The Russian Revolution Richard Malone Student Lectures March 2012

Area of Study 1 January ……. to October …….

Big Picture Question Why did the Russian Revolution occur? Factors: LONG & SHORT Crises: POLITICAL, ECONOMIC & SOCIAL

Exam Area of Study 1: Revolutionary ideas, leaders, movements & events  Part A: two short answer questions or  Part B: one written or visual document

BUT… Tsarist regime challenged by revolutionary ………., ……………. &………………..

Key Concept: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle.” Key Argument: The rise of communism is …………………………… Key Action: capitalism would be overthrown by the proletariat wanting socialism Key Ideas: Marxism

Role of Leaders  Study Design tip – “role of leaders is debateable”  My answer – “leaders don’t ……………… revolutions but they do ………………… them” William Doyle admits that ‘it would truer to say that the revolutionaries had been created by the revolution’

Lenin before the February Revolution 1917 “We older ones will not live to see the revolution in our lifetime.” [Lecture given by Lenin in Switzerland in January 1917] Lenin before the October Revolution 1917 “History will not forgive us if we do not assume power.” [Lenin in a letter to the Bolsheviks from Finland in September 1917]

Key Leaders 1.Tsarist Leaders … …17 2. Revolutionary Leaders …

Tsar Nicholas II Key Mistakes:  A…………………………… belief in autocracy eg. Fundamental State Laws in 1907 eg. took command of army himself in 1915  F……………………………………….. to reform eg. lack of real support for Witte and Stolypin’s reforms eg. dismissed first & second Dumas in  M……………………………needs of his people eg. disregarded requests of workers’ petition in Bloody Sunday protest in January 1905 eg. blamed the Duma for protests in February 1917

Al Kerensky  joined …………………………………… in Elected to 4 th Duma  initiated ………………………………….  made …………………………….. in July  suppressed ……………. in July Day protests but released them to defend Petrograd from ………………………. in August  inadequate defences to resist Bolshevik takeover in ………………………………….

“Lenin”  P…………………………... eg. began Bolsheviks,  I……………………………. eg. avid reader of Marxist writings eg , exiled in European countries  P……………………………. eg. recruited Trotsky in July 1917 eg. convinced Bolshevik Central Committee of need of immediate revolution in October 1917  I……………………………. eg. What is to be Done?, 1902 eg. April Theses, 1917

 N………………………………….. eg. played no role in 1905 eg. played no role in Feb Rev 1917 eg. only in Russia for 4 months, April to July 1917  I……………………………………. eg. impact of speech at Finland Station, April 1917 eg. initiated Bolshevik defeat of the Prov. Government  U…………………………………… eg. remained loyal to the cause during Stolypin’s oppression of revolutionaries eg. escaped to Finland to continue fighting after July Days  P……………………………… eg. head of new Bolshevik Government in Oct 1917

“Trotsky”  Joined Marxists in 1897  Active in 1905 Revolution  Exiled from 1905 – 1917

……………………………………

Key Movements  ………………………. Movements Eg  ………………………. Movements eg.  ………………………. Movements eg.

Different Perspectives #1 Trotsky “What has taken place is an uprising not a conspiracy. An uprising of the masses of the people needs no justification. We have been strengthening the revolutionary energy of the workers and the soldiers. We have been forging, openly, the will of the masses for an uprising. Our uprising has won.” 25 October 1917

Different Perspectives #2 Richard Pipes Just because the Oct Rev was ‘easy’ doesn’t make it inevitable, as Lenin persuaded people to believe In fact, not even Lenin was sure whether the takeover would be successful or not If the Oct Rev was not inevitable, then the very basis of Marxist ideology is flawed

Different Perspectives #3 Edward Acton “The central drama of the revolution was precisely the attempt of the Russian masses to assert direct control over their own lives… October marked the moment at which power began to move from the hands of the mass movement, then at full tide, into the hands of an organisation determined to exercise control from above. The popular vision paled, dimmed and faded away.”

“rasputin” by BONEY M 1978 There lived a certain man in Russia long ago He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow Most people looked at him with terror and with fear But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear He could preach the bible like a preacher Full of ecstasy and fire But he also was the kind of teacher Women would desire

RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen There was a cat that really was gone RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine It was a shame how he carried on

He ruled the Russian land and never mind the Czar But the kasachok he danced really wunderbar In all affairs of state he was the man to please But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze For the queen he was no wheeler dealer Though she'd heard the things he'd done She believed he was a holy healer Who would heal her son

RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen There was a cat that really was gone RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine It was a shame how he carried on

(Spoken:) But when his drinking and lusting and his hunger for power became known to more and more people, the demands to do something about this outrageous man became louder and louder.

"This man's just got to go!" declared his enemies But the ladies begged "Don't you try to do it, please" No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms Though he was a brute they just fell into his arms

Then one night some men of higher standing Set a trap, they're not to blame "Come to visit us" they kept demanding And he really came

RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen They put some poison into his wine RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine He drank it all and he said "I feel fine"

RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen They didn't quit, they wanted his head RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine And so they shot him till he was dead

(Spoken:) Oh, those Russians...