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Russian Revolution of 1917

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General history

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                                                        Revolution of 1905
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   The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in
   Russia, involving first the overthrow of the system of autocracy, and
   then the overthrow of the liberal Provisional Government ( Duma),
   resulting in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of
   the Bolshevik party. This eventually led to the establishment of the
   Soviet Union, which lasted until its dissolution in 1991.

   The Revolution can be viewed in two distinct phases:
     * The February Revolution of 1917, which displaced the autocracy of
       Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last effective Tsar of Russia, and
       sought to establish in its place a liberal republic.
     * The October Revolution, in which the Bolshevik party and the
       workers' Soviets, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Provisional
       Government. While many notable historical events occurred in Moscow
       and St. Petersburg, there was also a broadly based movement in the
       rural areas as peasants seized and redistributed land.

   See also " Russian history, 1892-1920" for the general frame of events.

Causes of the Russian Revolution

   1917 saw two distinct revolutions in Russia: the overthrow of the
   Tsarist regime and formation of the Provisional Government ( February
   Revolution), and the October Revolution in which the Bolsheviks
   overthrew the Provisional Government. The causes of these two
   revolutions encompass Russia’s political, social, and economic
   situation. Politically, the people of Russia resented the autocracy of
   Tsar Nicholas II and the corrupt and anachronistic elements in his
   government. Socially, Tsarist Russia stood well behind the rest of
   Europe in its industry and farming, resulting in few opportunities for
   fair advancement on the part of peasants and industrial workers.
   Economically, widespread inflation and food shortages in Russia
   contributed to the revolution. Militarily, inadequate supplies,
   logistics, and weaponry led to heavy losses that the Russians suffered
   during World War I; this further weakened Russia’s view of Nicholas II.
   They viewed him as weak and unfit to rule.

   Ultimately, a combination of these four, coupled with the development
   of revolutionary ideas and movements (particularly since the 1905
   Bloody Sunday Massacre) led to the Russian Revolution.

Economic

   The economic causes of the Russian Revolution largely originated in
   Russia's slightly outdated economy. Russia's agriculture was largely
   based on independent peasants, who seldom owned modern machinery.
   Suffering from a naturally cold climate, Russia's growing season was
   only 4-6 months, compared to 8-9 in most of Western Europe. However,
   vast territory and population still allowed Russia to be the largest
   exporter of agricultural products in the world, even supplying North
   America in the 1900's.

Social

   The social causes of the Russian Revolution mainly came from centuries
   of oppression towards the lower classes by the Tsarist regime and
   Nicholas's failures in World War I. While rural agrarian peasants had
   been emancipated from serfdom in 1861, they still resented paying
   redemption payments to the state, and demanded communal tender of the
   land they worked. Increasing peasant disturbances and sometimes full
   revolts occurred, with the goal of securing ownership of their land.
   Russia consisted mainly of poor farming peasants, with 1.5% of the
   population owning 25% of the land.

   The rapid industrialization of Russia also resulted in urban
   overcrowding and poor conditions for urban industrial workers (as
   mentioned above). Between 1890 and 1910, the population of the capital
   of St Petersburg swelled from 1,033,600 to 1,905,600, with Moscow
   experiencing similar growth. In one 1904 survey, it was found that an
   average of sixteen people shared each apartment in St Petersburg, with
   six people per room. There was also no running water, and piles of
   human waste were a threat to the health of the workers.

   World War I then only added to the chaos. Conscription swept up the
   unwilling in all parts of Russia. The vast demand for factory
   production of war supplies and workers caused many more labor riots and
   strikes. Conscription stripped skilled workers from the cities, who had
   to be replaced with unskilled peasants, and then, when famine began to
   hit, workers abandoned the cities in droves to look for food. Finally,
   the soldiers themselves, who suffered from a lack of equipment and
   protection from the elements were discontent with Russia's poor
   accounting in the war.

Political

   Politically, most areas of Russian society had reason to be
   dissatisfied with the existing autocratic system. They had no
   representation in government, and the Tsar remained out of touch with
   the people's problems.

   Dissatisfaction with Russian autocracy culminated in the Bloody Sunday
   massacre, in which Russian workers saw their pleas for justice rejected
   as thousands of unarmed protestors were shot by the Tsar's troops. The
   response to the massacre crippled the nation with strikes, and Nicholas
   released his October Manifesto, promising a democratic parliament (the
   State Duma) to appease the people. However, the Tsar effectively
   nullified his promises of Democracy with Article 87 of the 1906
   Fundamental State Laws, and then subsequently dismissed the first two
   Dumas when they proved uncooperative. These unfulfilled hopes of
   democracy fuelled revolutionary ideas and violence targeted at the
   Tsarist regime.

   It appears as though Tsar Nicholas II never really considered Russia a
   constitutional state and invariably held on to his strong inclination
   towards an Autocratic Russia.

          "Let it be known to all that I... shall maintain the principle
          of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as did my
          unforgettable dead father" - Tsar Nicholas II, 1906, in a speech
          to the Duma.

   Beside the economic and social problems plaguing the country, the
   Russian Empire was still recovering from a humiliating defeat at the
   Russo-Japanese War of 1905. One of Nicholas's reasons for going to war
   in 1914 was his desire to restore the prestige that Russia had lost
   during that war. Nicholas also wanted to galvanize the diverse people
   in his empire under a single banner by directing military force at a
   common enemy, namely Germany and the Central Powers. He believed by
   doing so he could also distract the people from the ongoing issues of
   poverty, inequality, and poor working conditions that were sources of
   discontent.

   Instead of restoring Russia's political and military standing, World
   War I would lead to horrifying military casualties on the Russian side
   and undermined it further. From the beginning the troops were not
   adequately supplied with weapons, or were led by incompetent generals
   and officers. Logistics were also a problem, since Russia's poorly
   maintained roads and railroads inhibited communication and distribution
   of supplies. Almost everywhere Russian forces were matched against
   German forces who had a superior advantage in weaponry, military
   talent, and logistics.

World War I

   Russia's recent history was a litany of military failures. Even before
   the outbreak of the First World War, Russia had lost a war with Japan
   in 1904–05. Most of Russia's fleet was sunk by the Japanese in that
   war. While the Russian army enjoyed some initial successes against
   Austria-Hungary in 1914, Russia's deficiencies — particularly regarding
   the equipment of its soldiers and the lack of advanced technology
   (aeroplanes, telephones, poison gas) became increasingly evident.

   Russia's first major battle of the war was a disaster. In the 1914
   Battle of Tannenberg, over 120,000 Russian troops were killed, wounded,
   or captured, while Germany suffered only 20,000 casualties. Whatever
   nationalistic or patriotic support the Russian government had gained in
   the initial time frame leading up to the war had been lost.

   In 1915, things took a critical turn for the worse when Germany shifted
   its focus of attack to the Eastern front. The superior German army -
   better led, better trained, better supplied - was terrifyingly
   effective against the ill-equipped Russian forces. By the end of
   October 1916, Russia had lost between 1.6 and 1.8 million soldiers,
   with an additional two million prisoners of war and one million missing
   for a total of nearly five million men. These were staggering losses.
   Mutinies began to occur, and in 1916 reports of fraternizing with the
   enemy started to circulate. Soldiers went hungry and lacked shoes,
   munitions, and even weapons. Sometimes entire regiments would be sent
   to the front without guns, only hoping that before they made contact
   with the enemy, they would find weapons from soldiers that had been
   killed in earlier waves. Heavy artillery was also in such short supply
   in many engagements, that for every 100 shells fired by the Russian
   forces the Germans would respond with up to 3,000. Rampant discontent
   lowered morale, only to be further undermined by a series of military
   defeats.

   In the autumn of 1915, Nicholas had taken direct command of the army,
   personally overseeing Russia's main theatre of war and leaving his
   ambitious though incapable wife Alexandra in charge of the government.
   Reports of corruption and incompetence in the Imperial government began
   to emerge, and the growing influence of Grigori Rasputin in the
   Imperial family was widely resented.

   Nicholas was blamed for all these crises, and what little support he
   had left began to crumble. As this discontent grew, the State Duma
   issued a warning to Nicholas in November 1916 stating that disaster
   would overtake the country unless a constitutional form of government
   was put in place. In typical fashion, Nicholas ignored them. As a
   result, Russia's Tsarist regime collapsed a few months later during the
   February Revolution of 1917. A year later, the Tsar and his family were
   executed. Ultimately, Nicholas's inept handling of his country and the
   War destroyed the Tsarist regime and would ultimately cost him both his
   rule and his life.

February Revolution

   Nicholas II, March 1917, shortly after the revolution brought about his
   abdication.
   Enlarge
   Nicholas II, March 1917, shortly after the revolution brought about his
   abdication.

   The February Revolution was the result of the acute aggravation of the
   economical and political crisis in Russia. It came about seemingly
   spontaneously when people of the Russian capital Petrograd started to
   rally against the war and against the food supply shortages in the
   city.

   As the protests grew, various political reformists (both liberal and
   radical left) started to coordinate their activities. In February the
   protests in Petrograd turned violent as large numbers of city residents
   rioted and clashed with police and soldiers, followed by the total
   strike. Eventually the bulk of the soldiers garrisoned in Petrograd
   joined the protests, and the uprisen people occupied most of the
   important places in the city. This had led to the abdication of Tsar
   Nicholas II in a nearly bloodless transition of power.

   A new Provisional Government was formed. Between February and October
   revolutionaries attempted to foment further change, working through the
   Petrograd Soviet and other organizations. The driving force behind the
   provisional government was a young and popular lawyer named Alexander
   Kerensky. Kerensky, as minister of war, decided to continue the Russian
   effort in World War I despite the enormous unpopularity of the war. He
   appointed new generals and began a new offensive, the Kerensky
   Offensive, which started well and then turned into yet another defeat.
   Kerensky's government tried to shame the soldiers into fighting by
   creating a Women's Battalion, but without success. The failure of his
   offensive brought about much resentment from the people.

Civil war

   The Russian Civil War, which broke out in 1918 shortly after the
   revolution, brought death and suffering to millions of people
   regardless of their political orientation. The war was fought mainly
   between the Red Army ("Reds"), consisting of radical communists and
   revolutionaries, and the "Whites" - the monarchists, conservatives,
   liberals and moderate socialists who opposed the drastic restructuring
   championed by the Bolsheviks. The Whites had backing from nations such
   as the UK, France, USA and Japan.

   Also during the Civil War, Nestor Makhno led a Ukrainian anarchist
   movement which generally cooperated with the Bolsheviks. However, a
   Bolshevik force under Mikhail Frunze destroyed the Makhnovist movement,
   when the Makhnovists refused to merge into the Red Army. In addition,
   the so-called " Green Army" (nationalists and anarchists) played a
   secondary role in the war, mainly in Ukraine.

The Russian revolution and the world

   Lenin and Trotsky said that the goal of socialism in Russia would not
   be realized without the success of the world proletariat in other
   countries, e.g. without German Revolution. Indeed, a revolutionary wave
   lasted until 1923.

   This issue is subject to conflicting views on the communist history by
   various Marxist groups and parties. Stalin later rejected this idea,
   stating that socialism was possible in one country.

   The confusion regarding Stalin's position on the issue stems from the
   fact that he, after Lenin's death in 1924, successfully used Lenin's
   argument - the argument that socialism's success needs the workers of
   other countries in order to happen - to defeat his competitors within
   the party by accusing them of betraying Lenin and, therefore, the
   ideals of the October Revolution.

Brief chronology leading to Revolution of 1917

   Dates are correct for the Julian calendar, which was used in Russia
   until 1918. It was twelve days behind the Gregorian calendar during the
   19th century and thirteen days behind it during the 20th century.
Date(s)                                 Event(s)
1855     Start of reign of Tsar Alexander II
1861     Emancipation of the serfs
1866- 74 The White Terror
1881     Alexander II assassinated; succeeded by Alexander III
1883     First Russian Marxist group formed
1894     Start of reign of Nicholas II
1898     First Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP)
1900     Foundation of Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR)
1903     Second Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.
         Beginning of split between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
1904- 5  Russo-Japanese War; Russia loses war
1905     Russian Revolution of 1905.
           * January - Bloody Sunday in St. Petersburg.
           * June - Battleship Potemkin uprising at Odessa on the Black Sea (see
             movie The Battleship Potemkin)
           * October - general strike, St. Petersburg Soviet formed; October
             Manifesto: Imperial agreement on elections to the State Duma

1906     First State Duma. Prime Minister - Petr Stolypin. Agrarian reforms
         begin
1907     Second State Duma, February - June
1907     Third State Duma, until 1912
1911     Stolypin assassinated
1912     Fourth State Duma, until 1917. Bolshevik/ Menshevik split final
1914     Germany declares war on Russia
1915     Serious defeats, Nicholas II declares himself Commander in Chief.
         Progressive Bloc formed.
1916     Food and fuel shortages and high prices
1917     Strikes and riots; troops summoned to Petrograd

Expanded chronology of Revolution of 1917

   Gregorian Date Julian Date Event
   January Strikes and unrest in Petrograd
   February February Revolution
   February 26^th 50 demonstrators killed in Znamenskaya Square
   February 27^th * Troops refuse to fire on demonstrators, desertions.
   Prison, courts, and police stations attacked and looted by angry
   crowds.
     * Okhranka buildings set on fire. Garrison joins revolutionaries.
     * Petrograd Soviet formed.

   March 1^st Order No.1 of the Petrograd Soviet
   March 2^nd Nicholas II abdicates. Provisional Government formed under
   Prime Minister Prince Lvov
   April 3^rd Return of Lenin to Russia. He publishes his April Theses.
   April 20^th Miliukov's note published. Provisional Government falls.
   May 5^th New Provisional Government formed. Kerensky made minister of
   war and navy
   June 3^rd First All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd. Closed on
   24^th.
   June 16^th Kerensky orders offensive against Austro-Hungarian forces.
   Initial success.
   July 2^nd Russian offensive ends. Trotsky joins Bolsheviks.
   July 4^th – 7^th The " July Days"; anti-government demonstrations in
   Petrograd.
   July 6^th German and Austro-Hungarian counter-attack. Russians retreat
   in panic, sacking the town of Tarnopol. Arrest of Bolshevik leaders
   ordered.
   July 7^th Lvov resigns. Kerensky is new Prime Minister
   July 22^nd Trotsky and Lunacharskii arrested
   August 26^th Second coalition government ends
   August 27^th Right-wing General Lavr Kornilov is alleged by Kerensky to
   have attempted a coup. Kornilov arrested and imprisoned.
   September 1^st Russia declared a republic
   September 4^th Trotsky and others freed. Trotsky becomes head of
   Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.
   September 25^th Third coalition government formed
   October 10^th Bolshevik Central Committee meeting approves armed
   uprising.
   October 11^th Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, until October
   13^th
   October 20^th First meeting of the Military Revolutionary Committee of
   the Petrograd Soviet
   October 25^th October Revolution is launched as MRC directs armed
   workers and soldiers to capture key buildings in Petrograd. Winter
   Palace attacked at 9.40pm and captured at 2am. Kerensky flees
   Petrograd. Opening of the 2nd All-Russian Congress of Soviets.
   October 26^th Second Congress of Soviets: Mensheviks and right SR
   delegates walk out in protest against the previous day's events. Decree
   on Peace and Decree on Land. Soviet government declared - the Council
   of People's Commissars (Bolshevik dominated with Lenin as chairman).

Cultural portrayal

   The Russian Revolution has been portrayed in several films.
     * Arsenal ' (IMDB profile). Written and directed by Aleksandr
       Dovzhenko.
     * Konets Sankt-Peterburga aka The End of St. Petersburg (IMDB
       profile).
     * Lenin v 1918 godu aka Lenin in 1918 (IMDB profile). Directed by
       Mikhail Romm and E. Aron (co-director).
     * October: Ten Days That Shook The World (IMDB profile). Directed by
       Sergei M. Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov. Runtimes: Sweden:104
       min, USA:95 min. Country: Soviet Union. Black and White. Silent.
       1927.
     * Reds (IMDB profile). Directed by Warren Beatty. It is based on the
       book Ten Days that Shook the World.
     * Anastasia (IMDB profile). Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.
     * Dr. Zhivago

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