The Russian Revolution and the Central Asia HIST /5/14

Russia and World War I Despite having the largest army in Europe, Russia’s forces were ill-prepared and regularly defeated by the Germans. 1916: The Russian army runs out of ammunition and supplies. Soldiers ordered to pick up the rifles of fallen comrades. Civilian shortages and widespread hunger. In the cities, people had to line up before dawn in front of shops for food. Tsar Nicholas II continued his opulent lifestyle.

Central Asia and World War I Muslims, categorized as alien-born, not allowed in army June 1916 – drafted into labor brigades Tashkent riots Spread as Basmachi Revolts Put down by military, martial law

Central Asia and World War I 1.5 million Central Asians killed (3,000 Russians) Refugees in Xinjiang Livestock killed and farmland confiscated Migration of Russian settlers Tashkent, 1910 vs. Sart farmers, ca. 1910

February Revolution March, 1917: food ran out in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Mass demonstrations Mutinying soldiers and striking workers form soviets (councils) to take over factories and barracks. Tsar Nicholas II abdicates and Alexander Kerensky forms a Provisional Government. Opens up door for revolutionaries outlawed by Nicholas to participate in government.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks Two socialist movements come to the forefront. Mensheviks: advocate electoral politics and reform on the European socialist model, supported by factory workers and intellectuals. Bolsheviks: Advocate radical, revolutionary change, much smaller but much more disciplined. Vladimir Lenin ( ): radical and exile (Siberia and Switzerland), goal of leading a revolution rather than waiting for it.

Lenin and Marxism “Classes are led by parties and parties are led by individuals… The will of a class is sometimes fulfilled by a dictator.” April 1917: Germany allows Lenin to travel from Switzerland to Petrograd, hoping to destabilize Russia. Lenin announces his platform: immediate peace, all power to the soviets, and transfers of land to the peasants and factories to the workers. Powerful in the context of World War I.

October Revolution Provisional Government under Kerensky orders another offensive against Germany. Russian soldiers desert and the government loses all credibility. Nov. 16, 1917: Bolsheviks rise up and overthrow the Provisional Government. Surprise to Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries who believed “socialist” revolution could only come after “bourgeois” rule. Russia not ready for socialism? Lenin orders purging of Mensheviks, Social Revolutionaries, and other rivals.

Consolidating the Revolution Nationalized all private land. Ordered peasants to hand over crops without compensation (but didn’t they just seize them from the landlords?) Take over factories and draft labor brigades. Cheka: secret police force with powers to arrest and execute opponents. March 3, 1918: Treaty of Brest- Litovsk, peace with Germany and Austria-Hungry. Russia loses Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states.

Russian Revolution in Central Asia Muslims may form organizations, publish newspapers, and make demands of government April Central Council of Turkestanian Muslims Conservative and reformist wings, Association of the Ulema and Islamic Council Bolsheviks and the proclamation “To All Muslim Workers of Russia and the Orient” Bolsheviks and Basmachi

Russian Revolution in Central Asia Nov – Turkestan Council of People’s Commissars in Tashkent Khalq Shurasi (People’s Council) in Khoqand Tashkent vs. Khoqand Russians vs. Muslims July 1917 – Alash Orda – Kazakh national party War Communism and famine 1-3 million Muslims starve More room for Russians

Civil War and the Soviet Union Dec : Civil War – Communists (Bolsheviks) hold central Russia – Counter-revolutionary armies supplied by Allied (Entente) powers. – Over 3 million die from famine : reconquer the Caucasus 1922: merger with Ukraine forms Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) – Later add Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan

Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (TASSR) Korenizatsiya – nativization National Communism and Islam Pan-Islam and Pan-Turkism Communist Party of Turkestan is regional branch of the Communist Party of Russia 1924 – National delimination Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic Tajik Autonomous Region Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region Kyrgyz Autonomous SSR Turkmen SSR (1925)