Unit 4- 1917- Flashcards
by late february, how many were on strike in Petrograd?
240,000
4 broad causes of the february revolution
•nicholas II
•political
•military
•economic
what was the catalyst of the february revolution?
the Tsar took personal command of the army- which did not help the war effort and he was blamed for the defeats
when did the Duma establish the ‘Progressive Bloc’ and what was it?
•by 1915
•the beginnings of calls for a constitutional monarchy
how did Nicholas II cause the february revolution?
• took personal command of the army
• he left the Tsarina in charge. she was incompetent (she let rasputin run the government) and (because she was German) rumours circulated that she was trying to help Germany win
• he didn’t do anything to stop it, didn’t implement anything
what were the political causes of the february revolution?
•opposition parties became more prolific, including socialist activists. On february 27th socialist Duma deputies, mainly Mensheviks and SR’s, took the leads in organising a citywide soviet
•political dissatisfaction spread as soldiers from urban and rural areas fought on the eastern front together
•the state Duma was reassembled but then dissolved again as it was seen to be an instigator of the riots
what were the military causes of the february revolution?
•the army was badly led and poorly equipped. Russia had huge defeats in Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes- the Russians lost 200,000 men
•on the 26th of February the Army abandoned the Tsar- the soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots. The government lost control of the country
what did the army do on the 26th of february 1917?
they abandoned the Tsar, the soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots. the government lost control.
what were the economic causes of the february revolution?
•towns and factories grew but there was widespread worker poverty and poor living conditions
•the war took 15 million men from the farms and trains had to be used in the war so there was a lack of workers and transportation- which lead to food shortages and rising prices
after the war, what percentage did inflation rise to?
300%
what did the government ban after the war?
vodka
what happened on the 22nd of January 1917?
150,000 workers demonstrated in Petrograd in the anniversary of Bloody Sunday
what happened to international woman’s day?
it turned very political and others joined- an estimated 240,000
what happened on the 28th of february?
nicholas’ train was diverted and he was forced to abdicate
After the abdication of the Tsar, what power system emerged?
a ‘Dual power system’ emerged between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet
what did the Provisional government consist of?
the remains of the Duma, mostly elites, they were led by Prince Lvov
•centre-right in outlook
•they had all the responsibility to rule but no support
what did the Petrograd Soviet consist of?
a collection of socialist groups dominated by the Mensheviks
•far left in outlook
•had all the support but no responsibility
what were 3 decisions the Provisional Government made that caused them to become unpopular?
•it was clear that they supported the war
• they failed to deal with land distribution so peasants began seizing the land
•they failed to deal with a collapsing economy
how did the first few weeks of the Dual power system go?
it went well
•tsarist officials were arrested
•the secret police were disbanded
•freedom of the press was introduced
•elections for the constituent assembly were planned
what were the main challenges facing the provisional Government?
•the war
•the land and the peasants
•the national minorities
•social reform
•the deteriorating economic situation
what was the general consensus about the war?
that it should be a defensive one
why was War an issue for the PV?
•political parties were divided on whether to end the war or not
•the war put a huge strain on the economy and prevented the PV from dealing with social reform, amongst other issues
how did the PV manage the War situation?
•there were anti war demonstrations
•mass desertions
•the problem was not resolved
•they launched a major offensive which led to widespread anger
what was the issue with Land and Peasants?
they wanted land distributed, but the landed classes did not wish to see their properties simply handed over
what happened regarding distribution of land to peasants?
•during the summer there were land seizures along with increased violence and armed robberies
•the PV tried to fix grain prices, but with inflation the peasants considered the prices too low and refused to send their grain to towns and cities
•they sent out the army to settle things but it only made the peasants more hostile
what did the National minorities want?
•either outright independence or more autonomy
•political parties were divided in this as well
how did the PV respond to the demands of the national minorities?
the Ukrainians were granted more independence, this enraged the Kadets and 3 Kadet ministers resigned
what was the issue with social reform?
•increasing wages were matched with increasing prices
•workers now saw themselves as citizens worthy of respect
•peasants and workers wanted better conditions
•factories began to close
how was the economic situation deteriorating?
•the railway system showed signs of breaking down
•568 factories closed in petrograd Feb-Jul 1917 which lead to the loss of 100,000 jobs
•grain price doubled in this time
•shortages of raw materials
what happened as a result of the decline in the economy?
•there was a massive decline in living standards
•people were angry at the PV
what was the July offensive?
an offensive attack against the Germans. Thousands were killed and territory was lost, leading to an uprising in Petrograd
•the PV lost their credibility amongst the soldiers and workers
what happened when the government tried to fix grain prices?
with inflation, peasants considered the prices too low and refused to send their grain to towns and cities
how many factories closed before July 1917 and how many jobs were lost?
•nearly 600 factories closed
•100,000 jobs were lost
how did Lenin’s initial ideology align with the people’s?
•he hoped for democracy and followed the Marxist view that the government should be in the hands of ‘the people’
•believed that the main aim of the revolution was to end all social privilege
•wanted to share out land and confiscate the bourgeoisie’s property
what was the Marxist idea of ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’?
wanting the urban workers to be the majority, rather than the peasants
what does Professor Chris Read see as a crucial point in the febuary revolution?
when the army mutanied and the kosaks turned on the tsar
what were the 3 things Lenin wanted?
Bread, Peace and Land
what were the main two points in the April theses?
•all power to the soviet
•down with the imperialist war
what was the main difference between the febuary and october revolutions?
october was pre-planned and organised in advance
what did the Cheka have the power to do?
to arrest/ try anyone who opposed the regime
what happened in april 1917?
lenin returned and announced the april theses, calling off any support for the PG and stating that power only lies with the soviets
what happened as a result of the June 1917 summer offensive?
it was a complete failure so people flocked towards the Bolsheviks as they were the only ones still denouncing the war
who led Russia following the Bolshevik revolution?
Lenin
what did Lenin emphasise?
•worldwide socialist revolution
•the bolshevik party as the ‘vanguard of the proletariat’
•terror as a necessary tool
what 3 Decrees did Lenin pass towards the end of 1917?
•Decree on peace (october) promised the end of war
•Decree on land (october) have peasants the right to seize land
•Decree on workers control (november) put factory committees in charge
what happened to the Bolsheviks at the end of 1917?
they did not win the majority in the Constituent assembly elections. thus it was shut down after one day in january 1918
when was the cheka established?
december 1917
