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Russian Revolution
http://history1900s.about.com/od/Russian-Revolution/a/RussianRevolution.htm
Prelude to the Russian Revolution of 1917
• The Russian Revolution of 1917 was rooted in a long history of
oppression and abuse. That history, coupled with a weak-minded
leader (Czar Nicholas II) and entry into bloody World War I, set the
stage for major change.
How It All Got Started - An Unhappy People
• For three centuries, the Romanov family ruled Russia as czars, or emperors.
During this time, the borders of Russia both expanded and receded;
however, life for the average Russian remained hard and bitter.
• Until they were freed in 1861 by Czar Alexander II, the majority of Russians
were serfs who worked on the land and could be bought or sold just like
property. The end of serfdom was a major event in Russia; yet it just wasn't
enough.
• Even after the serfs were freed, it was the czar and nobles who ruled Russia
and owned most of the land and wealth. The average Russian remained
poor. The Russian people wanted more, but change was not easy.
Early Attempts to Provoke Change
• For the remainder of the 19th century, Russian revolutionaries tried to use
assassinations to provoke change.
• Some revolutionaries hoped random and rampant assassinations would create
enough terror to destroy the government. Others specifically targeted the czar in
the belief that killing the czar would end the monarchy.
• After many failed attempts, revolutionaries succeeding in assassinating Czar
Alexander II in 1881 (they threw a bomb at the czar's feet). However, rather than
ending the monarchy or forcing reform, the assassination sparked a severe
crackdown on all forms of revolution. While the new czar, Alexander III,
attempted to enforce order, the Russian people grew even more restless.
• When Nicholas II became czar in 1894, the Russian people were poised for
conflict. With the majority of Russians still living in poverty with no legal way to
improve their circumstances, it was nearly inevitable that something major was
going to happen. And it did, in 1905.
Bloody Sunday and the 1905 Revolution
• By 1905, not much had changed for the better. Although a rapid
attempt at industrialization had created a new working class, they too
lived in deplorable conditions. Major crop failures had created
massive famines. The Russian people were still miserable.
• Also in 1905, Russia was suffering major, humiliating military defeats
in the Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905). In response, protesters took
to the streets.
• On January 22, 1905, approximately 200,000 workers and their
families followed Russian Orthodox priest Georgy A. Gapon in a
protest. They were going to take their grievances straight to the czar
at the Winter Palace.
Contd…
• To the crowd's great surprise, palace guards opened fire on them without provocation.
About 300 people were killed and hundreds more were wounded.
• As the news of "Bloody Sunday" spread, the Russian people were horrified. They
responded by striking, mutinying, and fighting in peasant uprisings. The Russian
Revolution of 1905 had begun.
• After several months of chaos, Czar Nicholas II tried to end the revolution by announcing
the "October Manifesto," in which Nicholas made major concessions. The most
significant of which were granting personal liberties and the creation of a duma
(parliament).
• Although these concessions were enough to appease the majority of the Russian people
and ended the 1905 Russian Revolution, Nicholas II never meant to truly give up any of
his power. Over the next several years, Nicholas undermined the power of the Duma and
remained the absolute leader of Russia.
• This might not have been so bad if Nicholas II had been a good leader. However, he most
decidedly was not.
Nicholas II and World War I
• There's no doubt that Nicholas was a family man; yet even this got
him into trouble. Too often, Nicholas would listen to the advice of his
wife, Alexandra, over others. The problem was that the people didn't
trust her for she was German born, which became a major issue
when Germany was Russia's enemy during World War I.
• Nicholas' love for his children also became a problem when his only
son, Alexis, was diagnosed with hemophilia. Worry about his son's
health led Nicholas to trust a "holy man" called Rasputin, but whom
others often referred to as "the Mad Monk." Nicholas and Alexandra
both trusted Rasputin so much that Rasputin was soon influencing
top political decisions. Both the Russian people and Russian nobles
could not stand this.
• Even after Rasputin was eventually assassinated, Alexandra conducted
seances in an attempt to communicate with the dead Rasputin.
• Already hugely disliked and considered weak minded, Czar Nicholas II made
a huge mistake in September 1915 -- he personally took command of
Russia's troops in World War I. Granted, Russia was not doing well up to
that point; however, that had more to do with bad infrastructure, food
shortages, and poor organization than with incompetent generals.
• Once Nicholas took over control of Russia's troops, he became personally
liable for Russia's defeats in World War I. And there were many defeats.
• By 1917, pretty much everyone wanted Czar Nicholas out.
What Was the Russian Revolution of 1917?
• In 1917, two revolutions completely changed the fabric of Russia.
First, the February Russian Revolution toppled the Russian monarchy
and established a Provisional Government. Then in October, a second
Russian Revolution placed the Bolsheviks as the leaders of Russia,
resulting in the creation of the world's first communist country.
The February 1917 Revolution
• Although many wanted a revolution, no one expected it to happen
when it did and how it did. On Thursday, February 23, 1917, women
workers in Petrograd left their factories and entered the streets to
protest. It was International Women's Day and the women of Russia
were ready to be heard.
• An estimated 90,000 women marched through the streets, shouting
"Bread" and "Down With the Autocracy!" and "Stop the War!" These
women were tired, hungry, and angry. They worked long hours in
miserable conditions in order to feed their families because their
husbands and fathers were at the front, fighting in World War I.
• They wanted change. They weren't the only ones.
• The following day, more than 150,000 men and women took to the
streets to protest. Soon more people joined them and by Saturday,
February 25, the city of Petrograd was basically shut down -- no one
was working.
• Although there were a few incidents of police and soldiers firing into
the crowds, those groups soon mutinied and joined the protesters.
• Czar Nicholas II, who was not in Petrograd during the revolution,
heard reports of the protests but did not take them seriously.
• By March 1, it was obvious to everyone except the czar himself that
the czar's rule was over. On March 2 it was made official when Czar
Nicholas II abdicated.
• Without a monarchy, the question remained as to who would next
lead the country.
Provisional Government vs. The Petrograd Soviet
• Two contending groups emerged out
of the chaos to claim leadership of
Russia. The first was made up of
former Duma members and the
second was the Petrograd Soviet. The
former Duma members represented
the middle and upper classes while
the Soviet represented workers and
soldiers.
• In the end, the former Duma
members formed a Provisional
Government which officially ran the
country. The Petrograd Soviet allowed
this because they felt that Russia was
not economically advanced enough to
undergo a true socialist revolution.
• Within the first few weeks after the
February Revolution, the Provisional
Government abolished the death
penalty, granted amnesty for all
political prisoners and those in exile,
ended religious and ethnic
discrimination, and granted civil
liberties.
• What they did not deal with was an
end to the war, land reform, or better
quality of life for the Russian people.
The Provisional Government believed
Russia should honor its commitments
to its allies in World War I and
continue fighting. V.I. Lenin did not
agree.
Lenin Returns From Exile
• Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, leader of the
Bolsheviks, was living in exile when the
February Revolution transformed Russia.
Once the Provisional Government
allowed back political exiles, Lenin
boarded a train in Zurich, Switzerland and
headed home.
• On April 3, 1917, Lenin arrived in
Petrograd at the Finland Station. Tens of
thousands of workers and soldiers had
come to the station to greet Lenin. There
were cheers and a sea of red, waving
flags. Not able to get through, Lenin
jumped on top of a car and gave a
speech. Lenin at first congratulated the
Russian people for their successful
revolution.
• However, Lenin had more to say. In a
speech made just hours later, Lenin
shocked everyone by denouncing the
Provisional Government and calling for a
new revolution. He reminded the people
that the country was still at war and that
the Provisional Government had done
nothing to give the people bread and
land.
• At first, Lenin was a lone voice in his
condemnation of the Provisional
Government. But Lenin worked
ceaselessly over the following few
months and eventually people began to
really listen. Soon many wanted "Peace,
Land, Bread!"
The October 1917 Revolution
• By September 1917, Lenin believed the Russian
people were ready for another revolution.
However, other Bolshevik leaders were not yet
quite convinced. On October 10, a secret meeting
of the Bolshevik party leaders was held. Lenin used
all his powers of persuasion to convince the others
that it was time for an armed insurrection. Having
debated through the night, a vote was taken the
following morning -- it was ten to two in favor of a
revolution.
• The people themselves were ready. In the very
early hours of October 25, 1917, the revolution
began. Troops loyal to the Bolsheviks took control
of the telegraph, power station, strategic bridges,
post office, train stations, and state bank. Control
of these and other posts within the city were
handed over to the Bolsheviks with barely a shot
fired.
• By late that morning, Petrograd was in the hands
of the Bolsheviks -- all except the Winter Palace
where the leaders of the Provisional Government
remained. Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky
successfully fled but by the following day, troops
loyal to the Bolsheviks infiltrated the Winter
Palace.
• After nearly a bloodless coup, the Bolsheviks were
the new leaders of Russia. Nearly immediately,
Lenin announced that the new regime would end
the war, abolish all private land ownership, and
would create a system for workers' control of
factories.
Civil
War
• Unfortunately, as well intended as Lenin's promises might have been, they proved disastrous.
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After Russia pulled out of World War I, millions of Russian soldiers filtered home. They were
hungry, tired, and wanted their jobs back.
Yet there was no extra food. Without private land ownership, farmers began to grow just enough
produce for themselves; there was no incentive to grow more.
There were also no jobs to be had. Without a war to support, factories no longer had vast orders
to fill.
None of the people's real problems were fixed; instead, their lives became much worse.
In June 1918, Russia broke out in civil war. It was the Whites (those against the Soviets, which
included monarchists, liberals, and other socialists) against the Reds (the Bolshevik regime).
Near the beginning of the Russian Civil War, the Reds were worried that the Whites would free
the czar and his family, which would not only have given the Whites a psychological boost but
might have led to the restoration of the monarchy in Russia. The Reds were not going to let that
happen.
On the night of July 16-17, 1918, Czar Nicholas, his wife, their children, the family dog, three
servants, and the family doctor were all woken up, taken to the basement, and shot.
The Civil War lasted over two years and was bloody, brutal, and cruel. The Reds won but at the
expense of millions of people killed.
The Russian Civil War dramatically changed the fabric of Russia. The moderates were gone. What
was left was an extreme, vicious regime that was to rule Russia until the fall of the Soviet Union in
1991.
As taken from…
• http://history1900s.about.com/od/Russian-Revolution/a/RussianRevolution.htm