2: Opposition to Tsarism – Political Movements

What is a movement? While Ideas and Leaders shape and direct revolutions, it is Movements that typically begin and provide force needed to threaten revolution to an existing regime. While Ideas and Leaders shape and direct revolutions, it is Movements that typically begin and provide force needed to threaten revolution to an existing regime. 1. Political movements – parties that range from single-minded determination, to disorganised and split by different ideological viewpoints. Eg: Bolsheviks 2. Military movements – fight battles to overthrow the government e.g. Red Army 3. Popular movements – often spontaneous with less defined groups of ordinary people that provide large ground force e.g. mass strikes.

Marxist Revolutionary Parties Social Democrats Split in 1903 into Bolshevik & Menshevik Socialist Revolutionaries Key leader Vladimir Lenin Julius Martov Alex Kerensky Policies Alliance btwn working class and peasants Alliance btwn working class and peasants Overthrow Tsar and middle class Overthrow Tsar and middle class Bypass capitalism Bypass capitalism Co-op with middle class to overthrow Tsar with steady progress to socialism Land reform to benefit the peasants Support Urban working class Soldiers during WW1 Industrial Workers Some intelligentsia Cautious socialists Peasants Peasants Moderate socialists Moderate socialists Attitude to proletariat Protect the proletariats Educate workers to develop class thinking Educate and support peasants Political influence Small no’s with an exiled leader Tsar saw them as the major threat Huge national peasant popularity

Liberal Reforming Parties Kadets Octobrists Key leader Prince Lvov Mikhail Rodzianko Policies A constitutional monarchy like the English model. Tsar just a figure head. Constitutional and legislative reform. Tsar shares power with a Duma Support Progressive landlords and industrialists. Middle class Wealthy land and factory owning monarchists Political influence Powerful voice in the 1 st Duma and then the Provisional Government Were part of the Tsar’s post 1905 Dumas and didn’t like incompetent government The liberalism movement which favoured reforms rather than revolutionary change produced two main parties, both formed during the 1905 Revolution

Obstacles to revolution 1. Police repression – dispersed opponents and limited criticism 2. Division – Divisions weaken power 3. Cohesion – Too many revolutionary parties to convince they were the best 4. Isolation – hard to distribute propaganda 5. Concession – Reform diffuses tension and conflict; opposition softens and co- operation increases.