1. Russian Revolution 1917

2. Events Causing Discontent
Nicholas II ( ), last of the Romanov dynasty; Russia is in a perpetual state of crisis
Russo-Japanese war,
Revolution of 1905
staggering economic problems

3. Rise of Socialism in Russia
1898: Social Democratic Worker's party founded in Minsk with Lenin as leader; Lenin exiled later to Switzerland
Lenin became the heir to Marx in socialist thought
3 basic ideas central to Lenin’s philosophy:
Capitalism could be destroyed only by violent revolution; he denounced revisionism
Socialist revolution possible under certain conditions, even in relatively backward Russia.
Peasants were poor and thus potential revolutionaries.
Necessity of a highly disciplined workers’ party, strictly controlled by a dedicated elite of intellectuals and full-time revolutionaries (he differed from Marx in this regard).

4. Rise of Socialism Continued…
1903, Social Democrats (Social Democratic Worker’s Party) split into two factions
Mensheviks (the "minority"): Wanted to await the evolution of capitalism and the proletariat; sought a more democratic party with mass membership.
Bolsheviks (the "majority"): Followed Lenin's ideas

5. Causes to the Revolution
1905 Revolution (“Bloody Sunday”)
resulted in loss of public confidence in the Czar
Duma
was weak and ineffective but increasingly critical of Czar's poor leadership
Bolsheviks in exile planned a revolution:
Lenin and Trotsky formed workers' Soviets (councils of workers, soldiers and intellectuals)
Influence of Socialists, soldiers Soviets, & other parties and soldiers’ increased before WWI
World War I became the major cause of the Russian Revolution
Massive Russian casualties, food shortages

6. Causes to the Revolution

7. February Revolution 1917 Causes for the Overthrow of Nicholas II
Russia’s poor showing in the Russo-Japanese War had damaged the regimes creditability
After 1905 – Widespread discontent with the regime since reforms were not passed
Human and Economic Toll from World War I
Massive military causalities and food shortages
Tsar’s leadership during the war was increasingly seen as incompetent
Tsarina Alexandra & Rasputin influence court while Tsar is away at war

8. February Revolution Revolution centered in St. Petersburg (Petrograd)
Started by massive strikes in January and February caused by food shortages
Women rioted for bread and were supported by workers and soldiers
Demanded overthrow of the tsar and the creation of a provisional government
Thousands of soldiers gave the support to the revolution

9. February Revolution Nicholas abdicated on March 2
Royal family placed under house arrest
Only about 1,000 Russians died in the Revolution
The Duma responded by declaring a provisional government on March 12, 1917

10. The Provisional Gov’t Dual government was in control
Provisional government consisted of Constitutional Democrats and liberals, many of whom wanted to continue the war
Petrograd-Soviet consisted of workers and soldiers who had overthrown the tsar
Mensheviks led its organization
Soviet accepted authority of the PG seeing it as the best chance for maintaining control of the country
Soviet brought together representatives from other Soviets and emerged as a national body
But pressure demanded more radical reforms

11. The Provisional Gov’t Alexander Kerensky Leader of the PG
Participation of Kerensky and other socialists in the new coalition government gave the PG more legitimacy
No longer a Bourgeoisie institution
Sought peace in the war without losing land to the Central Powers
Implements liberal program:
equality before the law; freedom of religion, speech, and assembly; right of unions to organize & strike; election of local officials; 8-hr work day
Rejects social revolution: doesn't confiscate large landholdings and give them to peasants

12. The Provisional Gov’t Army Order #1:
Issued by the Petrograd Soviet seeking to replace military officers loyal to the tsar and place the Soviet in full control of the army.
Stripped officers of their authority and placed power in the hands of elected committees of common soldiers (soldiers afraid in the future they might be liable for treason against the czar)
Led to collapse of army discipline
The Allies recognized the PG hoping it would continue the war on Eastern front
Anarchy in Russia by summer of 1917
Numerous nationalities and local gov’ts took matters into their own hands
Russian peasants (like what had occurred in France during the Great Fear of 1789) began to take lands from the Boyars, often violently
By 1920 the number of landless peasants had decreased by half.

13. The October Revolution
Rise of Vladimir I. Lenin
Germany arranged for Lenin to be transported back to Russia; hoped to get Russia out of war
"April Theses": Lenin rejected all cooperation with the “bourgeois” provisional gov’t
Called for a "Socialist revolution" and establishment of a Soviet republic
Nationalization of banks and landed estates
“All Power to the Soviets”; “All Land to the Peasants”

14. The October Revolution
The PG sought to repress the Bolsheviks but were largely ineffective
Lenin forced to flee to Finland but continued issuing directives to Bolsheviks while in exile.
Bolsheviks gained a slim majority in the Petrograd Soviet by the summer of 1917

15. Fall of the Provisional Gov’t
Kornilov Affair
Conservatives plotted an overthrow of Kerensky’s government
Dissatisfied with Kerensky’s handling of the war, inability to suppress Bolsheviks and peasant seizures of land
The plot eventually fails without bloodshed
Kerensky loses all credit with army
Fear of a counter-revolution allows Bolsheviks to claim defenders of Revolution
Kerensky’s refusal to end the war and prevent anarchy led to fall of Provisional government.

16. October Revolution Cont.
Politburo formed to organize revolution: includes Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin
Leon Trotsky, leader of the Petrograd Soviet (the Red Army), led Soviet overthrow and arrest of the provisional gov’t
The Provisional Government collapsed with relatively little bloodshed

18. October Revolution Cont.
October 26th, the Bolsheviks, who controlled the Central Committee of the Congress of Soviets, officially took control of the government

19. Immediate Effects
Opponents of Bolsheviks were arrested included Mensheviks
Cheka created in December to eliminate opponents (secret police)
New Elections for the Constituent Assembly
Lenin: "Peace, Land, Bread“
Bolsheviks lost (only 29% of vote) but overthrew new gov’t in January 1918 with the Red army.
Bolsheviks renamed "communists"

20. Lenin’s Reforms
Lenin gave land to peasants (although peasants already took it, like French Revolution)
Lenin gave direct control of individual factories by local workers’ committees.

21. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 to take Russia out of WWI
It was clear to Lenin that Russia had lost the war to Germany
Prolonging the war would continue to add to Russia’s misery
He was willing to achieve peace at any price
Many Bolsheviks disagreed with Lenin intially but Russia’s poor showing in early 1918 convinced them to support peace
Provisions
Russia lost 1/3 of its population and 25% of its land
Lost territories included the Baltic States, Poland, Ukraine and Finland
Germany’s defeat by the allies in November nullified the treaty

22. Lenin’s Reforms Cont.
Lenin moved the government from Petrograd to Moscow
Trotsky reorganized the army
These actions lead to opposition to Bolsheviks and the Russian Civil War

23. Russian Civil War
Reds (Bolsheviks) vs “Whites” (included officers of old army, and 18 groups proclaiming themselves the real gov't of Russia--had no leader to unify them)
Many peasants feared the whites thus supported the Reds
Both sides proved to be extremely brutal
Over 2 million people left Russia due to the revolution and the civil war
Allies sent troops to help "Whites" (Archangel Expedition; Siberia)

24. Russian Civil War

25. Russian Civil War Cont..
By 1921, the communists had defeated their opponents
Communists extremely well organized (Trotsky); Whites were poorly organized
“War Communism”: Bolsheviks mobilized the home front for the civil war
Earliest form of socialism in the Soviet Union
Applied "total war" concept to a civil war
Declared that all land was nationalized
State took control of heavy industries and ended private trade – decline in production
Forced peasants to deliver food to towns.
Cheka: Secret police formed to hunt down and execute thousands of real or supposed opponents, such as the tsar and his family and other “class enemies.”

26. End of Civil War By 1921 Reds were victorious
Communists extremely well organized and highly disciplined under guidance of Trotsky
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was created in 1922

27. Results of the Russian Revolution
Costs: 15 million dead, economy ruined, international trade gone, millions of workers fled
Creation of world's first communist society: one of the monumental events of 20th century

28. USSR Under Lenin Marxist-Leninist philosophy
Theory of imperialism: imperialism is the highest form of capitalism (haves vs. have nots)
"New type of party": cadre of educated professional revolutionaries to serve development of political class consciousness & guidance of the "Dictatorship of Proletariat"
Lenin’s view stood in stark contrast to Marx who did not envision a totalitarian dictatorship from above (by elites) but rather from below (by the workers)

29. USSR Under Lenin
Comintern (Third Communists International) --created in 1919
Was to serve as the preliminary step of the International Republic of Soviets towards the world wide victory of Communism
Ruthless oppression: secret police (Cheka) liquidated about 250,000 opponents

30. USSR Under Lenin Government:
Elected legislature (Supreme Soviet)
Gave all citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote
All political power, resources, and means of production would belong to workers and peasants
USSR – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – multinational state that encompassed European and Asian peoples
In theory all republics shared equal rights
In reality the Communist party reigned supreme with the help of the secret police

31. USSR Under Lenin Kronstadt Rebellion (1921)
Mutiny by previously pro-Bolshevik sailors in March at Kronstadt naval base had to be crushed with machine gun fire.
Caused by impact of the economic disaster and social upheaval of the Russian Civil War.
Major cause for Lenin instituting NEP

32. USSR Under Lenin NEP – New Economic Policy, 1921-28
Sought to eliminate harsh aspects of War Communism: response to peasant revolts, military mutiny, and economic ruin
Some Capitalist measures allowed (Lenin: "necessary step backwards")
Gov't not to seize surplus grain; peasants could sell grain on the open market
Small manufacturers allowed to run own businesses
Gov't still in control of heavy industry, banks and railroads.
Results: economy improved
Industry and agricultural output back to pre-WWI levels
Workers shorter hours/better conditions
Temporary relaxing of terror and censorship

33. Lenin’s Impact on Russian Society
Old social structure abolished – titles for nobility ended
Loss of influence for the Greek Orthodox Church
Women gained equality (in theory)
Russians had greater expectation of freedom than they had during the Tsar's regime