Topic 1- Dissent And Revolution (1917) Flashcards
The conditions of Russia before the revolution of Feb/ March 1917
- the tsar
- speech
- why he faced difficulty ruling politically
-Nicholas ll, a firm autocrat that refused any reform
- senseless dream speech delivered in 1895
-faced dificulty ruling due to political opposition
The Duma = The Russian Elected Parliament that had no real power as the Tsar still remained final authority. All political parties were represented in the duma, and therefore it provided a forum for criticism of government policies.
The progressive bloc the Tsar had rejected the notion that he should replace his cabinet with a ministry of national confidence made up of duma members.
therefore, over half of duma members formed themselves into a progressive bloc to criticize the handling of the war.
- Nicholas refused to listen to the bloc after they persuaded him to make concessions - made him seem to be increasingly incapable of running the war and helped the bloc become a symbol of political resistance.
Political opposition and authority
(SRs, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks and octobrists)
Marxism, split into the Bolsheviks + the Mensheviks
→ far left-wing, Pushed for economic growth through workers development in industry + urban areas + the middle class gaining power + increasing trade .
‘Russian social democratic labour party’
-contributed to 1905 rev spreading strikes + protests + encouraging violence
Populism, most support from ardinary people ‘Social revolutionary party’
endorsed Tsarist overthrow + land distribution .
→ Iest wing, assassinated repressive figures of Tsarist bureaucracy + split between moderates + radicals, not well coordinated)
Octorbrists - founded after the revolution.
-more or an association than a party, believed in the Tsar + his right to excersize strong government.
The war effort
-why was Russian so unsuccessful
inflation
- war destroyed Russia’s financial stability. government spending increased from 4 million roubles to 30 million.
- By 1917, inflation had reached 200 per cent.
food supplies
- peasants found it impossible to sustain agricultural output due to the requisitioning of farm horses and fertilizers by the military. coupled with the problem that inflation made trading unprofitable, peasants stopped selling food and began hoarding stocks.
- army had first claim on limited amount of food produced and had priority use of the transport system, meaning food could not be easily distributed to civilian areas
- in January 1917, Petrograd only received 48% of grain requirements.
transport
- attempt to transport millions of troops and masses of supplies to the war fronts created unbearable pressures - signalling system on which the railway depended on broke down which blocked lines and left trains stranded)
- by the end of 1916, petrograd and moscow were only receiving a third of their food and fuel requirements.
the army
- severely hampered by lack of equipment due to the poor administration between the government departments responsible for supplies.
-By mid-1915, the munitions crisis rendered the Russian artillery unit to only three shells per day.
- Tsar in 1915 took formal control of the armed services and as commander-in-chief was personally responsible for Russia’s performance in the war - under his command, performance only worsened largely due to his military inexperience
- battle of tannenburg left 300,000 men dead or wounded
Economic and social state of Russia
Despite 3.5 million additional industrial robs, the rising prices destroyed buying power of wages.
- coal + fuel shortages, gov increased taxes
- war destroyed Russia’s financial stability government spending increased from 4 million roubles to 30 million.
- By 1917, inflation had reached 200 per cent for the avg family, cost of living increased by 300%.
- breakdown in railway communications.
-mass unemployment, especially in Moscow + petrograd
- display of patriotic zeal- upon announcement of war on the balcony of the white palace in July he was praised + Duma supported war.
In 1917 strikes rose - 30.000 in Moscow, 145.000 in Perragrad.
poor sanitation + diets
Causes of the revolution
- short term
- long term
short term causes- Economic disaster, war failures, gov of Tsarina Alexandra, Nicholas decision making + failure to politically reform, bread rations
long term causes - Economic backwardness, social oppression of lower classes. political opposition. failure to polinically reform + historic military humiliation (Russo- Japanese War -1904)
The Tsar as a cause
Alexandria- Alexandria already was distrusted due to her close relationship with Rasputin (who she believed could help Alexis her haemophiliac son) and German heritage, was placed as head in the country
-Nicholas II places himself as commander + cheir in the midst of war failure.
in August 1915- after 1•5 mill desertions)
- zemsto + other local gov (zemsta) united to form zemgor ‘gov. enjoying public conticience’
(suspended by the tsar )- link to senseless dreams speech of 1895
Events of the revolution (14th to 25th)
14th Feb-inroducing bread rations announced- 100.000 workers from 50+ factories strikes across Petrograd
23rd Feb- international womens day march joined by strikers- taunted men to ioin them
24th Feb- 200,000 strikers around Petrograd demanded the end of war + Tsansm
- Bolshevik active in spreading / organising protest and handed out banners + flags).
By the 25th of Feb 250,000 (over half of the city’s workferce) refused to work, most major factories shut down.
Events (26th to 2nd March)
26th Feb - soldiers joined demonstrators + refused to fire on the crowd due to dissatisfaction with the war, and fear of the frontline
27th feb- Nicholas ordered the new military chief of Petrograd to restore peace + dissolved the Duma
29th Feb- soilders regiments supported demonstrators hunted down police snipers + threw them off rooftops. winter palace + other buildings were seized, armed crowds broke into prisons + burnt down police stations.
1st March- soviet city’s influential workers council issued order no1 (promising to recognise a provisional gov. formed of Duma members in retum for the tsars abdication)
-soilder’s stopped the Tsars attempled return to Petrograd.
2nd march - Nicholas abdicated in favor of his brother,
Grana Duke Micheal Alexandrovich, who rejected the throne.
The provisional government
- support base
- leaders
- achievements
support base - conservatives + right -wing aristocrats
-Led by prime minister Georgy Luor and various ministers for education, trade, finance ect.
Achievements
- police departments repiaced with local milita. freed political prisoners in their 100s
- abolition of religious, national and social privileges
- freedom of speech + assembly
- right to strike (2mill in Perrograd joined a trade union)
- abolition of capital punishment.
The Petrograd soviet
- support base
- leaders
- Achievements
support base- left wing solders and peasants farmers .
Led by achairman, had an executive committee of representatives +members.
Achievements- (order no 1) - orders of pS should take priority over PG. All military units to elect committee from lower ranks + elect representatives to attend the Ps.
Areas of conflict between the Petrograd Soviet and the provisional government
period of dual autnanty
- order No1- orders from ps. undermined + demonstrated distrust between PG.
– provisional gov wanted to continue fighting the war (led to outrage + protest)
- PG resisted holding national elecrone for a constitutional assembly
- gov. amnesty brought back exiled or imprisoned left-wing leaders.
How well did the provisional government deal with the problems at faced?
- war
- Foreign minister forced to resign due to an aggressive foriegn policy (outraged socialists)
→ PG reformed 15 socialist leaders joined new coalition gov.)
→ launched a major offensive against the Germans, June 1917
(Only lasted for 3 days, high desertion levels + soilders killed officers ratner than fight) led to an amed uprising in perrograd, difficult to put down.
Land
Peasants wanted land and legitimacy, felt betrayed since 1861
Gov didn’t want to ‘hand it over’ or risk a free-for all
→ when socialist revolunonanes joined PG in May they urged for a constituent assembly
→ radical alternanives (peasants using land from private estates) blocked by liberals
(237 cases of land siezures in July alone, local srs encountered resistance if attempts at restraint were made)
National minorities
- Finland + poland demanded outright independence, older regions of the Russian empire more autonomy + ukraniano self gov.
→ Moderat socialisis made concession to Ukraine, offered them more self gov. + local control
(Outraged liberals saw it as the break up of Russia.)
Economy
Food shortages, unemployment + high prices
- 568 factories closed in Petrograd (Feb-July) causing the loss or 100.000 jobs
- grain production down + poor relationships between workers + employees
- sent out punishment brigades to requisition grain, channeled resources towards army.
(made peasants more hostile, workers continued to demand price controls.)
-Moderate socialits helpless, liberals under pressure from industrialists.
Lenin’s ideology
Iskra ‘the spark’- the newspaper he founded containing his radical ideas regarding the revolutionary party
The state and revolution 1917 - a book you wrote that dismiss the need for constitutional government, and that the existing state should be destroyed by revolutionaries with professionally trained individuals playing a key role
Lennon’s April thesis
Immediate end to World War I
“Bread, land and peace”
A socialist revolution led by trained professional individuals that eventually expands to a global revolution
Non-cooperation with the provisional government cessation of land estates
National bank, abolition of the police Army and bureaucracy
Convincing those in the Petrograd Soviet (bolsheviks, Mensheviks and the SRS to remove dualist authority) “all power to the soviet”
Progression of Bolshevik support throughout 1917
‘July days’
grain prices doubled in Petrograd between Feb+ June
- 568 factories closed 100,000 jobs lost causing several days ot uncontrolled rioting sparked by failed offensive + poor economy.
→ 4th July - 20.000 armed solders arrived in Petrograd, attacked property, rooted shops and seized railways + other buildings
→ demanded power to the Petrograd soviet (bolsheviks ultimately blamed) .
Lenin expressly said it was too early and fled to Finland.
August 1917 - kornilov affair
- prices 755% above pre-war level
- Kerensky appointed Konilov as supreme commander, who saw an opportunity to crush socialist radicals
- He attempted to seize control + was denounced.
- defence was organised by Bolshevik Red guard, who were seen as the saviours.
+ Trotsky released from prison after being arrested during July days.
Then became chair of soviets in September
The October revolution 1917 (10th to 21st)
Party membersnip grew (23.000 Feb → 200.000)
4/7 of the chairman on PS Bolsheviks, including Trotsky.
10th october - Lenin returned + convinced Bolshevik leaders at a central committee meeting of an armed uprising with a 10 to 2 vote
16th - Military revolutionary comitte established and organised by trosky
Aimed to seize seize power in the name of the soviet so waited for the ‘All Russia congress of soviets to meet
21st- Trotsky convinced army represennives to support the soviet against counter revolutionary forces.
24th and 25th
24th- kerensky deployed troops loyal to the PG across strategic points in Petrograd
-telephone lines cut, 2 Bolshevik newspapers close down and Bridges across the city were raised
Soviet forces, supported by 5000 of Petrograd Garrison troops took control of the cities telephone exchange post office railway stations and banks to hardly any resistance.
25th- 15 of 18 units and Petrograd pledged to allegiance to the Soviet
Red guard surrounded the winter Palace defended by cadets from a military school and a small number of women’s battalion
26th
All Russia Congress of Saviour opened and announced the occupation of the winter Palace and the rest of government ministers
SRS walked out after Trotsky dismissed accusations of the seizure being a Bolshevik conspiracy,
Bolsheviks called for a full power transfer
Soviet executive committee – new government consisted of 62 bolsheviks out of 101 representatives
Why were the Bolsheviks successful?
Weaknesses of the provisional government
Mistakes by kerensky- distribution of power to kornilov, moving our army troop still loyal to provisional government, use of Bolshevik leaders to solve corner of affair, underestimating Bolshevik support
Other factors - failure of summer offensive, moderate socialists lost support, cadets were alarmed by violence so moved further to the political right (caused division)
-Strengths of the Bolsheviks
Policies- ‘ peace, land and bread’ + ‘ all power to the Soviet’ - Lenin, the only one who continuously pushed for non-cooperation with the provisional government
Nationalise all land, end the war
The party - Trotsky and Lenin‘s ability (10 to 2 vote, April the and October Revolution in particular Trotsky’s delay of the seizure, small/expert Council- allows it to be defensive
Luck - kornilov affair, military and economic collapse, the failures of the provisional government, radicalised workers prepared to support the Soviet
Other factors - continued war failure, major majority/growth of popularity in Moscow/Petrograd, stopping the Garrison and other defenders of Petrograd guaranteed success
