead of elections for new constition and assembly - temporary
Wanted to create gov of national unity- immediate amnesty of all political prisoner,s aboliyom of national, religious, social privileges, abolution politicians, election loclal commision
Leader pg
Pm princel vov
Foreign minister- milykov
Pg achievement
Within few days- olice department abolished and repaleced - political prisoners freed
Polictical meetinsgs and e- newspaper and pamphlest
2mill petrograd- join trade unions
On front line- abolition of capital pinishment
Wartime rationing became freer
Comm legal exports appointed to produce plan for r. Service
Elections to constutient eassemblied
Support base petrograd soviet
Proletariat osldiers
Radical soldiers, itelectuals, mens, srs, bols
aims and guiding principles of petrograd soviet
Soveit encourage peasanst
Rep of people- against pg ‘unelected nature’
Against war
Order no1- orderes of ps hsould ake precendence of pg
Arreas of petrograd soviet conflict with pg
Pg self appointed- llligetimate, wealthyl, petrograde legit vlice of people
How war should be continued
Exiled.impisoned left iwng leaders brought back to city- esp lenin increase ltension
Pg temporary
Pg postpone elections and decision making flaws
Success of pg- war- sucess
How tackled war effort
Pg milyakov foeign minister- defend russia and made territorial gains if allies won
Soviet defensiev war only
War- sucessful pg- no
Milykov forced to reign- crisis pg
Pg rehsuffle- socialist gov- coalition
Sumemr 1917- pg offensive against germany
Kerensky- minister for wr- popular and used to gain surt- most liberals suport,hoped to achieve bargaining power- ultimately failed
Land- sucess pg- yes
May 1917- significant issue- peasant want land no one to stop taking it- between emancipatio of sufs 1861
Wanted gov to give legitmicay to activity
Pg didnt want to hand over land- gave compensation
Concerned disintegration of army as peasantry return for land
Land- sucess pg- no
Criticism over organisation of redistribution
Srs joined pg may- seemed to have betetr relationship with peasantry and pg
Chernov (sr leader)- minister of arguculture, sr abuse peaceful solution
Not successful- land siezures increased 237 cases july, local sr encountered issues if treied to restrain peasants
Nationalities and minorities- how sucessful pg
Fins and poles called for independance
Other regions wanetd autonomu- caucasion regime
Biggest problem in ukraine- immense value to russia- most valuable farmland in empire- self governance wanted
Economic situations- how successful was the pg
Food shortage, unemployment and high prices, still rationing- grain crisis gov increase price by 100%
Railway system, badly damaged by war
Shortage fuel and raw materials- factoreies close down
Poor harvest 19917
Resources towards army laking
Increase strikes
Sent out punishment brigades to requsisition grain
Disint persuade pearosns to bring grain to city as few goods to buy at inflated rate
Soviet view of oct rev 1917-91
Propaganda glory
Populist urisng with bolsheviks heors
Increased support of b up to oct rev
Moscow city duma 20 sept 51% compared to 11% june
Bol majority petrograd and moscow soveits
Trotsky elected chairman of petrogrd soviets
4/7 soveit exec comm seats by bolsheviks
Lenin in finland- barrage of emssages
Lib/western view post 945 of oct rev
Cold war
Coup detat
Lenin ed
Ocyt rev disatser -schapiro- liberal veiew- west feared agressive interventions ussr
Revisionist historians 70s and 80s- oct rev
More objective
Aware western propaganda- vilify ussr
Look to both sides
Smith- more action role lower ranks bol party- less organisation
Fitzpatrick- argued that workers, soldiers and peasants created conditions in which b could operate- formed soviets and comm before bol on schene
Post revisionist/recent historian view of oct rev
Declassification
Eg robert service
Argue lenin key figure w/ut drive and persistance not oct rev
Hall makrs of coup present.
Maintain independant action at local levels in pg and soviet
Eg increassed radicalisation of worker, soldier, sailor and peasants
Why were the bols successful oct 1917
Weakness of provisional gov
Nature of pg
Mistakes of kerensky
Policies
Other factors
Strengths of bolsheviks
Poliicies
Party
Luck
Other factors
Bol success oct 1917- weakness pg- nature of pg
Coalition gov- divided- diff parts of political specturm- socialist and liberals
No election- unpopular- lac kof authorty- supposed to be temporary
Scope for action liimited with dual power wht soviet holding power
Bol success oct 1917- mistakes by kerensky- weakness pg
Failed suemr offensive- collaspe 3 days- desertioin- led to july days
Kornilov affiar- order was mistake
Underestimate strenth b in oct
Bol success oct 1917- weakness pg-policies
Failure to understand peeasantry- legimiise peasant land takeover not given
Oppression similar to tsarist regime
Continue involvement in war, economic policy- ineffecitve, treatment of minorities- lost support after danger self sdetermination
B success oct rev- weakness pg- other factors
Moderate socialists increasingly letf wing- loosing contact with core supporters
Liberals increasing right wing- kadects more right, alarmed by violence
B success oct 1917- strength of b- policies
Popular to end war
Land to peasanry- nationalised
‘All powe0r to the soveist’ ‘peace land and bread’
B apporach pg and urge overthwo
Socialist policies associated with pg- opposition to them meant ssupport bolsheviks
B success oct 1917- strength - party
Led by intelligensa- well organised, small no prodessional disciplieened- lenin- apr thesis- oct rev
Trotsky role in postponing start of oct rev- allow all russia congress of soveitss to arrive- legitimacy
B success oct 1917- strength of b- luck
Kornilov affiar- bolsheviks used as an opportunity to provide themselves
Oct rev- pg gain support
Economy worsen and war situation- anger of proletariat
Radicalised workers to favour soviet power
B success oct 1917- other factors- strength b
Bolsheviks-s more active supporters around petrograd and moscow
Pnly smalll majority of petrograd gained blshevik support- ajority soldiers remain revolution and reform opporition
Lenin was the principle reason whhy rev was successful in oct
Loa- yes but trostky built on foundations by lenin
Postponing essentials
Ideology
Stratedgy
Military
Lenin was the principle reason whhy rev was successful in oct - ideology- lenin
Forefront of socialism- what is to be done 1902- broke down complext details into more undertsandable messgaes
April thesis- soveits sole power, nationalisation of land, spread sociaism internationally, remove from war
Head bolshevik party
Lenin was principle reason why rev was successful with oct- trotsky- ideology
More in contact with [eople- leadership of petrograd soviet- 51% bol insep moscow city duma, 4/7 soveit exec comm
Hold together all factionss
Kornilov
Chose trajectory of july days, trotsky heoric, arrested more poularity
Lenin principle reason why rev successful in oct - lenin- stratedgy
Exile- barrage letters, vote and speech
Lenin 25-24 oct- maintaining freeedom important- key target as head of bol arty
Lenin principle reason why rev success in oct- trotsky-] stratedgy
Postpone, more preparation time,
Clearer party image and greater organisation
Blame ‘all russia congress of soveist- more legit than coup deteat
Lenin principle reason why rev sucess in oct- trostky- military
Organise mil rev kom- skill and knowldged pof identity, strageic
Lenin principle reaosn why bsuccess oct rev - lenin- military
Mil rev comm set up
200,000 red gaurd, 60,000 sailor kornstadt, petrograd garrison
Sovnarkom
act as gov, take precendence over exec comm of congress of soviets, set out lots of secrees and resolutions
October concessions made 1917
Max 8hr day
Free education all children
Social insuance- benefits
Old ge, health, unemployment
Immediate end to war- peace talks, armistice agreed nov
Perhaps to lower class
Abolish private ownership of land, legitimise peasant siecurs of land without compensation to landlorsds
Oct 1917- terror used
Opp press banned
Nov concession granted 1917
Abolish titles and class ranks
Promise self determination of poeple, of former russian empire in dec
Finland- indepenant, ukraine- elected rada
Gave women rights to sueprivese management
Mena nd women equal rights on properties
Nov terror used 1917
Abolution of old judicial system and established new legal system of elected poeoples county
Opposistion- burzkin- enermy of the people- society turn in on itself
Dec concession 1917
Nationalised banks
Demoratization of army, remove ranks, saluets, army decie who to elect officers under contrl soldiers soviets
Nationalise church
Remove marriage and divroce from ecclesiatical control
Women right to initiate divorce
Dec terror used 1917
Creation of cheka to root out opp
Oct-dec 1917- teror used
Anyone acusied of being burzki- beaton on streast of ewell dressed
Bolshevised soldiers andsailors free licence to loot burzhi and acts of violence
Eg red gaurd- 50 military cadets thrown into blast furnace
State licenece and encourage dpeople to loot the looters ‘
Food shortage linked to war
Food supplies going to army
Army using trains, which would transport food
Moscow and petrograd recieving 1/3 food required in 1916
Failure of tsarist system lt
Figes
‘Could not cope with the challenges of urbanization and the developmentof a modern market based econ ‘ bought democratci changes
Increasing atinalist sentiment
Literacy rates rose from 21
5 1897 to 40% 1914
Growth of nass based nationalist movenents in rural schools
Seen in ca 1917- 71% ukraininan peasants vote for natiomalists- ‘astonishing shift in political awareness in only a generation’
Importance of lenin
Figes
‘It was not marxism that made lenin a revolutionary but lenin who made marxism revolutionary
What happened with battleship potemkin
Ships crew rebelled after spokesperson ove rpeice of magotty meat, the ships doctor claimed safe to eat,
Failure on stolypin land reform
Believed that if prvate ownership feel have stake in system and coop mroe
‘Wager on the strong’
He assumed poor due to collectivism
Yet instead collectivism used to ‘distribute the burden of their poverty’ figes
Lack of preparedness of military leaders ww1
Supreme commaner grand duke nikolai- never taken part in any serious fighting
General sukhomlinov minister for war- salon soldier- done v little prepare army for combat
Influence of rasputin
Alexandra write to nicholas with r recommendations on food supply tranport finance and land reofmr
Converts to bolshevism
T and alexandra kollontai by lenin stress on internat rev action to end war
From lw men
Support for kerensky
Hailed pote of the nation
First love of the rev
Out of touch lenin
Had spent most of past 16 years up to feb rev in exile ein euroep
Thus little recent knowledge of the way its people lived
Leaders released during july days
Trotsky and other bol
Reaction against closure of russias national parliament
‘No popular reaction’- figes
Among the peasatry the traditional base of support for the sr party, tehre was idnifference
Example for burzui punished
Baroness meyendorff sold a diamond brooch for 5,000 roubles- enough to buy a bag of flour
Russia behind politically
‘Late to emerge from feudalism’- 1860
1905 elected parliament
‘Russias towns had nno tradition of political organization or self government’ - fitzpatrick
Rural depopulation
Years immediately before ww1- 9 mill passports for seasonal work outside villages
1/2 peasant households in european russia inc a family member who left the village for work
Failure of dual authority
‘Dual power’ ‘proved an illusion’ ‘maskinh something very like a power vacuum’
Pg barely survived kornilovs attempted coup from he right
Succumbing in oct- oct rev
Fitzgerald
Classic western interpretation of 1917
Bol secret weapon of party organisation and discipline
What is to be done- moulded the bbol party in its formative years and continued to determine bol behavoir even after the final emergence from undergroundin feb 1917- fitzgerald
Alternative view on 1917
Bol appeal due to their ‘radicalism on tyeh extreme left of the political spectrum
Whilst socialists and lib groups jostled for position in pg and ps the bol refused to be co opted and denounced the politics of coalition
Fitzgerald
Bol sucess 1917 themselves
Fitzgerald
Only the bol ‘had overcome marxist scruples, caught the modo of the crowd and declared their willingness to sieze power in the name of the proletarian rev’
Refused to cooperatet in pg as otehrs hadd done
Military resistance disintegrated with feb rev
+
Police disintergratino
Troops from pg brought into the city to control the crowd had begun to fraternize with it By 28th feb- petrograd military comander - rev crowd had taken over all railway stations, all artillery supplies,
Who forced to abdicate
Army high command
Pskov on return journey from mogilev- nicholas’s train met by emissaries from high command and duma- suggested abdicate
Who ordered killing of romanovs
bolshevik urals soviet- according to fitzgerlad
Pg authority from
No electoral mandate
Dericve authority from now defunct duma
Consent of the army high command
Informal agreements with public organisations like zemsvo league and war industries comm
Allied powers recognised immediately
Germanys role in feb rev
Lenin and other emigre community in switzerland - helped by ger gov to cross ger in sealed train
Clealry in ger interests to let russian rev opposed to teh war return to russia
Fitzgerald
Bolshevik party membbership growing
24,000 at time feb rev
100,000 end apr
Oct 350,000- inc 60,000 petrograd and 70,000 moscow- most important areas
Factor contributing to fear of kornilov affiar
Ger captured riga on eve kornilov affair
Why z and k oppose l
Irresponsible for bol sieze power by a coup
Unrealistic to think that hey could hold power alone
Why ooct rev less heroic
Battleship aurora moored opposite palace in river neva not fire single live shot
Occupyig forces let kerensky slip out a side entrance and sucesfully flee the city by car
Lenin attitude on socialist coalition
Adamently against it- fitzgerald
Why sr success peasants
Single issue voters
Sr and bol programme basically the same but srs better known
