Russia and the Revolution

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Russia and the Revolution

• Setting the stage for a
• New World Order

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Objective

• Students will understand what life was like in
  Russia prior to the Russian Revolution. Through
  this study students will determine the causes of
  the Russian Revolution.
• CA Standard 10.7

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GEOGRAPHY

• The largest country in the world
• Very far north taiga forest covers a great deal
  of the land (Siberia)
• Only 5 arable land (south-west)

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• Coastline frozen much of the year, so no ocean
  access except from Black Sea Ob, Yenisey and
  Lena rivers also freeze.
• Trans-Siberian railway was being built, but was
  only half-completed by 1900

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Russiain the beginning

• Russia was a feudal society (controlled by
  several powerful lords that owned different
  regions)
• Serfdom was introduced by the upper classes
  Lords promised protection from foreign (and
  domestic) invaders if the peasants worked the
  land for them and swore fealty to that lord.
• No central government. Each lord was ruler in
  his region.
• The Code of 1497 limited the rights of peasant
  movement unless they could pay to leave.
• In 1550, an additional law was added that allowed
  the lords the right to refuse a peasants request
  to leave, even if they could pay the fee.
• By the 1600s peasants could not leave the land
  at all.

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• Essentially, a slave society was formed.
• Peasants could be sold, breaking up families at
  will.
• Lords were the judicial system.
• Daily routine run by the Mir under the Elders
  of dvors.
• (Patriarchal system).

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• The Romanov Dynasty began in 1613 when Michael
  Romanov took the title Emperor and Autocrat of
  all Russia.
• Later this title was shortened to Tsar (Czar) of
  Russia.
• Michael was 16 when he took the thrown and ruled
  under the influence of his mother for six years.
  His step-father killed him.
• Most early tsars were younger than 20 years old
  when they took the thrown and most died within 10
  years.
• Russia survived because of the Zemsky Sobor a
  parliamentary panel of Lords that supported and
  advised the tsars in military, foreign, and
  domestic matters.

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Daily warm up

• Study the flag hanging on the board.
• What do you think it means?
• Write a paragraph analyzing the flag even if you
  arent sure make an educated guess and justify
  your thoughts.
• (Hint it is an American flag)

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Objective

• Students will understand what life was like in
  Russia prior to the Russian Revolution. Through
  this study students will determine the causes of
  the Russian Revolution.
• CA Standard 10.7

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Peter the Great
1682-1725
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Who is he?

• Peter the Great became Czar of Russia in 1682.
• He believed Russia needed a strong central ruler.
  
• He is considered an Enlightened Despot.
• He made many societal changes
• You decide if he is good or bad

• Top 12 Changes to Society

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1. Placed Throne over Church, Peter was tolerant to
   western religions as well as Eastern Orthodoxy.
2. Abolished the Patriarchate (highest position in
   Church) with the Holy Synod a governmental
   cabinet that stayed in place for 220 years
   (Stalin changed this system during WWII for
   political reasons.)
3. New taxes doubled state revenue by taxing the
   peasant class.
4. Developed state monopolies on essentials to
   enhance revenues by reselling necessities at
   double the cost.
5. Established schools to modernize Russia
   (military education)
6. Developed St. Petersburg as a window to Europe
   as Russian capital designed after European cities
   (Paris, France). Adopted Western European ideas,
   styles, culture, music. Forced Russians to adopt
   Western influences.
7. Maintained wife Catherines extravagance and
   built her Peters Palace

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• Government reforms
• 8. Centralized government reforms Replaced
  boyar duma with a new model of senate and
  colleges. Positions were chosen based on merit
  rather than heredity or blood
• 9. Developed 10 gubernii (governors) into sub
  districts with local boards of the gentry to
  assist the governor (Landraty). Essentially
  shifted the dominant influence of the gentry to
  the appointed governors.
• 10. Secret police encouraged accusers,
  informers approximately 100 torture cases per
  year either the informer or the accused would
  be tortured to ensure the truth was told.
• 11. Law of Succession traditionally
  primogeniture changed so that Tsar could
  appoint his own successor (Peter failed to name
  his successor upon his death despite law change).

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• 12. Developed a Service State either give money
  or give service

Every male member of gentry must serve in one
branch, beginning from bottom and work through
the ranks based on merit.
Registered males at the age of seven. At age
12, left family to begin training. At age 14,
began lifetime service.
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Peters Legacy

• Under the reign of Peter I
• 9 million registered male serfs
• 7 million registered male slaves
• It is assumed there were an equal amount of women
• Therefore There were approximately 32-34
  million people in servitude or slavery.
• Russian population 36 Million people total.

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Why the reform?

• How do all of these reforms alter traditional
  Russian society?
• What do you think Peter the Great was trying to
  do with these reforms in terms of the nobility?
• How do these reforms affect the peasant class (if
  at all?)
• Are ones achievements measured by tangible
  evidence or by spiritual endeavors?
• Was Peter an early enlightened despot? Did he
  change the tsardom?

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Catherine the Great

• 1762-1796
• True Enlightened Despot?

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• Rumor has it, Catherine led a conspiracy to
  assassinate her husband. Either way, she became
  Empress of Russia after her husband was murdered.
• Catherine was German-born therefore a foreign
  ruler in Russia. Many argued she was not a
  legitimate ruler to Russia.
• Promoted religious tolerance of all Christian
  religions, following Peters example. Weakened
  Orthodox Church, secularized church leadership,
  and granted Church lands to favorites.
• She favored and promoted Western culture and
  ideas.
• Promoted literature and is considered the most
  literate ruler of Russia.
• Built universities, a teachers college, and
  opened schools for noble children.
• She was close friends with Enlightened thinkers
  including Voltaire, Diderot, and Montesquieu.
• She liked the spirit of republican democracy,
  but feared the usurpation of her own power.
  Greatly feared a Russian revolution, especially
  after the American Revolution and uprisings in
  France.
• Created the Nakaz a legislative commission to
  develop to codify new laws promising a
  constitutional government and a parliamentary
  representation.
• No constitution ever developed!!! Never followed
  through.

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Pugachev Rebellion of 1772-1775 (notice the time)

• She spoke liberal but acted conservative
• Hard labor permitted for serfs
• Punishment exile to Siberia
• Gave large lands to proprietary owners increasing
  poor conditions of serfs.
• (Peter worked to break down the large estates,
  thus reducing the regional power of the lords)
• Worsening conditions of Russian serfs allowed for
  Emalian Pugachev to instigate a revolt against
  Catherine.
• Pugachev claimed he was the rightful ruler to the
  throne.
• Simultaneously, Russia was engaged in a war
  against Turkey that depleted Russian resources
  and allowed Pugachev near success.
• When the war with Turkey ended, Catherine
  diverted her resources against Pugachev and
  squashed the rebellion.
• Catherine was shaken by the revolt and agreed to
  create new reforms to pacify the people and avoid
  future revolts.

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Reforms

• Established an advisory body made of nobles.
• Gubernia law decentralized the government-
  regions divided into 50 states with new local
  governors and subregions ruled by gentry.
  Eliminated the college and senate.
• 1785 Charter of Nobility
• Reiterated emancipation of gentry from state
  services and taxes.
• No member of the gentry could be subjected to
  corporal punishment by the monarchy (including
  military)
• Solidified land ownership except by jury of
  peers.
• Gave gentry freedom to develop land in spite of
  serfs.
• Charter limited the rights of the monarchy.
• The reforms did not benefit the serfs who
  suffered more under the new freedom of the gentry.

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Foreign Relations

• Russia created tenuous relationships with other
  European powers.
• Largest Jewish community develops on Russian
  lands (5,000,000 Jewish people, 1/5 of total
  Jewish population).
• Catherine encouraged Western European émigrés in
  Russia, creating foreign states with autonomy.
• Catherine expands Russian territory into Poland,
  Poles rebel.
• Tensions build with France over Russian
  expansion.
• Russia, Prussia, and Austria develop shaky
  alliance based on Emperors unification.

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Absolutism in the 1800s

• In response to the Pugachev Rebellion and the
  American and French revolutions, Eastern European
  countries (including Russia) became reactionary
  and developed inflexible opposition to revolution
  within national boundaries.
• These absolutists cherished existing
  institutions and supported one another in
  international conflicts supporting preexisting
  governments.
• Absolutists opposed any type of change because it
  subverted the established order. Consequently,
  the absolutist leaders opposed all speculation
  and learning.
• To weaken the powerful nobility, new laws were
  instituted in the 1800s that declared all
  property (including serfs) belonged to the
  state.

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Using the triangle below and a series of colored
pencils, create an illustration showing the shift
of power structure of Russia.
Key
Before the Romanovs
During Peter the Great
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Russian Society
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Nicholas II

• The Last Tsar

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An Empire of many Peoples

• 125 million people, ruled by a Tsar
• Less than half the inhabitants of the empire were
  Russians 60 spoke a native language that was
  not Russian
• Ukraine and Poland had been conquered by Tsar
  Nicholas II
• Frequent famines in the countryside

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Russian Government

• Autocracyno power sharing
• Civil servants to take care of mundane details
  14 ranks of under-paid officials
• Okhrana Protective Sectionsecret police,
  censors, political courts, Siberian prison camps

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• The Cossacks Special mounted soldiers with
  swords who served as riot police
• Russian Orthodox Church propped up the authority
  of the Tsars

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Question

• What were some of the ways that the Russian
  people were kept submissive?

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• Tsar Nicholas II
• Unready to take power from his father in 1894
• Inexperienced in foreign relations
• Autocratic
• Ingenuous
• Gentle but uneducated
• Bored by ministers and reports
• Considered himself appointed by God

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• Tsarina Alexandra
• German
• Confident and strong-willed
• Happily married to Nicholas five children in the
  first 10 years of marriage
• Four older girls and the youngest was a boy,
  Alexis.
• Alexis had haemophiliaprevents blood from
  clotting. (State secret)
• Extremely religious

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Russian Society

• 80 peasant farmers emancipated in 1861 from
  being Serfs to their landlords
• Peasants had communal landa mir controlled
  division of land
• Payment for land took place in 49 annual
  redemption payments.
• Decreasing size of family plots
• 50 of newborns died before age 5 50-year life
  expectancy

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• Town workers
• Factory or mine workers until harvest
• St. Petersburg, the Capitol, had more than 1
  million unemployed
• Trade unions illegal

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• The Rich
• Tsar Nicholas owned 15 palaces and employed
  15,000 servants
• 20 railway carriages needed to carry Tsars
  family luggage
• 1 of population was nobles owned 25 of the
  land
• New class of capitalists people who make money
  from banking, industry and trade
• Finance Minister, Sergei Witte, made life easy
  for the self-serving capitalists

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Opponents of the Tsar

• Tsar Alexander II (Nicholass grandfather)
  assassinated in March, 1881 by Peoples Will
  terrorist group
• Alexander III and Nicholas II used the Okhrana
  and Siberian exile to control opponents
• Nicholas II is already on shaky ground with his
  people being a harsh ruler and marrying a
  foreign princess doesnt help his case!

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Russo-Japanese War

• Otherwise known as the
• Sino-Japanese War of 1905.
• Russia and Japan fought over control of the
  Manchurian territory in China.
• The Japanese fought to control natural resources
  for their growing industry. They were fully
  imperialized under the Meiji Restoration.
• Russia also wanted control of the Manchurian
  region for food, resources, and access to the
  Pacific.

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The 1905 Revolution(The dress rehearsal)

• In 1904, Russia was defeated in war against Japan
  for Manchuria and Korea
• Two fleets destroyed Battle of Tsushima
• War conditions made food more scarce and closed
  non-war related factories

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What did you just learn?

• Who did Russia fight in 1904?
• Why did Russia get into this fight? What were
  they fighting for?
• Who won? Why?
• What do you predict the consequences will be for
  this war?
• How does the defeat in the war undermine the
  Tsar?

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• Bloody Sunday Sunday, 22nd January, 1905
• 200,000 unemployed workers and their families
  march through St. Petersburg to the Tsars Winter
  Palace
• Led by sympathetic priest Father Gapon (new ID
  Term)
• The fighting begins!

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• Soldiers and police try to stop the march
  soldiers open fire and 500 are killed thousands
  more wounded
• As word spreads, riots break out hundreds of
  government officials are murdered Grand Duke
  Serge assassinated by bomb

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Study guide 5 Ws

• Who is involved in Bloody Sunday?
• What is Bloody Sunday?
• When did Bloody Sunday occur?
• Where did Bloody Sunday occur?

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Why?

• Why is Bloody Sunday Significant?
• How will Bloody Sunday undermine the authority of
  the Tsar?
• What do you predict will be a long term
  consequence of Bloody Sunday?

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• June, 1905 The crew of the battleship Potemkin
  mutinies in the Black Sea.
• Lasts only a few weeks, but undermines Tsar
  Nicholas trust in the armed forces
• Peasants rebel against their landlords and burn
  their farms
• Georgia and Poland declare their independence

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Marx Quote

• When people speak of ideas that revolutionize
  society they do but express the fact that within
  the old society the elements of a new one has
  been created.
• -- Karl Marx, Manifesto
• Question
• How do the actions of the people reflect the idea
  of Marxs statement in the Communist Manifesto
  even though it was written over 50 years earlier?
• How would the philosophy of the Social Democratic
  Party (supporters of Karl Marx and Marxism) have
  appealed to Russian peasants?
• Begin your response
• The actions of the people of Russia during the
  Revolution of 1905 reflect Marxs quote because

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• September, 1905 A general strike begins.
  Strikers set up councils called Soviets to run
  the towns.
• The October Manifesto (new ID term) October,
  1905 This document says that Russia should have
  a Duma, an elected parliament, and allows the
  formation of political parties and free speech.

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• 1.) The Socialist Revolutionary Party
• The SRs wanted all land to be given to the
  mirstaking land from the nobles and even the
  Tsar
• The fighting organization assassinated 3
  government ministers and dozens of officials from
  1900 to 1905
• Had massive peasant support
• 2.) The Liberals
• Wanted a democratic system of government, with a
  parliament

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3.) The Social Democratic Party

• Followed the ideas of Karl Marx, a German who
  wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848
• Predicted violent revolution where the working
  class overthrew the capitalists
• Working class would take the means of production
  (mines, factories, raw materials) and share them
  out equally (Socialism)
• Eventually abolish private property achieve
  Communism

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• May, 1906 At the first meeting of the new Duma,
  Tsar Nicholas issues the Fundamental Laws
  declaring, in part
• To the Emperor of all the Russias belongs
  supreme autocratic power.
• What is he really saying?

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Aftermath of the 1905 Revolution

• The Duma was broken up after 75 days, having been
  surrounded by the army after demanding a share in
  government power
• A second Duma was elected in 1907, but contained
  SRs and Social Democrats, and lasted only 3
  months
• The Third Duma lasted 5 years, composed of only
  moderates who did what the Tsar told them.

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Question

• What were the Fundamental Laws?
• What is a Duma?
• Who created the Fundamental Laws?
• Who were the Fundamental Laws against?
• What did the Fundamental Laws do?
• What, if anything, had changed after the 1905
  Revolution?

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• In 1906, the Tsar appointed a new, tough Prime
  Minister to make sure that the people stayed in
  line Peter Stolypin (ID Term).
• In his first year, Stolypin executed 1008
  terrorists and exiles 21,000 to Siberia

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• December 1906 Members of the St. Petersburg
  Soviet were arrested, and 15 sent into exile in
  Siberia. Lenin and Trotsky were some of these
  these.
• Street fighting in Moscow kills 1,000
• Thugs called the Black Hundreds massacre
  revolutionaries in over 100 cities
• May, 1907 all revolution crushed.

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• Also, to pacify peasants, he abolished the
  redemption payments and the mirs controlling
  all land.
• Industry grew, wages increased, and harvests were
  plentiful.
• In 1911, Peter Stolypin was shot dead by one of
  his own anti-terrorist police agents.

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Rasputin (ID Term)

• Nicholas and, especially, Tsarina Alexandra
  became involved with a Staretsa Russian holy
  man.
• This man, named Gregory Efimovitch, claimed (and
  appeared) to be able to heal Alexiss
  haemophilia.

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Question

• What effect do you predict the replacement of
  Stolypin with Rasputin will have on the Russian
  Autocracy? Why?

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Breakout of WWI

• Nicholas II had a romantic vision of him leading
  his army.
• He spent much time at the Eastern Front with the
  military
• This was a disastrous move as it left Alexandra
  in control back in the cities.
• She had become increasingly under the influence
  of the one man who seemingly had the power to
  help her son
• Alexandra believed that Rasputin was a man of God
  and referred to him as Our Friend.
• Others, appalled at his influence over the
  tsarina, called him the Mad Monk though not
  in public unless they wanted to incur the wrath
  of Alexandra.
• Alexandra built a cabinet around her of
  Rasputins friends (They turned out to be
  embezzlers and thieves)

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• Unfortunately, this Gregory had a troubled past,
  and a nicknameRasputinthat meant the
  disreputable one.
• Indeed, he drank heavily, indulged in wild
  orgies, and even reputedly raped a nun!

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• After the assassination of Prime Minister
  Stolypin in 1911, Rasputins influence over the
  royal family increased.
• Rasputin exerted influence at court, and his
  friends grew in prominence and success.
• Rumors spread that Rasputin was having an affair
  with Tsarina Alexandra (we now think this is not
  true... But how would it affect people at the
  time?)

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Rasputin
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Rasputin with Admirers
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• While chaos ensued at home, the war at the front
  was going badly.
• Poland was lost to the Germans in 1916 and they
  advanced to just 200 miles from Moscow.
• It became clear that the morale of the ordinary
  Russian soldier was extremely poor and desertion
  became a growing problem.
• Food supplies were poor and erratic.
• As the front line got closer to the home front,
  it became obvious to many that both fronts were
  in total chaos.

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WARM UP Why was WWI a disaster for Russia?

• What was happening domestically?
• What happened on the war front?
• Why did Nicholas ultimately lose the support of
  his people?

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February Revolution (Beginning of the End)

• In October 1916, rail workers in Petrograd (St
  Petersburg) went on strike in protest about their
  working conditions.
• Soldiers were sent from the front to coerce the
  strikers back to work.
• They joined the rail men.
• Nicholas was forced to recall the Duma to assist
  Alexandra in domestic government decisions. The
  Duma fought amongst themselves and against
  Alexandra
• In December Rasputin is found dead and the
  Tsars have lost their most powerful ally.

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February Revolution (cont.)

• Soviet cooperated with Provisional Government
• Wanted to avoid civil war and counter-revolution
• Provisional Government announces elections and
  civil rights for people
• Situation did not immediately get better
• War still going on, food and fuel were in short
  supply
• On February 27th, the Duma met for the first time
  after the Christmas recess.
• The city had no transport system.
• There was food stored in the city, but no way of
  moving it around.
• Food shortages and food queues brought even more
  people out onto the streets.

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• On March 12th, those in a bread queue, spurred on
  by the cold and hunger, charged a bakery.
• The police fired on them in an effort to restore
  order. I
• It was to prove a very costly error for the
  government as around the city about 100,000 were
  on strike and on the streets.
• They quickly rallied to the support of those who
  had been fired on.
• Nicholas ordered that the military governor of
  the city, General Habalov, should restore order.
• Habalov ordered the elite Volhynian Regiment to
  do just this.
• They joined the strikers and used their might to
  disarm the police.
• The citys arsenal was opened and prisoners were
  freed from prisons that were later burned.

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• On March 13th, more soldiers were ordered on to
  the streets to dispel the strikers. They saw the
  size of the crowds and returned to their
  barracks, thus disobeying their orders.
• It is known that Rodzyanko telegraphed Nicholas
  requesting that he appoint a Prime Minister who
  had the confidence of the people.
• Rodzyanko received no answer to his telegraph.
• On March 14th, rumors swept through the city that
  soldiers from the front were being sent in to put
  down the uprising.
• In reality, the Provisional Government in
  Petrograd had little to fear from troops at the
  front.
• Discipline was already breaking down and
  thousands of soldiers deserted.
• The Petrograd Soviet had sent an instruction to
  the front that soldiers should not obey their
  officers and that they should not march on the
  capital.

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March Revolution (1917)

• 1917- protests spread through St. Petersburg and
  the Royal palace is taken over.
• The Czar tries to come home to squash the
  revolution. His train gets stopped.
• Czar (Tsar) abdicates (His brother Michael also
  refused to take the throne)
• Provisional government (Duma) takes control lead
  by Alexander Kerensky

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• The Provisional government decided to remain in
  the war as a Peoples War against Germany.
• The morale and discipline of the Russian army was
  terribly low.
• Provisional government unpopular after decision
  to stay in WWI
• Bolsheviks are creating instability in the Duma
  and fighting for the Revolution to continue to a
  Communist Revolution.

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Key issues in March 1917

• War
• Peace, defensive war, fight to win?
• Land
• Land redistribution?
• Social Reform
• How quickly and how far to go?
• Economy
• Improvement in food and fuel?
• National Minorities
• Independence or more self government?

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Warm Up Write a reflection about the photo from
the February Revolution of 1917.
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October (Bolshevik) Revolution-1917

• Some historians argue that the October Revolution
  is a separate revolution from the February
  Revolution.
• Others argue they are the same long fight
• Think about this while you take notes.

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Political Parties involved

• Liberals- Formed after the 1905 Revolution
• Wanted a Duma, civil rights, and free elections
• Advocated peace, non-violence
• Socialist Revolutionaries- Formed in 1901, part
  of the Peoples Will Marxists assassins-
  advocated violence.
• Social Democrats
• Bolsheviks
• Mensheviks

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SRs Beliefs and Methods

• Beliefs
• Main hope for revolution in the peasants, who
  would instigate a popular uprising and
  established a democratic republic
• Land would be taken from landlords and divided up
  among the peasants
• SRs accepted the development of capitalism
• Would promote growth of the proletariat
• Saw no need for peasants to pass through
  capitalism, they could move straight to rural
  socialism
• Methods
• Agitation, terrorism and assassination of
  government officials

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Social Democrats

• Based on Marxist philosophy
• Formed in 1898
• Split into two factions at Second Party Congress
  1903
• Mensheviks (minority)
• Bolsheviks (majority)
• Split largely caused by Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin)
• Ironically Mensheviks were majority of party
  until 1917

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Social Democrats Beliefs

• Both factions accepted the main tenets of Marxism
  but split on role of the party
• Mensheviks
• Party should be broadly based, more democratic,
  allowing members a say in policy-making
• Encourage trade unions to help working class
  improve conditions
• Believed their would be long period of bourgeois
  democratic government during which workers would
  develop class and revolutionary consciousness
  until ready for socialist revolution

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Social Democrats Beliefs

• Bolsheviks
• Party should be made up of small number of
  disciplined, professional revolutionaries
• Operate under centralized leadership
• Have a system of small cells (three people) for
  security
• Job of party to bring socialist consciousness to
  the workers and lead them through socialist
  revolution

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Social Democrats Support

• Support came mainly from working class
• Bolsheviks attracted younger, more militant
  peasant workers who liked discipline, firm
  leadership and simple slogans
• Mensheviks attracted different types of workers
  and members of the intelligentsia, also a broader
  range of people (more non-Russians, Jews,
  Georgians

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Policies of Socialists

• Socialists were very mixed group yet even many
  Bolsheviks assumed there would be a bourgeois
  stage of the revolution

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Lenin Returns from Switzerland

• Germans allow Lenin through on a sealed train
• Arrives in Petrograd
• Provisional Government leader Chkheidze, told
  Lenin they did not need him to rock the boat
• Lenin delivers the April Theses

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April Theses

• Lenin calls for
• Worldwide socialist revolution
• Immediate end to the war
• End to co-operation with Provisional Government
• Soviet to take power
• Land to be given to peasants
• Lenin had written these points down during trip
• Next day he delivers Theses at meeting of Social
  Democrats and is booed by Mensheviks as ignoring
  the lessons of Marx

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Bolshevik reaction

• Bolshevik leaders were also stunned at Lenins
  Theses
• Opposed by some of the Bolshevik Central
  Committee
• By end of the month Lenin had won them over by
  personality and power of his argument the April
  Theses was party policy
• Bolsheviks now provided radical alternative to
  the Provisional Government
• Theses became slogans Bread, Peace and Land,
  All Power to the Soviets

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Marxism v. Leninism

• Lenin believed the situation in Russia called for
  a direct move to Socialist Revolution, skipping
  the Bourgeois (Middle Class) Revolution called
  for by Marx

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Why did Bolsheviks become popular?

• Main focus for groups dissatisfied with
  government
• Their program
• Ending war
• Controlling employers
• Social reform for workers
• Prioritizing food supplies was appealing
• May-June workers/soldiers in Petrograd began to
  differentiate between Mensheviks and Bolsheviks
• Left wing SRs and Mensheviks drawn to Bolsheviks
  (Trotsky)

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July Days

• In early July several days of uncontrolled street
  rioting by workers and soldiers
• Workers angry at economic problems
• Petrograd garrison feared that they were to be
  sent to the front
• July 4 events turned more violent
• 20,000 armed sailors arrive from Kronstadt naval
  base (a hotbed of revolutionary activity Red
  Kronstadt)
• Crowd Marches on the Tauride Palace

93
July Days (cont.)

• Provisional Government and Soviet are located at
  the Tauride Palace
• Sailors demand that the Soviet take power
• Chernov attempts to calm the crowd and is
  arrested
• Trotsky, with others, is sent to seek his release
  and addresses the crowd from the hood of the car
  in which Chernov is being held
• Chernov is released but both he and the others
  quickly reenter the palace before the crowd
  changes its mind

94
July Days (cont.)

• Troops loyal to the Soviet arrive and help to
  disperse the crowd
• Bolsheviks are blamed for the uprising (seen as
  an early attempt to take power)
• Some middle level Bolsheviks encouraged action
  but leadership seems less committed
• Lenin had been on holiday and when he returned he
  called for restraint

95
July Days (cont.)

• Soviet newspaper Izvestia denounces role of
  Bolsheviks and government uses uprising to limit
  power of the party
• Trotsky and other leading Bolsheviks are arrested
• Lenin is forced back into exile in Finland
• Bolshevik cause was badly damaged and this could
  limit their ability to influence events

96
Alexander Kerensky

• Becomes Prime Minister July 8
• Similar to Lenin
• Both from same area in Russia
• Both had fathers who became Chief Inspector of
  Schools
• Involved in radical politics
• Master of art of 20th century political
  communication
• Great skills as an orator
• Ideal link between Provisional government and the
  Soviet (human bridge between socialists and
  liberals
• Temperamental and vain

97
How Kerensky dealt with problems

• The war
• Unwilling to make a separate peace with Germany
• Law and order
• Had to find a military leader he could depend
  upon
• Bolsheviks
• Did not want to implement full-scale suppression
  of Bolsheviks, he thought this could lead to
  rioting and violence
• Deteriorating economy
• Did not know how to deal with this, believed
  little could be done as long as war continued

98
Kornilov affair

• Appointed new Supreme Commander of Russian forces
  - General Kornilov
• Agreement to bring trustworthy troops to
  Petrograd
• Kornilov, becoming middle class hope for
  salvation, saw opportunity to crush radical
  socialists and to restore order and authority in
  Petrograd
• Troops march on city with intent to seize control
  of the government

99
Kornilov affair (cont.)

• Kerensky panicked when he realized what was
  happening
• Denounced Kornilov
• Called on Soviet to defend Petrograd from
  counter-revolution
• People needed help and Bolsheviks provided it
• Much of defense of city was organized by
  Bolsheviks
• Bolshevik Red Guard (secretly trained militia)
  appeared on the streets and Kerensky supplied
  them with weapons
• Kornilovs troops did not arrive, trains stopped
  by railway workers. Kornilov is arrested.

100
Consequences of Kornilov affair

• Kerenskys reputation was irretrievably damaged
• Menshevik and Socialist Revolutionary leaders
  were discredited by association with Kerensky
• Mass of people completely distrusted Kadets and
  other liberals
• Soldiers, upset by what they thought was an
  officers plot, murdered hundreds of officers
  while officers felt Kerensky had betrayed
  Kornilov
• Bolsheviks gained popular support as saviors of
  the city, true defenders of the revolution. They
  are elected in huge numbers to soviets, gain
  control of Petrograd Soviet with Trotsky elected
  President

101
October Revolution

• Lenin calls for action from Finland in early
  October due to following factors
• Bolsheviks in control of the Soviet
• Popularity was at an all-time high
• Liberals and other conservative forces were
  demoralized after Kornilov affair
• Provisional Government was helpless
• Zinoviev and Kamenev oppose October action and
  publicly state so in Gorkys paper
• This haunts them later in power struggle

102
October Revolution

• Kerensky tried to send radical troops out of
  Peterograd (rumors that he was abandoning city)
• Petrograd Soviet (Bolshevik controlled) set up
  Military Revolutionary Committee, controlled by
  Trotsky
• Gives Bolsheviks more direct control of soldiers,
  arms and ammunition
• Open secret that Bolsheviks intend to seize power

103
October Revolution (cont.)

• Last ditch efforts by Kerensky to stop Bolsheviks
• Tries to close down 2 Bolsheviks newspapers,
  restrict power of MRC, raise bridges between
  working class districts and center of Petrograd
• Actions give Soviets an excuse for action
  Kerensky was attacking the Soviet
• Kerensky, not finding loyal troops to counter
  Bolsheviks in Petrograd left for the front (had
  to borrow a car from the American embassy)
• At Smolny Institute (Bolshevik headquarters)
  Trotsky and Sverdlov organize final stages of
  Revolution

104
October Revolution (cont.)

• October 24-25 night Red Guard were sent out to
  seize key points in the city, troops in most
  cases faded away as Red Guard took their
  positions
• Next day Petrograd was normal
• Night of Oct. 25-26 Bolsheviks entered Winter
  Palace (2 AM) and arrested what remained of the
  government. Storming of the Winter Palace becomes
  great myth of the Revolution defining heroism of
  Revolutionaries

105
Warm Up

• Based on what you know, do you believe the
  Russians experienced two separate revolutions or
  only one long revolution?
• Defend your response.

106
Russian Civil War
107
War Communism

• Bolsheviks had handed over control of land to
  peasants and control of factories to workers
• Results were shortages (no goods to exchange and
  money was worthless)
• Lenin geared whole economy toward need of the
  army
• Grain requisitioning (forced)
• Peasants resist
• Banning of private trade and manufacture
• State trading was extremely chaotic and industry
  did not produce enough consumer goods Black
  Market

108
War Communism (cont.)

• Nationalization of industry
• All industry brought under state control and
  administered by Supreme Council of national
  Economy (Vesenkha)
• Workers committees replaced by single manager
• Kept factories open and jobs available which many
  workers favored
• Labor discipline brought back to the workplace
• Rationing
• Class based system of rationing
• Labor force and army were given priority
• Small rations to civil servants and professional
  people
• Smallest ration to former middle class
• By 1921 Soviet economy was in ruins
• Civil war was over but grain requisitioning was
  still going on - led to peasant revolts

109
War Communism

• Severe winter led to strikes and food
  demonstrations
• Urban workers were angry with
• Food shortages
• Militarized factories
• State taking control of unions
• Strikes in Petrograd supported by Kronstadt
  sailors
• March 1921 meeting hoping to start general revolt
  against Bolsheviks (Heroes of 1917) shocked the
  regime

110
War Communism

• Lenin realized concessions and economic
  liberalism were needed to survive, government
  could not continue War Communism even though many
  Bolsheviks wanted to
• Trotsky wanted to militarize labor

111
Rule of Lenin 1920-1924

• Economic Reforms included the New Economic Plan
  (NEP)
• -moderate mix of capitalism and socialism
• Political Reforms
• -Bolshevik party became Communist Party
• -Russia becomes the United Soviet Socialist
  Republics

112
New Economic Policy (NEP)

• Worked out by members of the Politburo
• Temporary deviation Zinoviev
• Economic concessions to avoid political
  concessions Bukharin
• By 1922 NEP results were very good
• Increase in food and consumer goods production
• Traders or Nepmen by 1923 handle 3/4 of retail
  trade

113
(No Transcript)
114
1924

• Lenin Dies
• Power Vaccuum
• Leon Trotsky vs. Joseph Stalin
• Stalin takes control
• Now must decide how he will maintain power
• Decides to create a totalitarian state