Russian Revolution Notes

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Russian Revolution Notes
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Revolution

• What were some of the similar characteristics of
  the American and French Revolutions. In other
  words were there similar problems?

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Characteristics of Revolutions (American
French)

• Inequality Vast majority of citizens were
  poor
• Individual Rights Common citizens wanted a voice
  in government.
• Taxation Majority of the population
  shoulders the tax burden most often the
  poorest citizens.
• Taxation without representation.

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Characteristics of Revolutions (American French)

• Financial
• problems Louis XVI bankrupted gov.
  King
• George III burdened with debt from
  protecting the colonies.

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Why was the industrial revolution included?

• What do you think happened to countries that
  failed to embrace the Industrial revolution?

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What is a Czar

• Czar A male monarch or emperor (similar to
  a King or Queen) Ruled Russia prior to the
  revolution of 1917.
• The last Czars
• Alexander III. Rule 1881 1894
• Nicholas II Rule 1894 1917

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Czarist Rule

• Policies Hard-line (Autocratic)
• Censorship Anti-government activities were
  not allowed no right to protest the Czar.
  
• Pogroms Mob attacks on Jewish citizens less
  rights and freedoms for Jews.

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Czarist Rule Cont.

• Russification Non-Russians forced to use the
  Russian language, and learn Russian
  history.
• Over ½ population was not Russian.
  (Finns, Germans, Mongols, Ukrainians etc.)

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Czarist Rule

• Expansion Into Eastern Europe and Asia
  Costly
• Russo-Japanese
• War (1904) Battle for the Korean Peninsula
• Consequence Russia unprepared, embarrassed
  by peace treaty.

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Czarist Rule

• Gov. Corruption Bribery dissidents sent to
  Siberia.
• Peasant Life Poverty, heavily taxed, limited
  access to education.

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Utopia

• Utopia An ideally perfect place
  especially in
• its social, political, and
  moral aspects.
  
  (American Heritage College Dictionary)
• What would your Utopia look like?
• 1. How would people treat one another?
• 2. What types of rights would people have?
• 3. What would life be like?
• 4. How would you accomplish/create this Utopian
  Society?

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Karl Marx

• The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth
  he
• produces, the more his production increases in
  power
• and range. The worker becomes an ever cheaper
• commodity the more commodities he creates. With
• the increasing value of the World of things
  proceeds in
• direct proportion to the devaluation of the world
  of
• men. Labour produces not only commodities it
• produces itself and the worker as a commodity
  and does
• so in the proportion in which it produces
  commodities
• generally.
• Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts
  (1844)

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Karl Marx

• Control the means of production the ways goods
  were made and distributed controlled society
• Therefore the class that controlled a nations
  economy also decided its laws, government,
  religion, and culture.

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Power!

• Who controls our nation?
• Do those individuals that have money in our
  society control government, religion, and
  culture?
• Freeman and Slave
• Lord and Serf
• Guild-master and Journeyman
• Oppressor and Oppressed In constant opposition
• Proletariat Working class, lives from the
  sale of its Labor

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Capitalism and Communism

• Capitalism Economic system based on
  private property and free enterprise.
• Communism Economic and social system in
  which all means of production are owned in
  common. Classless society.

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Russian Revolution Part I.

• Collapse of the Tsarist regime (March 1917)
• Conditions leading
• To the Revolution Bloody Sunday (1905)
• Poverty
• Russo-Japanese War
• Trade unions banned

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Russian Revolution Part I.

• Opposition groups Intelligentsia (Democratic)
• Bolsheviks (Socialism)
• Population growth 50 100 million
  1860- 1900.
• Duma Parliament was
  dissolved (1907).

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Russian Revolution Part I.

• World War I. Horrific LOL (1,700,000)
• food and fuel
  supplies low
• throughout Russia,
  Inflation.
• February Rev. 1917 - Marches for food led to
  rioting, police and soldiers fought with
  the mobs in Petrograd (St. Petersburg).
• Czar Nicholas II, steps down

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Russian Revolution Part I.

• Provisional Gov
• Established Civil rights, free elections
  promised.
• Soviets Councils..were set up
  throughout
• Russia to speak for the needs of
  workers and
  soldiers.
• New Leader Alexander Kerensky
  (Moderate
• Socialist)
• WWI Continued involvement
  in WWI.
• Ramifications Lost support from many
  peasants
• and workers.

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Russian Revolution Part II. BolshevikRevolution
- November, 1917 - 1921

• The Bolsheviks Became the communist party
  Early on a relatively small
  party 1917 less than 1 percent of the
  population.
• Ideology Abolish capitalism, create a
  classless society.

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Russian Revolution Part II (Bolshevik Revolution)

• Gained popularity Promised to get Russia out
  of WWI
• Land to peasants
• Food for workers
• Red Guard Workers militia (Supported
  Lenin)

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Russian Revolution Part II (Bolshevik Revolution)

• November Rev.
• (6-7 1917) Red Guard with help from
  sympathetic soldiers and sailors seized
  control of the central gov.
• Lenin Chief of state, unlimited
  power.

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Opposition to Lenin and the Bolsheviks

• Whites Opposed Lenin and the Reds
• Members Ukrainians, Poles, Finns,
  Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians
  wanted their
• own rule.
• Peasants forced to send food to cities.

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Opposition to Lenin and the Bolsheviks

• Issues Lenin shutdown freely elected
• Constituent Assembly 1918.
  
• Problems Army was not well coordinated
  lacked peasant support. (Land Policy)

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• Cheka Secret police.
• Tactics Snuff out opposition. Often
  encouraged neighbors to spy on each other.
  Turn in anyone that speaks in a negative
  manner against Lenin and the Communist party

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Timeline (Russian Revolution)

• Alexander III. (1881-1894)
• Nicholas II (1894-1917)
• Russo-Japanese War (1904)
• Bloody Sunday (1905)
• Population growth (1860 1900)
  
• World War I. (1914 1918)
• February Rev. (1917)
• Provisional Gov Established (March, 1917)
  
• Alexander Kerensky (July, 1917)
• November Rev. (Nov 6-7th 1917)
• Lenin Shuts down the Constituent Assembly (Nov
  1917)

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Short Answer Questions Russian Revolution Test

• 1. Please explain in detail some of the problems
  with Czarist rule in Russia? In other words what
  events/problems led to the Russian Revolution?
• Taxation (tax burden placed on the poor
  (peasants)
• Russo-Japanese War and WWI large debt
• Loss of life and food shortages caused by
  Russias involvement in WWI
• Trade Unions banned (workers limited to no
  voice)
• Autocratic rule
• Policy of Russification
• Pograms

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Short Answer Questions Russian Revolution Test

• 2. Why do you think the idea of communism was
  appealing to so many Russians? Be sure to explain
  yourself here be specific.
• Employment for everyone
• Idea of a classless society hypothetical
  everyone was of equal importance, equal voice.
• Better than Czarist rule.
• Food promised to the workers
• Promised to pull out of WWI.

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Russian Revolution

• 3. How did the communist party remain powerful?
• Controlled the government and economy
• Used terror to intimidate opponents (Cheka)
• No other political parties
• Propaganda
• 4. What problems did Karl Marx have with
  Capitalism?
• One class as the oppressor One class (Elites)
  controlled a nations economy also decided its
  laws, gov, religion, and culture.
• Oppressor and oppressed in constant opposition
• Workers (proletariat) had no voice.