RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (1917)

The Russian Revolution in 1917 was a monumental political and social transformation in
Russia, which brought down the autocratic monarchy; toppled Kerensky’s Provisional
Government and installed the Bolshevik Government under Lenin. It refers to the February
and October 1917 revolutions. The February revolution resulted in the collapse of Tsarist
autocracy, and establishment of the Provisional Government, which was lead briefly by
Kerensky. The October 1917 Revolution toppled the Provisional Government, and brought
the Bolsheviks to power.

CAUSES
The autocracy : The Tsar Nicholas II could not provide the demand of vigorous and
imaginative leadership to steer Russia through turbulent times. A “government” as a
representative political structure did not exist. Moreover for Tsar Nicholas mild-mannered ,
of limited ability , disliking governance and drawn more to the trivia of administration than to
major policy issues moreover his decisions were influenced by mystics like Rasputin and
Queen Tzarina, it was impossible to look out for Russian people. He became known to his
subjects as “Nicholas the Bloody”. The Russian empire was vast and feudal. The bureaucracy
was top heavy, inefficient and recruited from the privileged classes rather than on the basis of
merit and ability. The Russian Tsars had built a vast empire by conquest of various
nationalities. They were subjected to Russian culture and languages. The Tsar showed little
concern to their sensitivity.

The economy and social classes : Russia was largely an Agrarian country with impoverished
and highly taxed peasants under the feudal system of serfdom .The peasantry , over 80% of
the population lived at the edge of disaster. Poor local conditions along with large famines
resulted in peasant poverty, the persistence of disparities in land , wealth and privileges
between peasants and landowning nobles fuelled peasant violence. Rapid population growth
– the population more than doubled between 1860 and 1914 – in the absence of increased
productivity created new hardships.
Infant
Servic
e
secto
r
Under Developed
industtries

Primitive Agriculture

Initially the industrial development was very minimal. Industrialization came into Russia and
was driven by foreign capital. The homegrown industry couldn't compete with them. So the
Russian industrialists reduced wages and imposed long work hours on the workers. the
workers were exploited even in the foreign owned factories. They didn't have good
conditions of living and the cities were crowded. Labour productivity grew only slowly and
per capita income fell. In the beginning of the 20TH century Russian national income was
already in disorder.
There was dominance of aristocrats and clergy in government .However the old hierarchy of
legally defined estates – noble, clergy , merchant, peasant and other was replaced by an
newer social structure based on the new industrial age which played a major role in the
Russian revolution.

Ideas of enlightenment : The ideas of rights of individual ,democracy ,and accountable

World War I : Russia’s entry into World War 1in 1914, with its 5-million army, and the
major defeats that followed (some 2.5 million were killed, and 2 million were taken
prisoners), was one of the factors contributing to continuing unrest among the army and the
people. The war resulted in a deep economic and social crisis, where Russia experiencing
numerous internal and external conflicts. As a result of the war, Russia was economically
ruined by 1917. The industrial output was seven-fold less than in 1913, and the agricultural
output was 38% compared with 1913. The inflation became hyper-inflation: if in 1917 the
rouble fell 15 times from the 1913 exchange rate .

In short, the impact of the war on Russia and its people, ineffective leadership of Nicholas II,
the lack of radical economic reforms, and the economic hardship experienced by the people
set the stage for the 1917 revolution.

COURSE

1898
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party formed in 1898 to unite the various revolutionary
organizations of the Russian Empire into one part . It was a revolutionary socialist political
party founded in Minsk based on the theories of Karl Marx and Engels for to struggle for the
emancipation of the working class . However in 1903 the party split into two factions : the
Bolsheviks ( Russian for “majority” ) headed by Lenin and Mensheviks (Russian for
“minority”) under Martov . Confusingly, the Mensheviks were actually the larger faction .
Lenin's faction later ended up in the minority and remained smaller than the Mensheviks until
the Russian revolution.

1904-1905
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War was a military conflict fought
between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan from 1904 to 1905.  Shipping
centre of Vladivostok forced to close for much of the winter months, the empire
was in need of a warm-water port in the Pacific Ocean, both for purposes of trade
as well as a base for its growing navy. The Russian Empire already leased a port on
the Liaodong Peninsula from China—Port Arthur—but it wanted to have a base of
operations firmly under its control.
On the other hand Japan was alert of the increasing influence of Russia as a military major
and Japan wanted to be the super power in Asia and hence wanted to extend its empire
further in west . The brutal war ended with Russia in the losing side and change the balance
of power in Asia .The war brought humiliation for the Russian people as they thought of the
leadership a failure to bring internal or external gains and this event eventually became one of
the reason of the revolution of 1905.

1905

Defeat by Japan brought revolution in Russia. In 1905, more than 100 workers were killed
and hundreds were wounded when police fired on a peaceful demonstration in front of the
Winter palace. The massacre became known as Bloody Sunday, and it was followed by a
wave of strikes and uprisings throughout Russia.
The magnitude of the strike finally convinced Nicholas to act. He issued the October
manifesto, which promised a constitution and the establishment of an elected legislature
(Duma).

1906-1911
Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin was a conservative statesman who after the Russian revolution of
1905 , served as interior minister and later prime minister and initiated far reaching agrarian
reforms to improve the legal and economic status of the peasantry as well as the general
economy and political stability of imperial Russia.

1914-1916

Russia in World War I :By the end of 1916, two years of total war had placed enormous
strain on all combatant nations. None felt this more severely than Russia, which had entered
the war confident but in a precarious political, economic and social state. The Russian
economy had made great industrial advances in the two decades prior to 1914 – but it was
still under-developed and ill-equipped to supply a prolonged war. 

Russia’s government was still dominated by the tsarist autocracy, which claimed political
authority that was divine rather than popular.

Russia suffered massive economic crisis , food supplies were scarce , Russia was low on
supplies for the war as the Aegean sea route was blocked and morale of the soldiers was
pessimistic.

1916
The geographical conditions in most parts of Russia did not support major economic
activities so almost entire industry and agriculture sector was stationed in the western Russia
and hence it was much more developed and prosperous than other parts of the country.
Subsequently in 1916 Germany occupied this region leading to the closing down of all
economic activities which proved disastrous for the Russian economy .
1917

Phase I revolution (February revolution)

The February revolution in Petrograd was a spontaneous protest movement involving huge
masses of people. The event was characterized by massive strikes (306,000 of the workers, or
80% of the workers in Petrograd), and demonstrations, the use of army and the police to stop
demonstrations, and the occupation of the State Duma in Petrograd. On February 1917
soldiers from the reserve regiments stationed in Petrograd joined the revolution. The
Petrograd Soviet became a major political force, winning popular support.

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last Tsar of Russia, having been pressured by his generals and
Ministers, abdicates. The autocratic monarchy ceased to exist.

It was decided to form a Provisional Government. The period between February and October
1917 was characterised by a ‘dual power’ political structure, representing the Provisional
Government and the Petrograd Soviet. In reality there was no genuine representative
government of the people .

In 1917, most of tsarist Russia’s administrative structures and organisations: the economy,
the political structure, the army, the local government, and rural governance were
disintegrating. Due to the absence of effective government, Russia was experiencing a great
deal of turmoil—anarchy, uprisings, rebellions and terror swept across Russia, especially in
rural areas, where peasants were looting and killing their landlords.

Lenin came back from exile and delivered a speech, known as the April thesis. After Lenin’s
inspiring April theses, the Bolsheviks adopted the three winning slogans—‘peace’, ‘land’,
and ‘bread’ . There was a great deal of growing discontent in Russia in 1917, due to
economic hardship, political instability, and major military defeats during the First World.
The army was demoralised and some divisions refused to fight, while many deserted. This
political chaos resulted in a series of demonstrations during the June-July period. In June
there was a 500,000 strong demonstration, with another 500,000 strong demonstration in July
in Petrograd, with the slogan ‘All power to the Soviet’. The Cossacks and cadets opened fire
and some 700 were killed. The three major political groups involved were: General Kornilov
(the extreme right), Kerensky (the centre, the reformer), and Lenin (the extreme left).
Alexander Kerensky was elected Prime Minister of the Provisional Government . After the
July crisis, the dictatorship of the Provisional Government is established. All Bolshevik
papers were closed. Many Bolsheviks were arrested. The military coup of Kornilov was
defeated by some 40,000 armed workers and soldiers with the help of RED GUARDS
(Bolsheviks militia). Under Provisional Government major policy issues remained unsolved
—Russia’s participation in the war, the urgent political and economic reforms, and the land
reforms.

Phase II revolution (October revolution/Bloodless revolution)

The preparations of the Bolsheviks for the overthrow of Kerensky’s Provisional Government
were made. Trotsky was elected Chairman of Petrograd Soviet, and established a Military-
Revolutionary Committee (MRC). The MRC, under Trotsky’s leadership played a significant
military role in coordination the October 1917 Revolution. Bolsheviks began to occupy
central buildings and places in the capital: railway stations, bridges, the central telegraph
office, and power stations. The Red Guards were now 75,000 strong. Bolsheviks, and the Red
Guards took over the Winter Palace, the seat of the Provisional Government, and arrested the
Ministers. Lenin was now in control of Russia.

1917-1922
Russian civil war : This was a conflict between the Reds (Red Army / Bolsheviks) who were
in power and the Whites (supporters of monarchy, landlords, aristocrats, clergy/church,
Mensheviks) who were supported by France, USA, UK (against communism). The Whites
lost to Reds . Bolsheviks emerged as the communists. Russia emerged as a 1 party socialist
state with Vladimir Lenin as its first premier.

RESULT
Russian revolution resulted in the end of the centuries old Romanov Empire and gave birth to
the first communist nation of the world. As communism found its practical shape various
policy changes were made like Nationalisation of all resources, Abolition of private property,
command economy through 5 years plans, redistribution of land, primary education,
improved workers’ rights and hence establish equality in true sense.

"No matter what one thinks of Bolshevism, it is undeniable that the Russian
Revolution is one of the greatest events in human history, and the rule of the
Bolsheviki a phenomenon of worldwide importance." John Reed

Submitted to : DR. VIVEK SINGH

Submitted by : Rahul Sharma

B.A.(p) ; 5605