Summary
Summary Term 1 - Russian Revolution
- Course
- History
- Institution
- Springfield Convent Senior School
Term 1 - Russian Revolution notes, summary of textbook Oxford In Search of History GRADE 11
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In Search of History GRADE 11:Topic 1: Communism in Russia 1900-1940: How was communism applied in Russia under Lenin
and Stalin?
Unit 1.1: Communism and the Russian Revolution:
What is communism?
- Ideas of communism fully developed during the Industrial Revolution.
- The economic system that developed from industrialisation was capitalism.
- Some philosophers and reformers spoke out against inequality: thought that
sharing and opening up resources to everyone would reduce the divisions in
society and would lead to co-operation instead of division and conflict.
- Questioned the value of the whole capitalist system, suggesting an alternate
form of government: socialism or communism.
Key features of the theory of communism:
- Resources owned by the state on behalf of the people – no private ownership, all
profits used for the benefit of society.
- Greater equality, no class divisions caused by an unequal spread of wealth.
- Government control of the economy.
- Housing, medical services, the education services, and all social services provided
for free by the state.
- Equality and the common good are valued more than individual freedom.
The writings of Karl Marx:
- German philosopher.
- Concerned about the social inequalities resulting from the Industrial Revolution.
- Believed that a capitalist system was morally wrong - few wealthy individuals
exploited mass workers.
- Marxism: theory based on the belief that all human history was based on a
struggle between those who had wealth and power, and those who were poor and
powerless.
- Marx believed that the struggle was between the capitalists/bourgeoisie and the
proletariats/working class.
- Believed that there would need to be an armed revolution to bring about change.
- Once in power: need to establish a 'dictatorship of the proletariat' to prevent old
rulers from getting back into power.
- Would need to nationalise factories, banks, land, and communications networks -
redistribute the wealth in society.
- No need for governments once this has been achieved.
Russia in the early 20th century: issues that lead to the 1905 revolution:
- Beginning of the 20th century: Russia ruled by a tsar - had absolute power.
- The last tsar: Nicolas II (1894-1917) failed to see that the whole system needed to
be reformed and modernised.
- Most Russians were peasants, mostly depending on the nobility for shelter or
food, or land for food.
, - Farming methods were backwards = low levels of production, food shortages
were common.
- Frequent peasant uprisings were brutally crushed.
- Urgent need for land reform - tsarist government did nothing about it.
- In industry, Russia lagged far behind from the rest of Europe.
- 1900: only a small percentage of the population worked in factories, received low
wages and very poor working, and living conditions.
- The majority of the population was illiterate, with only 4% receiving any formal
education in 1914.
- Wide range of opposition movements - could not openly criticise the government.
- Revolutionary movements were crushed by the secret police - Okhrana.
- Important opposition groups: the Social Revolutionaries and the Social Democrats
- both followed the theories of Karl Marx.
- The Social Democrats: split into two groups:
o The Mensheviks (minority), believed in building the organisation slowly and
once they had mass support, they would take power.
o The Bolsheviks (majority) wanted a direct and immediate revolution to
overthrow the tsarist government.
- Leader of the Bolsheviks: Vladimir Lenin.
- The political system, the social structure, the economic conditions, and the spread
of revolutionary ideas were all causes of revolution in Russia.
- Three revolutions in Russia: one in 1905 and two in 1917.
The 1905 Revolution:
- Revolution broke out when soldiers fired on 200 000 workers who had marched
to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to present a petition to the tsar.
- Petition asking for improved working conditions and basic human rights.
- Brutal shooting became known as the 'Bloody Sunday' massacre.
- Led to strikes, demonstrations, riots, mutinies, and unrest, which fuelled the
protests against the government.
- In response to the protests, the tsar established Russia's first duma.
o All adult men could vote.
o Duma could pass new laws.
- This promise of reform kept the tsar in power.
- Lenin did not believe it would lead to real change.
- Tsar made sure the duma had no real power – dismissed the first two dumas
after a few months, felt their demands were too radical.
Trotsky's role in mobilising the masses and influencing Lenin:
- After the 1905 Revolution, Trotsky argued that there was no need for Russia to
wait for it to be fully industrialised before there was a revolution.
Trotsky's influence on Lenin:
- Lenin was influenced by Trotsky's ideas.
- Lenin believed that only a small and well-organised group of vanguard
revolutionaries could bring about change in Russia.
, The link between the 1905 and 1917 revolutions:
- Although the 1905 revolution was defeated, it did influence the revolution in 1917.
- Showed how mass participation of workers and peasants could be a powerful
force of change.
- First World War led to the downfall of the tsar.
- Russia joined the Allied side, but badly prepared for the war (lacked money to
manufacture weapons, and to feed, clothe and train the soldiers) and were
defeated by the German army.
- The war put great strains on Russia's economy.
- Military conscription impacted agriculture and industry, resulting in shortages of
raw materials, fuel, and labour.
- 1917: Russia in a state of crisis.
The February Revolution:
- February 1917: unemployment, rising prices and shortages led to demonstrations in
Petrograd (St Petersburg).
- The soldiers who were sent to crush the protests openly supported the
demonstrations instead.
- The tsar could not suppress the revolution and was persuaded to abdicate by his
ministers and generals.
- The duma appointed a Provisional Government to rule Russia until elections could
be held.
- The government introduced some liberal reforms: freed political prisoners,
allowed exiles to return, recognised freedom of speech and of the press.
- Did not tackle redistribution of land among the peasants.
- Decided to continue to fight in World War 1 against Germany despite the poor
conditions in the Russian army.
- People began to lose faith in the government and instead elected soviets to
govern factories, regiments, and cities.
- Trotsky switched from the Mensheviks to join the Bolsheviks – became the
leader of the Petrograd Soviet.
- Lenin called for an end to the war with Germany and for land to be given to the
peasants immediately - two key issues the Provisional Government had failed to
tackle.
Peace, Bread, Land:
- Lenin's slogans 'Peace, Bread, Land' and 'All Power to the Soviets' won wide
support for the Bolsheviks.
- The Bolsheviks tried to widen their support through their newspaper and through
other propaganda distributed to the Russian army.
- Also built up their strength by establishing the Red Guards - an armed group of
20 000 revolutionaries.
- As the war progressed, more soldiers deserted the army and joined the
Bolsheviks.
- The Provisional Government blamed the Bolsheviks for causing protests and riots
and arrested their leaders.
- Lenin fled to Finland to avoid arrest.
- The Provisional Government became more unpopular.
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