1. Passage through Armageddon: The Russian Revolution
HST 332: Age of Dictators, Europe

2. Suggested readings W. Bruce Lincoln, Passage through Armageddon.
Richard Pipes, The Russian Revolution.
Orlando Figes, A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution,

3. Political background
Autocracy
the Duma
party spectrum

4. Political spectrum Reactionaries Conservatives Octobrists Kadets
Mensheviks
Social Revolutionaries
RSDLP
Bolsheviks

5. Was revolution inevitable?
Character of Nicholas II
Personal weakness
Disinterest in governing
Duplicity with Duma
Edvard Radzinsky, The Last Tsar
Passivity of the peasantry
Support of the army and police

6. The road to revolution tsar leaves for front problems in war effort
Rasputin’s influence

7. The February Revolution
beginnings
Duma tries to step in
soviets are formed
Order #1
dvovlastie

8. The emergence of Kerensky
Who was Alexander Kerensky?
Why did he emerge as the Duma’s leader?
Kerensky's policies
failure of Brusilov offensive
Bolshevik putsch/Kornilov coup

9. Why did the democratic revolution fail?
Continuation of the unpopular war
Delay of land reform
Open system allowed enemies to organize
Failure to recognize the danger of the Bolsheviks