The Fall of Russia; Why was there a Communist revolution in Russia in 1917?

1905 revolution Reforms: -October Manifesto 1905: civil liberties, legislative Duma, broadened electorate -1906 Fundamental Laws: Tsar has power over all else, Duma’s reforms are rejected -BUT - Social reforms (land reform for peasants; unions permitted)

Russian failures in the First World War The weakness of Tsar Nicholas II The failure of the Duma Factors that led to the Communist revolution in October 1917. The discontent of the peasants February 1917 Revolution and rising Opposition parties The discontent of the workers Failing Provisional Government Rasputin and scandal

Weakness of Tsar Nicholas II Uses secret police, Okrana, to persecute opponents and enforce absolute rule. Censorship of books & newspapers. The Church supported the Tsar – the ‘Little Father of the Russian people’. Nicholas II ruled a vast country that was very backwards in comparison to other countries. The Tsar’s government was arbitrary and undemocratic - a major cause of the revolution.

So EXTENSIVE !!

Russian failures in the First World War In the first few months of the First World War, Russia fought better than had been expected. Russian forces attacked Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1914. In 1915, as troops faltered, Tsar Nicholas II assumed personal command of the Russian armed forces. The Russian soldiers, poorly trained and equipped, lacking in basic items such as rifles and ammunition (because Russian industry could not sustain the need), suffered from lowering morale. Thousands of men deserted. Without the support of the army, the Tsar’s position became increasingly precarious. In 1915, Tsar Nicholas II assumed personal command of the Russian armed forces. This was a risky policy; any defeats would be blamed on him. As it turned out the Tsar was a poor commander. The Russian army lost confidence in the Tsar after a string of serious defeats.

Failure of the Duma 1905 - Bloody Sunday occurs, Russia loses the Russo-Japanese war, peasants are hungry, then the Potemkin Mutiny and strikes in the Russian cities; the Tsar is losing control. In the “October Manifesto”, Nicholas II offers to call a Duma, or parliament, with free elections. This was accepted by the demonstrators. When the Duma met, it began to criticise the Tsar and demanded changes. Nicholas II introduced the Fundamental Laws to regain authority. The Duma was dismissed multiple times and new elections, controlled by the Tsar, were called. It became clear that the Duma would be shut down if it criticised the Tsar. As long as the Tsar had control of the army, his power could not be broken.

The discontent of the Workers ‘The whole day we pour out our blood and sweat. Every minute we are exposed to danger.’ Union leaflet 1898 Industrialisation began much later in Russia than in Western Europe. Huge iron foundries, textile factories and engineering firms were set up. Most were owned by the government or foreigners, and were located in the big cities such as St Petersburg or Moscow. By 1900 20% of Russians were workers living in cities. Working conditions in the new industrial towns were hard. Pay was very low. Although strikes and demonstrations were illegal, they often took place. Strikers were frequently shot by the Tsar’s soldiers or secret police.

Police report into country conditions, 1905 The discontent of the Peasants Russia was a rural society with over 90% of the people being poor peasants. In contrast, a small number of upper-class people held most of the wealth and power. This aristocracy had large town houses and country estates. Very often the peasants do not have enough allotment land. They cannot feed themselves, clothe themselves, heat their homes, keep their tools and livestock, secure seed for sowing and lastly pay their taxes. Police report into country conditions, 1905 Until 1861 the peasants had belonged to their masters, who could buy and sell them like animals. When the peasants were freed in 1861 they were given small amounts of land for which they had to pay back the government. As a result most farmers were in absolute poverty. Agriculture was in desperate need of modernisation.

Rasputin and Scandal While Tsar Nicholas II was absent commanding Russian forces during the First World War, he left the day to day running of Russia in the control of his wife Tsarina Alexandra. Alexandra came increasingly under the influence of Siberian peasant, Gregori Rasputin, a ‘holy man’ who appeared to be able to heal the haemophilia of Prince Alexis, the heir to the throne. Rasputin was often accused of using his power to win effective control of the Russian government. The nobility resented Rasputin’s influence and mis-trusted his ideas… he was murdered in 1916. Rasputin’s influence undermined the prestige of the royal family, but his murder came too late to save them.

Rasputin dominating Russian Court Other Fun Facts: Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, with whom Russia went to war, were cousins. One theory regarding Rasputin's ability to stop Alexei's bleeding is that he used a sort of hypnosis to slow the boy's heartbeat, reducing the force with which the blood was circulated in his body News of Rasputin's death was celebrated, and the murderers were seen as heroes who had saved Russia from the influence of the German Alexandra and the mad monk Rasputin. Nicholas sent Rasputin's murderers into exile. Ironically, this punishment eventually saved them from imprisonment and assassination by the Bolsheviks. Rasputin's corpse was exhumed and burned by a mob during the February Revolution of 1917. Rasputin dominating Russian Court Rasputin was seen by many as a “puppet master” controlling Nicholas and Alexandra.

By: Boney M The Death of Rasputin There lived a certain man in Russia long ago He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow Most people looked at him with terror and with fear But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear He could preach the bible like a preacher Full of ecstacy and fire But he also was the kind of teacher Women would desire RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen There was a cat that really was gone RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine It was a shame how he carried on He ruled the Russian land and never mind the czar But the kasachok he danced really wunderbar In all affairs of state he was the man to please But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze For the queen he was no wheeler dealer Though she'd heard the things he'd done She believed he was a holy healer Who would heal her son (Spoken:) But when his drinking and lusting and his hunger for power became known to more and more people, the demands to do something about this outrageous man became louder and louder. "This man's just got to go!" declared his enemies But the ladies begged "Don't you try to do it, please" No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms Though he was a brute they just fell into his arms Then one night some men of higher standing Set a trap, they're not to blame "Come to visit us" they kept demanding And he really came RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen They put some poison into his wine RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine He drank it all and he said "I feel fine" RA RA RASPUTIN Lover of the Russian queen They didn't quit, they wanted his head RA RA RASPUTIN Russia's greatest love machine And so they shot him till he was dead (Spoken:) Oh, those Russians... By: Boney M The Death of Rasputin

The opposition of the Communists Many middle-class Liberals and Social Revolutionaries (who supported the peasants) opposed the rule of the Tsar, but the most revolutionary were the Social Democrats or Communists. The Communists believed in the ideas of Karl Marx and felt the government needed to be overthrown. The Russian Communists were divided into the Bolsheviks led by Lenin and the Mensheviks led by Trotsky. Lenin believed that the small party of Bolsheviks should seize power and control Russia on behalf of the people. Before 1917 Lenin and many of the other Communist leaders were in exile abroad, plotting to bring about a revolution in Russia The Communists believed in the ideas of Karl Marx. Marx claimed that history is all about the struggles between the classes. He claimed that the capitalist system was unfair because the factory owners (bourgeois) made profits from the toils of the workers (proletariat). Marx predicted that the proletariat would violently overthrow the bosses and take control of the country on behalf of the people.

The February Revolution 1917 Russia fared so badly in the First World War there was a spontaneous uprising against the Tsar in February 1917. This was sparked off by food riots, poor working conditions and the failure to win the war. The Russian army refused to shoot at the demonstrators and joined forces with them. Lenin, in exile in Switzerland, raced to Petrograd so that he could attempt to seize control of the revolution. In March 1917, without the support of the army, the Tsar was forced to abdicate and a Provisional Government was set up under Prince Lvov and Kerensky. Lenin believed that this new government was weak and would not impose communism on the Russian people. In October 1917, Lenin led an armed uprising against the Provisional Government. His aim was to take control of Russia and turn it in to a communist country.

Abdication of Nikolai II, March 15, 1917 By the Grace of God, We, Nikolai II, Emperor of All the Russias, Tsar of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland, and so forth, to all our faithful subjects be it known: In the days of a great struggle against a foreign enemy who has been endeavouring for three years to enslave our country, it pleased God to send Russia a further painful trial. Internal troubles threatened to have a fatal effect on the further progress of this obstinate war. The destinies of Russia, the honour of her heroic Army, the happiness of the people, and the whole future of our beloved country demand that the war should be conducted at all costs to a victorious end. […]

In these decisive days in the life of Russia we have thought that we owed to our people the close union and organisation of all its forces for the realisation of a rapid victory; […] we have recognized that it is for the good of the country that we should abdicate the Crown of the Russian State and lay down the Supreme Power. […] we bequeath our heritage to our brother, the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, with our blessing for the future of the Throne of the Russian State. We bequeath it our brother to govern in full union with the national representatives sitting in the Legislative Institutions, […] We call upon all faithful sons of our native land to fulfil their sacred and patriotic duty of obeying the Tsar at the painful moment of national trial and to aid them, together with the representatives of the nation, to conduct the Russian State in the way of prosperity and glory. May God help Russia.

Why? Who/what is to blame? War?

Have’s and Have Not’s…

Social discontents? May Day 1917

Opposition parties and leaders? April Theses – Lenin and Bolsheviks: “Bread, Peace, Land” Germans had secretly helped smuggle Lenin back into Russia Lenin

Provisional Government Established in March – Kerensky and Lvov take control of country until new government structure is decided upon July Days Bolsheviks attempt a coup – it fails and Provisional Govt stays in power. Lenin exiled again!

Kornilov Affair General Kornilov (Commander in Chief of Army) tries to overthrow Provisional Gov’t in an attempt to bring in Conservative, Authoritative order. Kerensky recruits Bolsheviks for help, liberating those who are imprisoned and providing them with weapons… uh oh!! Kornilov is removed from power and imprisoned

October Revolution First the Bolsheviks win the majority of seats in the Petrograd Soviet, Lenin returns Lenin and Red Guards seize control, Kerensky flees, Petrograd and Moscow Communists are in control

III. The Bolsheviks’ dilemma Coming to power: draw support from popular opinion and values In power, having to contend with Ideas and values about the revolution Class suspicion of all elites State must serve interests “Days of monstrous contradiction”

Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)

Early Bolshevik political practice: Centralizing and authoritarian policies One-party government Press control Cheka (Extraordinary Commission for the Struggle with Counterrevolution, Sabotage, and Speculation) Controlling economy and labour Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Civil War (1918-1920)

How did Lenin impose Communist control in Russia between 1917-1924?

The abandonment of the Constituent Assembly 1917 The Cheka (or secret police) The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918 The Civil War 1918-1921 The execution of Tsar Nicholas II July 1918 The abandonment of the Constituent Assembly 1917 Straight after the October Revolution of 1917, Lenin promised to hold elections for a Parliament to be known as the Constituent Assembly. Lenin renamed the Bolshevik Party as the Communist Party in order to win wider support. However, the Communists only won 175 seats out of 700, not enough for a majority. Therefore Lenin shut down the Constituent Assembly after only one day! Lenin was not prepared to share power with anyone. This was the first step in setting up a Communist dictatorship. The Cheka (or secret police) In December 1917 Lenin set up a secret police force known as the Cheka. Cheka agents spied on the Russian people in factories and villages. Anyone suspected of being anti-Communist could be arrested, tortured and executed without a trial. When opponents tried to assassinate Lenin in 1918, he launched the Red Terror campaign against his enemies. It is said that 50,000 people were arrested and executed in this period. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918 To successfully impose Communist control in Russia, Lenin realised that he would have to bring Russia out of the First World War. He feared that the war might bring about an end to Communist rule. By this time the Russian army was weakened by poor morale, desertions and a break down in discipline. It was incapable of resisting the Germans. In March 1918 Russia signed a humiliating peace treaty with Germany. Russia lost a huge amount of land in the West. This included about one-sixth of the population (60 million people), three-quarters of its iron and coal and over a quarter of the best farmland in Russia. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk came at a high price for Russia, but Lenin knew he could not defeat Germany and his opponents in Russia at the same time. The Civil War 1918-1921 The opponents of the ‘Reds’, Lenin and the Communists, were known as the ‘Whites’. The Whites were a mixture of aristocrats, royalists, churchmen, army officers and many others. The Whites were led by Admiral Kolchak and Generals Deniken and Wrangel. The Whites were supported by Britain, France, Japan and the USA, countries that were alarmed at the possible spread of communism. At the same time, Lenin fought a war against Poland, a new country formed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Although in a very dangerous position, the Communists were able to win the Civil War. This was because the Whites were divided, while the Reds controlled the key cities, industrial centres and communication links. Trotsky’s tough leadership of the new Red Army proved decisive in the victory over the Whites. The execution of Tsar Nicholas II July 1918 After his abdication in March 1917, Tsar Nicholas II and his family were arrested and sent to Siberia. In July 1918, the Romanovs were in Ekaterinburg, with a White army closing in on the town. Local communists were worried that the Tsar might be a rallying point for the Whites. As a result, Tsar Nicholas, his wife, their five children and four attendants were shot and bayoneted.