1. Causes of the Russian Revolution

2. 1850s Russia was poor agricultural society
90% of the people lived off the land
Very backward country – over 200 nationalities – majority were poor peasants
Majority under 10 and illiterate
Serfdom was still the basic institution
Emancipation Edict - in 1861 abolished serfdom
Massive investment didn’t even help, but did encourage social reformers

3. 1894 Alexander III dies and is replaced by Nicholas II the last Romanov
Bad omens for the new tsar - Order of St. Andrew - 1,200 killed in celebration

4. Political Philosophies
Liberals wanted reforms based on western models
Marxists wanted to overthrow the monarchy
Populists wanted a massive peasant revolt
Any trouble makers were arrested or forced into exile

5. 1903 Russia established a sphere of influence over Chinese Manchuria and were looking at northern Korea
1904 Japan launched a surprise attack, defeating Russia in the Russo-Japanese War at Port Arthur
Distance and size works against Russia and creates further peasant dissent
1905 Russia accepted a humiliating defeat

6. Revolution of 1905
January 1905 a crowd demonstrated at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to petition the tsar for reform
Troops opened fire, killing and wounding hundreds. This massacre became known as “Bloody Sunday"

7. The image of the tsar was shattered
October 1905 a general strike paralyzed the country and forced the govt. to give in
The czar issued the October Manifesto granting full civil liberties and creating the Duma (national representative body)
The Social Democrats rejected it and the workers protested in Moscow in December 1905
Mensheviks (Kerensky) believed a compromise with the bourgeoisie was necessary for socialist reform. Bolsheviks (Lenin) believed the proletariat was already a revolutionary force

8. May 1906 the govt. issued the Fundamental Laws - a new constitution but with power for finance and foreign affairs going to the tsar Middle class liberals in the Duma saw it as a step backward
The tsar dismissed the Duma, only to find a more radical one elected in 1907
The tsar and his advisors rewrote the voting laws and gave more power to the landed aristocracy
With Duma full of aristocrats the tsar was assured of support

9. In 1906 Peter Stolypin was appointed chief advisor
August Decree established military courts which hung almost 1,000 people
Wanted to preserve aristocracy but pushed agrarian reform
Peasants, even more agitated, were still a caste apart
In 1911 Stolypin was assassinated
The Revolution of 1905 had changed little in Russia- the tsar still controlled the army and the aristocracy controlled the govt. with the tsar having veto power

10. For Russia World War I was devastating
1915, Tsar Nicholas II took command of the army his (German) wife controlled the government
In 1915 there were 2 million Russians casualties
No other country suffered the losses in manpower that Russia suffered – and Russia left the war before the end

11. Grigori Rasputin - a Siberian mystic became more influential
The tsarina believed Rasputin was a holy man who could save her fifth child her son Alexis
Rasputin did, probably through hypnotism
Rasputin controlled who could see the queen
Rasputin was assassinated by 3 members of the aristocracy but it was too late to save the monarchy

12. The tsar, from the front ordered the soldiers to open fire
Food shortages worsened and morale declined
March 8 the women of Petrograd marched for food
The tsar, from the front ordered the soldiers to open fire
March 12, 1917 the Duma declared a Provisional Government
March 15 the tsar abdicated

13. Both the 1905 and 1917 Revolutions involved massive peasant unrest – but not predicted by Marx
Marx said – bourgeois revolution followed by proletariat revolution
Both had some basis in humiliating military defeats – a) Russo-Japanese War (1904-5) b) First World War ( )

14. Revolutions
RUSSIA: a) most backward country b) strength lay in lower classes c) took over 50 years to evolve d) paid revolutionary leaders e) wiped out all opposition f) no monarchy g) by 1990 the ideas were rejected
FRANCE: a) leading country of the time b) strength in middle class c) happened fast d) ordinary people became leaders e) opposition returned f) monarchy restored g) by 1990 ideas widely accepted

15. Revolutions Both originated in deep-lying and distant causes
Both were movements of liberation: France - against feudalism and despotism Russia - against capitalism and imperialism
Both sent a message all over the world
Attracted followers in many countries
Both aroused a strong reaction
Shared same revolutionary politics

16. Both overthrow an old regime and then the leaders were overthrown by a determined minority France - Jacobins in 1793 Russia - Bolsheviks in 1918
Many of the original leaders were later killed