Women in Revolution Flashcards
How did women (1) influence the revolutionary movement as active propaganda martyrs?
- As Propagandists:
Breshkovskaya and Spiridonova As SRs in early 20th century
- Breshkovskaya: actively cultivated “grandmother of the revolution” and “Babushka” images through manipulation of photographs and foreign friends. Kennan and other American “gentleman socialist” and feminist friends had frequent correspondance with her -> used familial language, sent them exclusively only photos of her with bouquets, etc instead of with terrorists or revolutionary iconography. Allowed speaking tour of 1904/05 US to go off and raise funds/awareness of the SR cause.
- When arrested in (1913?) and sentenced to solitary, doubles down on this by sending vulnerable images and especially familial language to followers in order to get international outcry against regime. KNOWS they’ll be leaked to press -> WP explicitly refers to her using Babushka terms, highlights advanced age
- Spiridonova: Assassinates state general in (1906?), arrested and then actively cultivates “Spiridonova Myth” of a frightened virgin. Implies sexual assault in letter sent to liberal press from prison. Works with SR party to erase mention of past male partners, downplay advancing age, SR party opens bookstores to sell postcards with her image, thereby spreading SR propaganda AND gaining funds.
- Shesterika 6 and her sent into exile to Nerchinsk, stop and propagate among the peasants at each train stop, pose with revolutionary banners defiantly at Nerchinsk and circulate these images. Value is that women must be hard pressed by govt too.
Perovskaia (1880s, People’s Will): father governor of SPB, elite. worked tutoring after leaving family, modest ascetic. Directs bombers.
- Women as martyrs WAY MORE EFFECTIVE -> FOREGROUND WOMEN USING POSTCARDS AND SUCH -> get sympathy/funds
How did women (2) influence the revolutionary movement as maternal figures and support?
Overall: mothers provide emotional and financial support to their revolutionary children, even if they didn’t explicitly align with the revolutionary movement.
(no string evidence that Maria held revolutionary convictions, but was held in high regards by her children’s revolutionary friends and fraternized w/ them).
As domestic/financial supporters:
Perform domestic tasks (cooking) upon which rev society runs -> still gendered division of labour
- Parents (mothers, especially) vital to revolutionary movements and even introducing revs to radicalism
Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova:
Following husband’s death, exploits position as a wealthy widow (and therefore NEWLY LIBERATED / INDEPENDENT WOMEN) to get sympathy from the state when advocating for revolutionary children.
-Petitions for her daughter Anna’s sentence to Siberian exile to be reduced, threatening to uproot her family and take children away from influence of the state. In the end does this and gets middle ground of Kazan (commuted)
- Provides emotional support -> regularly moves to be w/ kids in exile (Kazan), moves SPB (1895) when Vlad in prison
- Funds Vlad’s exile to Siberia, he’s comfortable in 1898
- Cites fact she’s old and needs care -> Anna Ulyanov asking for release so she could care for mother 1904 -> released from Kiev prison to care for Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanov
How did women (3) influence revolutionary movements as administrative workers and back-benchers?
- Admin positions: feminine notions of duty -> 7/20 leaders of P/W Executive Committee
Overall: Movements such as the People’s Will still saw a highly gendered division of labour despite new freedoms enjoyed by women WITHIN the movement.
New freedoms: not tied down by financial and legal control of education, etc by fathers and husbands.
Masculine and feminine virtues of hard work and sacrifice both appeared in rev groups like 1880s Peoples’ Will; with men often being seen as “knights of the revolution” and throwing bombs and writing theory -> heroism and intellect
- Women were often (confined) to administrative roles -> anonymity and planning.
Figner as PW’s secretary for relations abroad 1880
- Helps establish Central Military Circle in naval bases in 1880 - had won over naval officers and establish PW presence in the military
- Shift from education in medicine abroad in Switzerland. Wanted to devote life to help people. Ultimately wasn’t satisfied with admin role.
Zasulich and Plekhanov: Rise of social democracy
- shy, didn’t write (gendered labour, out of league) -> BUT Plekhanov terrible writer, so EDITS works to make them spicier -> not seen as major contributions. (PRACTICALITY VS IDEOLOGY)
- Therefore key works by Plekhanov made more accessible and his interpretation of Marxism 1880
- Allows foundation of 1883 Emancipation of labour group -> first Russian Soc Dem / Marxist org
- Also cooks for group abroad lmao
- CO FOUNDS EMANCIPATION OF LABOUR GROUP
Krupskaya:
- Helps establish initial contact between workers and Lenin -> teaching reading and writing to workers in SPB in 1893 -> meets Lenin and initiates contact between them, working as intermediary -> STORIES OF WORKER STRUGGLES USED AS EXAMPLES IN LENIN’S WRITINGS AT TIME TO EVIDENCE HIS IDEA THAT A WORKING CLASS ALREADY EXISTS IN RUSSIA BECAUSE OF SEASONAL MIGRATION
- Continues administrative role after marriage and membership in Bolshevik party:
- Krupskaya smuggling in issues of Iskra into Russia despite banning. Exploiting the Tsar’s negative relationship with Jews in order to smuggle in via Pale of Settlement -> allowing Bolshevik propaganda to spread.
How did women (4) influence revolutionary movements as agents in the field?
- As agents / revs in the field -> newer opportunities men couldn’t do
DESPITE typical gendered divisions of labour within rev groups and the majority of “masculine” work being done by men, other women (and the ones we looked at lol) committed to the field and refused to accept this -> to the benefit of the revolutionary groups
Zasulich: Trepov Assassination 1877
- Attempts to assassinate Trepov, governor of SPB. She applied to interview as a governess and was thus less suspect than a man; also socially unacceptable to search women. LOTS of fabric wearing at this time for fashion, could therefore hide her weapon under he dress easily.
- Assassination failed but resultant trial successfully defends based on justification of revenge against Trepov for killing a soldier. Publicized trial cements state as aggressor and revolutionaries as batman like figures. Successful acquittal / manipulation of media and press to influence juries
Figner:
- Initially seen as “too good looking” for field work by male colleagues, however attitudes changed. She was able to use her charms to persuade railway officials to let her colleague have a job as a rail worker; thereby allowing him to plant the bombs for the 1879 attempt on Alexander II’s life.
- Active revolutionary in the field. Abandons Odessa post 1880 to return to SPB and take on more central role in ensuing plots on Alexander II’s life - Makes bombs that eventually kill Alex II and helps organize the plot to end his life in 1881. Had studied to be doctor in Switzerland before committing to the cause
- Upon failure of the first two plots against Alexander II, Figner was back-benched to Odessa by the Executive Committee. However, she disobeyed direct orders and went to SPB, the heart of revolutionary and terrorist activity. Refusing to be back-benched, she then participates and attains a leadership role in the successful 1881 plot to assassinate Alexander II.
- Creates bombs that eventually kill Alex, coordinates team in SPB Cheese shop guise that allows successful ambush and death of Alex II.
Generally policy of husband/wife pairs.
- Figner’s fake husband Alexei Filippov drew less suspicion when stationed together. First People’s Will meeting held in Figner and her fake husband’s apartments. Allowed for easier travel -> Figner travelling with partners to Odessa and such
- Establish successful cover when masquerading as cheese shop owners on successful 1881 attempt on Alex II’s life. Less suspicion
Revolutionary women taking on these roles despite being back-benched officially - evidence that when participating in political violence, individuals felt the need to have a central role in the action in order to justify their presence. Therefore, reveals underlying psychology of wanting personal action and purpose in the movement as opposed to revolutionaries being driven by hard idealism.
Conclusions about women involvement in revs?
CONCLUSIONS:
- The outsized role of women in the Russian Revolutionary Movement during an era of disenfranchisement and political/economic/social inequality for women (no franchise, reliance on men for money via marriage) demonstrates that for many, the revolutionary lifestyle provided the most freedom for women in Russian society.
7/20 leaders of People’s Will were women -> free from the financial and marital constraints placed on women by living in communes and with fake marriages -> relying on funds from donors and party salaries as opposed to fathers and husbands.
