The Russian Revolution

Overview 1917: war, collapse, revolution Tsarist government collapsed Provisional government proved unable to govern Lenin’s Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government Two revolutions: –Feb/March 1917: more collapse than overthrow, signaled failure of old autocratic system and created vacuum –Oct/Nov 1917: Leninist seizure of power in Petrograd To horse, Proletarian! (1919)

Incompetence of Nicholas II Autocratic philosophy in an increasingly democratic age Failed promises of 1905 (Duma, Constitutional limits) Decision to enter WW1 and become Commander- in-Chief linked tsar to military failure Dependence upon conservative, aristocratic advisers Family dependence upon Rasputin (killed 1916: poisoned, drowned and shot twice)

Urban Economic Disaster Economic infrastructure minimally developed –Massive inflation without wage increases –Most workers lived beneath poverty line –During war industrial output fell by over 50% WW1 strained economy further: factory closures, strikes, bread riots Urban revolutionary potential: unemployed, riots, deserting soldiers

March Revolution Nicholas returned from WW1 front to chaos in Petrograd Faced with strikes, riots, deserting soldiers, and military losses, Nicholas II abdicated 3/17 to his brother, who also abdicated Abdication was final attempt to save monarchy, preferable to revolution Provisional Government created by Prince Lvov Liberals: advocated moderate change and Constitution Executive of P.G. by committee: Kerensky became Prime Minister

Kerensky’s Provisional Government Policies –Maintain the war effort to support allies –Tsarist estates were expropriated by state –Amnesty for all political exiles –Destruction of secret internal spy system Struggle within PG for power: –Socialist Revolutionaries (leftists) –Mensheviks (moderate leftists) –Bolsheviks (radical leftists) –Conservatives (military and bourgeoisie) Inadequacies of PG caused local governments to take power: Soviets Petrograd Soviet vied with PG for national authority Kerensky (writing) and the PG

Bolshevik Policies April 1917: Germany transported Lenin from Switzerland to Petrograd in “Sealed Train” Lenin's "April Theses" –Exit "capitalist" war –All power to the proletariat (workers) –Overthrow capital in Russia –No support to Provisional Government –"All power to the soviets!" –Abolition of police, army, and bureaucracy –Confiscation of all landed estates –Soviets to control all production –Create international socialism Condensed platform: "Peace, Land, and Bread!"

Leninist Seizure of Power Use of the Petrograd Soviet: organize military under Trotsky Support from Battleship "Aurora" in Petrograd harbor 6 November 1917: Petrograd Soviet troops seized key points in Petrograd 7 November 1917: –Seizure of "Winter Palace," center of P.G. –"All Russian Congress of Soviets" assembled –"Council of People's Commissars" named as government –Announced elections for Constituent Assembly Lenin made two decrees: –Begin efforts toward democratic peace –Abolished private property: "state" ownership

Conclusions Bolsheviks took power without proof of popular support, but majority did support policies (“Vanguard of the people”) Authoritarian methods were to clear way for democratic ideals Authoritarian methods boded poorly for true of democracy For the allies, Bolshevik seizure implied: –closure of the eastern front –impending focus of German strength to west –seed for revolution in west –demonstration of fate of the losing aristocrats –suggested that logical direction of democratization was socialism Nicholas II is considered a martyred saint by some Russian Orthodox Christians.