Russian Revolution and Ideologies

Russian Revolution
 Russia on the Eve of the Revolution

• Russia was an empire with various

nationalities like Uzbeks, Jews, Poles, • Tsar Nicholas II of the
Finns, Tartars, Kossacks, Armenians and Romanov dynasty came to
Russians. power in 1894.
• Russia was an absolute monarchy with
the Tsar at the head. • There was a parliament
• All these had diverse cultures which they called the Duma but it was
wished to protect. only recommendatory in
• Russians were politically powerful and nature.
had no sympathy for minorities.
• Tsar Alexander I’s policy of Russification • He failed to manage the
repressed minorities, banned their country militarily,
languages and confiscated their economically or politically.
property.
Society- The Russian society came to be divided into:
• Aristocrats
• Peasants and workers
• The situation resembled those in France before the French Revolution.
• Peasants
• Russia was an agricultural country btu peasant condition was pitiable.
• Emancipation in 1861 came at the condition of prolonged redemption payments.
• Majority peasantry lived in poverty and 1/3rd were landless.
• Others lived in fabulous riches.
• Worker conditions In Reality,Industrialisation
• Industrial Revolution had brought about misery to the workers.
• 270 striking gold-miners were shot by the police in 1912.
• A wave of 8000 strikes swept Russia between 1912-14.
• All this was favourable for the growth of socialist philosophy in Russia.
Intellectual Context
• Ideas of liberty from the West entered Russia.
• Writers like Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky drew attention towards
shortcomings of the state.
• Political awakening → demand for political rights
• Socialist ideals like those of Karl Marx also attracted the public.
 Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05
• Russian expansionist policy in Far East at
expense of China
• Japanese conflict of interest with Russia in
Manchuria
• Japanese imperialism in Korea
• Japan secured several swift victories over Russia
from February 1904.
• Russia could not transport its army because of
inefficient trans-Siberian Railway.
• Japan secured recognition of its suzerainty over
Korea by the USA and UK.
• By the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia was
excluded from Manchuria.
 Impact of the War
• The hollowness of Russian claims ● It was a wave of mass protests
to major power were showcased across the Russian Empire in
to the world. 1905.
• The divine position of the Tsar at ● Included worker strikes, peasant
home was destroyed and unrest and military mutinies.
● It was ignited by police firings
protests intensified.
over a protesting crowd, called
• The Russian imperial ambitions the Bloody Sunday.
in East were checked by Japan ● The Revolution failed because of
and in West by Austro-Germany. a disunited opposition and loyal
military.
• Russia soon embarked on a ● However, Tsar Nicholas II had to
program to modernize provide concessions through the
communication and military. October Manifesto.
 October Manifesto
• Issued on October 17, 1805 by Nicholas II
• Civil liberties to citizens
• Created the First Duma
• Universal suffrage in Duma elections
• Approval of Duma necessary for all laws

October Manifesto left most of the demands unfulfilled.

• Peasants: of abolishing redemption payments
• Workers: of improving working conditions
• Political: of protecting political prisoners
• Additionally, the Tsar had no intentions of sticking to the Manifesto.
 Duma

• Increasingly radical political parties appeared in the Duma.

• Tsar Nicholas II saw it as a continuous thorn in his side.

First Duma (1906) ● Elections were rigged to allow

only landed classes to vote.
● It was dissolved when it produced
radical laws.

Second Duma (1907) ● Dissolved

● Voting system made stringent

Third (1907-12) and Fourth Duma ● More conservative and lasted

(1912-17) longer
 Rise of Ideologies
Marxism
• Product of Post Industrial Revolution Destitution

Primitive Accumulation- Feudalism- Capitalism- Socialism-

Communism

• Proletariat Revolution in response to Capitalist Domination

Class- Collective Action- Class Consciousness

 Socialism and Communism
Socialism Communism
• Transition from Bourgeois Domination to
a State embodying the Workers • Ultimate Goal of the Proletariat
Interest- Democratic Socialism Revolution

• Classless-Stateless Society
• Social Organization controlled and
regulated by the government so as to • Dismantle elite privileges
ensure welfare and equality of
opportunity to the people. • Egalitarianism- People-work in
communal factories- produce
goods which are distributed to
• The means of production are collectively whoever needs them.
and socially owned and are not the
property of private individuals as in
capitalism.
 Types of Socialism
Market Socialism Ex---> Amul[Co-operative]

• It refers to various economic systems that involve either public ownership and
management or worker cooperative ownership over enterprises or a combination of
both.
• State/or workers councils decide what to produce and in what quantity.

Democratic Socialism
• A political movement that seeks to advocate ideals of socialism in a democratic political
system
• It supports mixed economy, welfare state, re-distribution of wealth, land reforms etc
Fabian Socialism
• British socialists aiming at gradual social change through democratic means.
• 1884:Fabian Society was founded by a group of intellectuals who. believed that new
political pressures were needed to achieve social reforms.
 Types of Socialism

Libertarian Socialism
• Promotes non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic society
• Private property should be converted into public goods (minimum
personal property is allowed)
• No coercion
• Free associations to replace state
• Abolition of authoritarian institutions
 Revolutionary Forces
• By 1912, the Revolutionaries
organized themselves efficiently.
• The main Revolutionary parties
included the Bolsheviks, the
Mensheviks and the Social
Revolutionaries.
• Of these, the Bolsheviks were the
most popular.
• Important Bolshevik leaders
included Vladimir Lenin, Joseph
Stalin and Leon Trotsky.
 Bolsheviks Mensheviks Social Revolutionaries

● Literally “the majority” ● Literally “the minority” ● They were not

● Led by Vladimir Lenin ● Opposed the communist.
● They were not leadership of Vladimir ● They wanted to
Marxists, wanted to Lenin establish an agrarian
achieve a communist ● They were Marxists, society based on
revolution wanted to achieve cooperating peasant
immediately, before complete communities.
achieving industrialization and
industrialization. then move to
● Consisted of full-time communism.
leaders working for a
revolution
● Their newspaper was
called “Pravda”.
 Important leaders

Vladimir Lenin Joseph Stalin Leon Trotsky

● He was the
founder of the ● He was a member of the ● He was a communist
Bolsheviks and Bolsheviks and a deputy activist and a leader of
the architect of of Lenin. the October Revolution.
the Revolution. ● Later, he would succeed ● He believed in a
● He believed that
Russia did not Lenin and become the democratic socialism
need to become Soviet Premier and and opposed Stalin’s
industrialized to transform the Republican authoritarianism.
enter the Revolution into a ● After the October
Communist
phase. dictatorial totalitarian Revolution, he was
● It was this socialist country. instrumental in
ideology that the ● He was also a conspirator negotiations with
Russian in the Revolution along Germany after Russian
Revolution was
based upon. with Lenin. surrender.
 Stolypin Reforms
• Redemption payments were abolished.
• Large number of peasants bought land in Siberia
• A new rich peasant class called kulaks acted like a shield against revolution.
• Industrial profits increased just before the World War.
• There was betterment in working conditions with social schemes.
• Universal education was introduced.
The Prime Minister Stolypin was murdered by the secret police in
1912.
Rasputin, a self-professed holy man, became a power behind the
throne.
He attracted criticism for drunkenness, promiscuity, etc. and was
murdered in 1916.
 Impact of WWI
• War disillusioned all sections of society. February Revolution
● Russia still followed the old
• There was famine, runaway inflation,
Julian Calendar.
corporate losses, etc. ● The rest of the Europe
• Corruption and incompetence of the followed Gregorian
administration was disclosed by failure. Calendar in 1917.
● Dates of the revolution
• War was the focal point where the were:
middle class and proletariat could February October Calendar
Revolution Revolution Style
engage and interact.
23 February 25 October Russia, Julian
• It proved to be the immediate cause as 1917 1917 Calendar

the troops and the police also rebelled. 8 March 7 November Rest of
1917 1917 Europe,
Gregorian
Calendar
 The February Revolution

Thereafter, mobs
Bread riots broke
Petrograd troop seized public
out in Petrograd (St. Tsar sent shooting
garrison mutinied buildings, released
Petersburg) along orders
and refused to fire prisoners and took
with worker strikes
over police stations

A provisional
They asked the Tsar The monarchy was
Army was intent on government was
to abdicate in favour abolished when
protecting the established under
of his brother, the Michael declined to
monarchy Prime Minister
Grand Duke Michael accept the throne
Gregory Lvov
 Dual Rule
• The Provisional Government was
The Government vs the Soviet
appointed by the Duma.
• It made plans for greater The Soviet started emphasizing its
democratization and a Russian
supremacy over the Provisional
Constituent Assembly.
Government in March, 1917 itself.
The Soviet was a popular body and the
The establishment of the Petrograd Provisional Government was nominated.
Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Additionally, the Government deferred the
Deputies in March, 1917 became a elections to the Duma and National
parallel power. Assembly continuously.
The Soviet represented the Thus, the Government lost its ground very
proletariat and the Provisional fast.
government represented the Similar Soviets started coming up all over
bourgeoisie. the Russian cities.
 Lenin’s Return
Lenin had been exiled by the government

Germany smuggled Lenin back into Russia in April, 1917, hoping for
political instability in Russia

Lenin published his April Theses which contained his demands

Bolsheviks should withdraw support for the Provisional Government

Russia should withdraw from the World War I
All country should come under Soviet rule because they were true
representatives
 Road to October Revolution
Government
Demonstrations Soviets refused to Lenin fled to
brought troops
broke out in July, take power from Finland and other
and accused Lenin
1917 in Lenin’s the Provisional Bolsheviks were
of being a
support Government arrested
German spy

August, 1917- The episode showed

General Kornilov the indiscipline in the
He brought troops When his troops
was the army and swung
to Petrograd with mutinied, Kornilov
commander-in- public opinion in
aim of a coup. was arrested. favour of decisive
chief of the
Russian Army. leadership.

Lenin urged the

Bolsheviks won a Leon Trotsky
Soviets to seize
majority in both became the
power. He was
the Petrograd and chairman of the
supported by
Moscow Soviets Petrograd Soviet
Stalin and Trotsky
 October Revolution

25-26th October, 1917: Bolshevik Red Guards and troops

surrounded the Palace
Paramilitary Force

The Provisional Government was arrested

The Soviets captured power and Lenin returned to Russia

 The World After WWI
The aim was to improve US-
The world now looked at Japan relations. Japanese
Washington Conferences,
reconstruction and power had been
1921-22
maintaining peace. continuously expanding in
the East and over the Pacific.

Address: German-French
Japan, USA, Britain and
hostility, US war debts to
France signed the Four- Genoa Conference, 1922
Europe, Diplomatic relations
Powers Pact in 1921.
with the USSR- Failed

Full diplomatic relations

Thus, the two countries left
were established, Reparation
vulnerable by war joined
Rapallo Treaty- Germany claims between the two were
hands. Russian help allowed
and Russia came together cancelled, Germans allowed
rapid economic growth in
to build aircraft and arms in
Germany.
Russia
 It was a series of The aim was to protect
agreements signed by Europe from another war.
Germany, France, Belgium, This was to be done by
Locarno Treaties, 1925
Britain, Italy, Poland and treaties of mutual non-
Czechoslovakia among aggression, guaranteed by
themselves. third parties.

The treaties were received However, the treaties

with great enthusiasm all ignored the region where
over Europe. This period of war was most probable to Young Plan, 1928
peace was called the arise, i.e. German-Polish
“Locarno Honeymoon”. border.

German Reparations were

A US committee under a reduced from ₤6600 million
banker, Owen Young, to ₤2200 million to be paid
prepared the plan. on a graded scale over 59
years.
 The New States and Forces
The Bolshevik Problem
• The Communist government of Russia immediately started plans to export
communism into rest of Europe.
• The first Communist International or Comintern was established in 1919.
• Bolshevik leaders like Karl Radek were active in cities like London and Berlin to
consolidate support for a revolution.
• Thus, all Europe looked at Russia with great suspicion.
• The West actively tried to destroy Bolshevism.
• Russians were not invited to Versailles.
• Russia did not become a member of the League of Nations until 1934.
 • The new states were too small.
• Refugee crises after the war had
increased or decreased their
populations.
• Industries and farmland was
divided unequally.
• Czechoslovakia had 3/4th of the
industries of the Habsburg
Empire.
• Famine-like conditions existed in
Austria and Hungary.
No Industries Non-Economically Viable States
Yugoslavia [Started as a Democracy and ended as a Dictatorship]
• Consisted of modern Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Dalmatia.
• Known initially as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes until 1929.
• The Parliament was dominated by the majority Serbs.
• The Croats and other national groups protested against discrimination.
• Attempts of establishing a separate Republic of Croatia in 1929 → the King of
Yugoslavia proclaimed himself a dictator and named the country Yugoslavia
Czechoslovakia[Extremely Ethnic Diverse]
• Consisted of Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Hungarians, Ruthenians, Poles and some
Romanians and Jews. Main Powers
• The new state worked well because of partnership between Czechs and Slovaks.
• It had inherited huge industries from the Habsburg Empire → was badly hit by the
Great Depression
• The democratic republic persisted until it was annexed by Hitler in 1938.
Poland
• Versailles brought independence to Poland after centuries of struggle for
independence.
• They were given access to the sea through Danzig.
• They were involved in difficult territorial disputes with Germany, Russia and
Czechoslovakia.
• The invasion of Poland by Hitler in 1939 would start the World War II.
Political problems
• All the states had democratic governments with no experience of democracy.
• By 1938, democracy could survive only in Czechoslovakia.
• Another problem was that of nationalities which found themselves unrepresented.
• For example, Croats in Yugoslavia and Slovaks and Germans in Czechoslovakia.
• These countries also fought over boundary disputes.
Summary