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Chapter 27-4 The Russian Revolution Nicholas II Peter Stolypin New Prime Minister Tried to push through agrarian reforms Designed to break down collective ownership of the mirs And encouraged enterprising peasants: Kulaks Much land transferred from communes to private ownership Peter Stolypin 1911 was assassinated (probably instigated by nobles who believed his policies to be too liberal) 1911-1914 Many industrial strikes and peasant violence Indications of dissatisfaction with Tsar’s regime Russia’s poor showing during WWI led directly to tsar’s downfall Socialism in Russia 1898 Vladamir Lenin founded the Social Democratic Workers Party Was exiled to Switzerland Lenin was the heir to Marx in Socialist thought Lenin’s Socialist Philosophy 3. Lenin believed a highly disciplined workers’ party, strictly controlled by dedicated elite intellectuals and full-time revolutionaries The above is where Lenin broke with Marx who believed that the revolution would be controlled by the workers Three Basic Ideas Central to Lenin’s Philosophy: 1. Capitalism could be destroyed only by violent revolution He denounced revisionism 2. Socialist revolution was possible even in backward Russia (not yet capitalist) Peasants were poor…so potential revolutionaries By 1903 The Social Democratic Workers’ Party split Mensheviks (the minority) wanted to delay the revolution until after the evolution of capitalism and the proletariat. They wanted a more democratic party with mass membership Bolsheviks (the majority) followed Lenin After the Revolution of 1905… The Bolsheviks in exile planned a revolution Lenin and Leon Trotsky formed Workers’ Soviets: councils of workers, soldiers, and intellectuals The influence of the above increased prior to WWI Causes for the overthrow of the Tsar Russia’s poor showing against the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War The lack of reform after the Revolution of 1905 The impact of WWI (the most important cause) Massive casualties, food shortages Tsar’s leadership seemed incompetent Tsarina was a German Princess and widely hated The influence of Rasputin The February Revolution of 1917 Massive strikes in Jan. and Feb. led to food shortages Women rioted for bread in St. Petersburg and were supported by workers and soldiers Demonstrators demanded the overthrow of the tsar and the creation of a provisional government February Revolution Thousands of soldiers who were ordered to suppress the strike joined the revolution March 2, 1917 Nicholas II abdicated The royal family was placed under house arrest March 12th the Duma declared a provisional government The Provisional Government Was a dual government Constitutional Democrats and Liberals who wanted to continue the war was one part The Petrograd Soviet (the workers and soldiers who actually overthrew the tsar) were the other part…Mensheviks led the government The Soviets accepted the above…temporarily Alexander Kerensky Kerensky was the leader of the provisional government but maintained his membership in the Soviet Wanted peace without losing territory to the Central Powers The government WAS NOT exclusively bourgeoisie…workers and soldiers too Reforms Equality before the law Freedom of religion, speech, assembly The right to form unions and to strike Amnesty of political prisoners Election of local officials 8-Hour work day Kerensky Rejected outright social revolution Did not want to confiscate large landholdings and distribute to peasants March 1, 1917 Army Order #1 : to replace officers loyal to the tsar with officers who were committed to the revolution Placed power in the hands of elected committees of common soldiers Big Mistake: soldiers were worried about possible future charges of treason Army discipline collapsed The Allies Formally recognized the Provisional government in Russia in hopes that Russia would continue to fight in WWI BUT Russia plagued by anarchy: Nationalities and local government took matters into their own hands Peasants took land (violently) from large landowners) The October Revolution 1917 Resulted in a Communist Dictatorship Germany arranged for Lenin to be transported back to Russia in a sealed RR car in April 1917 He hoped to get Russia out of the war by inciting a more radical revolution which would demand peace The April Thesis Lenin rejected all cooperation with the “bourgeoisie” provisional government Called for a socialist revolution and the establishment of a Soviet Republic He called for the nationalization of Banks and landed estates “All power to the Soviets” “All land to the Peasants” “Stop the war now!” Lenin The Provisional government tried unsuccessfully to suppress the Bolsheviks Lenin was forced to flee to Finland but continued to issue directives to the Bolsheviks while in exile By Summer of 1917, the Bolsheviks gained a slim majority in the Petrograd Soviet The Kornilov Affair August 1917 Conservatives plotted the overthrow of Kerensky’s government They were unhappy with His handling of the war His inability to suppress the Bolsheviks The peasant seizures of land The Kornilov Affair The plot failed without bloodshed BUT Kerensky lost credibility with the army AND the fear of right-wing counterrevolutionaries played into the Bolsheviks’ hands They set themselves up as defenders of the revolution The fall of the provisional government Was largely due to Kerensky’s determination to continue the war AND his inability to prevent anarchy The Politburo Was formed to organize the Bolshevik revolution Led by Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin October 25, 1917 Trotsky (leader of the Red Army and the Petrograd Soviet) overthrew the Provisional government Opponents of the Bolsheviks Were arrested…including many Mensheviks The Cheka (secret police) was created to deal with opposition…had absolute power and were universally feared New elections to the new Constituent assembly Lenin’s campaign “Peace, Land, Bread” Bolsheviks lost…had only 29% of the vote But took power anyway by Jan. 1918 The Communist Party The new name for the Bolsheviks Though they were a minority, the Bolsheviks were able to maintain power Lenin’s Reforms Lenin gave the land to the peasants (though they had already taken it) But by doing this he was perceived as a friend to the peasants Lenin gave direct control of the factories to committees of workers Lenin took Russia out of the war Treaty of Brest-Litovsk March 1918 Lenin wanted peace at any price Russia lost 1/3 of its population and 25% of its land to Germany Also lost Baltic lands: Poland, the Ukraine, Finland Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was nullified with Germany’s defeat The Russian Civil War 1918-1920 Reds (Bolsheviks) v Whites (many different groups claiming to represent the “real” interests of Russia and old army officers) Both sides brutal Civil War caused over 2 million people to leave Russia Allies sent troops to help Whites Archangel Expedition in Murmansk tried to keep military supplies from going to the Reds U.S. contributed about 5,000 troops Allies also sent troops to Siberia to save marooned Czechs who tried to prevent Bolsheviks from gaining supplies AND to prevent Japan from taking Siberia War Communism Bolsheviks applied concept of Total War to the Civil War Declared that all land was nationalized State took control of heavy industries and ended private trade Above caused a huge decline in production Peasants were forced to deliver food to towns War Communism The Cheka hunted down and executed thousands of opponents They executed the Romanovs By 1921 the Reds were victorious Communists were highly organized and disciplined The Whites were divided and poorly organized Trotsky was awesome with the army The USSR 1922 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created The world’s first communist country The Russian Revolution: 15 million died Economy ruined International trade gone Millions of workers fled the country