MEC2010 VCE EXAMINATION REVISION CLASSES: HISTORY OF REVOLUTIONS

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MEC2010 VCE EXAMINATION REVISION CLASSES HISTORY
OF REVOLUTIONS

• Mathew Steen and Brenton Millot

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Part 1 Russian Revolution AOS1

• Revolutionary ideas, leaders, movements and
  events.
• AOS 1 spans from 1905 to October 1917 (Bloody
  Sunday to the Bolshevik Revolution)
• Essentially- What brought down both the Tsarist
  Regime and the Provisional Government.

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Tsarist Russia Sources of Tension and Conflict

• Economic and Social Inequality
• Upper classes- 12 of population. Lived a life of
  luxury, except from harsh laws, highly educated
  and disproportionately wealthy.
• Commercial and professional middle class- 1.5 of
  population.- Very wealthy but little political
  power. Growing in size leading up to revolution.
• Industrial Working Class- 4 of population-
  Growing population leading up to revolution
  particularly after Sergie Wittes reforms. Poorly
  paid, terrible living and working conditions. 12
  hour long days 60 hour working weeks.
• Peasants- 82 of population- Extremely poor,
  horrid working and living conditions, illiterate.
• Significance- All power and wealth sat in the top
  groups. Given the right conditions this would
  create a revolutionary situation in Russia.

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Tsarist Russia Sources of Tension and Conflict

• Sergie Wittes Reforms
• Minister of Finance in Russia 1893-1903- Brought
  huge social change to Russia.
• Brought new wave of factories and industry to
  Russia.
• Significance- Increase in worker population
  brought the poorest Russian citizens closer
  together in the factories -Workers worked in
  horrible conditions but could easily organise
  protests in the confined conditions of a factory.

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Tsarist Russia Sources of Tension and Conflict

• Bloody Sunday (9th of January, 1905)
• 111,000 men women and children marched to the
  winter palace to hand a petition to the Tsar.
• Hundreds were killed when protesters were
  suppressed by the Tsars troops.

• Significance- Peoples perception of the Tsar
  shattered- He was now seen as a brutal oppressor
  Bloody Nick.
• Popular outcry (also called the 1905 Revolution)
  after this event forced Nicholas II to release
  the October Manifesto.

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Tsarist Russia Sources of Tension and Conflict

• Failed Political reform (The October Manifesto)
• October Manifesto of 1905 raised peoples hopes-
  Promise of representation through the Duma was
  shattered with its closures and the fact that no
  law could be enforced without approval of the
  Tsar.
• Significance- Raised the peoples expectations,
  when their expectations were not met they lost
  faith in the Tsar and in the belief that he cared
  for the people.

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World War One (1914)

• Despite initial success, Russia suffered huge
  defeats. 130,000 casualties and 100,000 prisoners
  taken at Battle of Tannenberg alone. Supply
  problems, poor troop morale/training and
  incompetent leadership contributed to this.
• These defeats cost Russia greatly and damaged the
  Tsars image as a competent leader.
• August 1915 this became worse when the Tsar took
  sole control of the Russian Forces.
• Significance- Tsars public image would be
  destroyed by the losses suffered by Russian while
  he was in command.

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WWIs Political Impact

• Rasputins influence
• When Nicholas took control of the military he
  placed Alexandra in control of Petrograd.
• This allowed Rasputin to gain considerable
  influence over the Russian court.
• Significance

Rasputins constant changing of ministers
weakened government control. Rasputins perceived
control ruined the image of not just Alexandra
and Nicholas but the entire Russian Government.
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Economic Impact of WWI

• The cost of the war was 38,648 million rubles.
• To make up for this more money had to be printed
  resulting in hyper-inflation- Devaluation of the
  ruble.
• Significance- Workers wages were now worthless,
  worsening their suffering.
• Savings of the rich lost value- aggravating a
  powerful social class and turning them against
  the Tsarist government.

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WW1-Food Shortages

• Transportation networks being completely
  dedicated towards the war effort meant food could
  not be transported.
• Because of this food was drastically short- Only
  1/3 of the food needed for Petrograd and Moscow
  was being supplied by 1916
• Significance-Worker conditions continued to
  worsen- Blame attributed to the Tsarist
  government and the war.

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WW1- Fuel Shortages

• The war prevented fuel from being imported into
  Russia and transported around Russia.
• Lack of fuel resulted in the closer of many
  factories in Russia during the war.
• Significance- Closure of factories worsened the
  lives of workers by making them unemployed-
  leading to more animosity towards the Tsarist
  government.
• Closure of factories worsened the poor supply
  situation at the front.

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February Revolution

• Starting in January a series of huge worker
  protests started in Petrograd- Chief complaints
  were worker conditions, price of food, the war.
• Initially these protests were ordered to be
  oppressed but eventually soldiers ordered to
  suppress joined the protesters.
• The Petrograd Soviet (worker, soldier and sailor
  representative body) organized troops to
  overthrow the all forms of Tsarist authority in
  Petrograd.
• A group of Duma members proclaimed themselves a
  new government (calling themselves the
  Provisional Government) to take control from the
  Tsar.
• Duel government period effectively begins on the
  28th of February- Soviet/Provisional Government
  rule.
• Tsar abdicates on the 2nd of March.

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Duel Government and the Rise of the Bolsheviks

• Failure of the Provisional Government
• Poor support base
• The provisional government was not voted in-
  indefinitely held off elections while the war was
  being fought.
• Continued to fight WWI (June Offensive)
• This alienated the Provisional Gov further- They
  werent fixing the chief cause of the problems
  the people of Russia were living through.
• Continuation of economic problems.
• Food/fuel shortages and hyper inflation were not
  adequately dealt with.

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Rise of the Bolsheviks

• Strength- The Soviet represented the people more
  accurately than the Provisional Government.
• Provided the Bolsheviks could gain influence
  there they could gain a more legitimate power
  than the Provisional Government.

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The role of Lenin Leading up to October 1917

• Brilliant orator and writer- Professional
  revolutionary.
• The Bolshevik party he created was tightly
  controlled, small and dedicated purely to
  revolution- no collaboration with the provisional
  government.
• Publishing of the April Thesis- All Power to the
  Soviets and Peace, Bread and Land
• Significance- Lenin provided extremely organised
  and popular leadership.
• Created two extremely catchy slogans that gained
  the Bolsheviks support amongst the people

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Kornilov Revolt

• The attempted attack by conservative general
  Kornilov on the provisional government in
  Petrograd forced Kerensky and the provisional
  government to release imprisoned Bolsheviks and
  give them arms.
• Significance- Created Trotskys Red Guard and
  made the people see the Bolsheviks as the
  saviors of Petrograd

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October Revolution (25th October 1917)

• By October 1917 Lenin and the Bolsheviks had
  significant influence in the Soviet largely
  thanks to their popularity gained in the Kornilov
  Revolt and Lenins promises of peace, bread and
  land.
• Using their newly formed Red Guard, Lenin and his
  Bolsheviks ordered the overthrow of the
  Provisional Government.
• In a relatively bloodless coup and without prior
  Soviet approval, the Bolsheviks took control of
  the Russian capital. Moscow fell soon after.

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Part 2 Russian Revolution AOS 2

• Creating a new Society
• AOS 2 spans from the November 1917 to 1924
  (Initial decrees to the death of Lenin)
• Essentially- What factors influenced the society
  created by the Bolsheviks and what was this
  society like?

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Consolidating Bolshevik Rule

• Approval from the Soviet- 25 October 1917
• Bolsheviks got official approval from the 2nd
  Congress of Soviets.
• Gave their take over the appearance of popular
  support because it now appeared to the public
  that it was a Soviet take over not a Bolshevik
  take-over.

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Consolidating Bolshevik Rule

• Creation of Sovnarkom
• The official government of the Bolsheviks was
  created in Sovnarkom. A group of 15 with Lenin as
  their chairmen
• Meant to represent the make-up of the Soviet but
  it was purely Bolshevik.
• Meant to make laws in accordance with the Soviet
  officially- unofficially however it called all
  the shots.

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Consolidating Bolshevik Rule

• Creation of the CHEKA
• Secret police created by the Bolsheviks. Brutally
  efficient rooted out any other revolutionary
  groups in Bolshevik controlled areas.

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Consolidating Bolshevik Rule

• Dismissal of the Constituent Assembly
• Official election had to be promised to keep the
  people off the Bolsheviks backs
• Election results did not give Bolsheviks a
  majority.
• Bolsheviks closed the Constituent Assembly
  arguing they were the only accurate
  representatives of the people in Russia.

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Promises of Peace, Bread and Land.

• Peace
• Gained- but at a great loss 1/3 of European
  Russia, loss of fertile land, 3 billion roubles,
  loss of factories loss of minerals.

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Promises of Peace, Bread and Land.

• Bread
• Food crisis worsened by loss of fertile land and
  the devastation caused by the Russian Civil War.
  Millions starved to death during the early days
  of Bolshevik Rule

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Promises of Peace, Bread and Land.

• Land
• Land was redistributed amongst peasants though
  the Decree on Land 8th November 1917.

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Key Challenge- The Civil War

• Enemies on all sides-
• White Armies (Counter Revolutionary Russians)-
  Denikin, Kolchak, Miller, Yudenich.
• Foreign Armies- French, British (including
  Australians), American, Japanese, Czech and
  Polish troops were all involved.

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Key Challenge- The Civil War

• Roll of Leon Trotsky in Civil War
• Provided effective leadership in a time of
  crisis. Mobilised, organised and commanded the
  Red Army.
• Inspired troops
• Employed ex-Tsarist officers into red army.
• Key factor in deciding Bolshevik victory in Civil
  War.

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Effects of the Civil War on Bolshevik Rule

• Creation of War Communism.
• State took control of all factories.
• Soldiers stationed in factories to suppress
  riots.
• Factory jobs were allocated not chosen.
• Absences were punished with food rations being
  taken away.
• Long hours and voluntary shifts introduced.
• Food forcefully taken from farmers to be
  redistributed by the state.
• Significance- Worsened life for the vast majority
  of people throughout Russia.

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Key Challenge-Kronstadt Rebellion

• February 26th 1921
• Sailors who supported the October Revolution now
  revolted against the Bolsheviks the pride and
  glory of the Revolution... the reddest of the
  red.
• Demanded an end to the harsh measures of War
  Communism.

• Demanded an end to one party rule- An end to
  Bolshevik dictatorship.
• Brutally suppressed- The Revolution devours its
  own children.
• Significance- If life was so good in Bolshevik
  Russia why did this happen?

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The N.E.P (New Economic Policy)

• 16th March 1921
• Strategic retreat back to capitalism to help
  rebuild the ravaged economy of post-Civil War
  Russia. War Communism had got Russia through the
  war but at a terrible economic cost- Food and
  industrial production was down to record lows.
• Involved
• Grain requisitioning abandoned- replaced with tax
  in kind, a certain percentage of harvest was
  collected, surplus could be sold to whoever they
  wished.
• Markets legalized, businessmen could open trading
  stores. Small factories rented out to private
  owners. Trade re-opened with foreign companies.
• Food rationing phased out, cash wages
  reintroduced and a new currency printed.
• Labour armies and troop stationing in factories
  abolished.

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Historiography

• Marxist typified by writers such as Trotsky
• Western Liberal typified by writers such as
  Richard Pipes, Michael Lynch
• Revisionist typified by writers such as Sheila
  Fitzpatrick Orlando Figes