STUDENT NOTES : THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917 – 1924 (PART I)
1. Don’t be “LOST” and ‘BLUR” when we study
§ The Tsar & the Russian Empire
§ Reasons for the 2 revolutions in Russia in 1917
§ Who were the Bolsheviks
§ What communism means
§ The Reds and Whites 1918-1921
§ How Lenin tried to change the Russian economy
2. The Russian Empire under Tsar Nicholas
§ Look at the extent of the Russian Empire in 1914 (p 42)
§ It stretches from Europe in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east
§ The Russian Empire was ruled by the Tsar or the emperor
§ In 1914, it was Nicolas II
§ Nicolas II was very powerful
§ Made decisions on his own
§ 1905 – protests and demonstrations
§ Nicholas was forced to set up a parliament (Duma)
§ However, it had little influence on the govt ruled by the Tsar
3. The Russian Society
§ The Aristocracy
– The rich minority
– Most powerful
§ The Middle class
– Merchants, bankers, doctors, lawyers
– Not many around; little influence in govt matters
§ The Peasants
– Majority of the people
– Peasants more than town workers
– Mostly engaged in farming
– Resent their poverty; resent the rich
§ The Town workers
– Lived and worked in cities
– More involved in demonstrations
– Poor working conditions
– Govt did not help much
4. Opposition to tsarist rule
§ Opposition for many different reasons
§ “Bloody Sunday”
• A peaceful demonstration in the capital St Petersburg was fired upon by troops
§ Led to further protests
§ Eventually Tsar Nicholas agreed to call a ‘Duma’ or parliament
5. OPPONENTS OF THE TSAR
1. Social Revolutionaries
2. Social Democrats or Marxists
3. Liberals
OPPONENTS OF THE TSAR
§ Social Revolutionaries
• Social because they wanted to change society
• Revolutionaries because they were willing to take part in a revolution
• The SR were prepared to use violence to bring about a revolution
• Wanted to seize land owned by the aristocracy and turn them over the peasants
• Naturally most of their support came from the peasants
• Many officials were assassinated – part of the SR campaign
§ Social Democrats or Marxists
• Also want complete change to society
• Also prepared to use violence
• However, their support comes mainly from the town workers rather than the peasants
• Marxists follow the teachings of a 19th century German thinker called KARL MARX
• The Marxists were a small party in Russia
• Also divided among themselves
• 1903 : Split up into 2 groups – the Bolsheviks (the majority) and the Mensheviks (the minority)
• Bolsheviks were led by Lenin
• Main difference : Bolsheviks were impatient for revolution to occur
§ Liberals
• These opponents of the Tsar believed in peaceful means of opposition
• Wanted the Tsar to share power with some of the people
• Demanded for a parliament with real power and rule only with its consent
6. WORLD WAR I
§ Outbreak of WWI against Germany in 1914 changed the situation
§ 1915 : Nicholas II decided to go to the front and lead the army himself
§ Poor leader, made bad decisions
§ His wife ran the country; made bad decisions and chose bad advisers (Rasputin)
§ Events led to the Feb 1917 Revolution
§ First, let’s see the impact of WWI on Russia
7. Impact of WWI
§ Inflation
§ Fewer factory workers (?)
§ Military Defeat
§ Massive food shortages
§ The Tsar
§ The Tsarina
§ Inefficient railway system
WORLD WAR I
Impact of WWI
§ Inflation
• Prices skyrocketed
• Between 1914 to 1916, average wages doubles
• But basic food (potatoes, bread) cost 3 to 5 times as much
§ Fewer factory workers (?)
• Workers needed to join the army
• But factories needed more workers to produce war goods
• More peasants left the countryside for the towns
• Is it a net gain or net loss of factory workers?
§ Massive food shortages
• Worsened as the war dragged on
• Peasants already unable to produce enough food during peacetime, let alone when workers and horses were taken for the army
• Inefficient food collection and distribution
• Result : People starved while undistributed food rotted
§ The Tsar
• The Tsar decided to go to the front and lead the army himself
• He made a poor leader and was not an inspiration to his troops at all
• He was also blamed for the military defeats suffered at the hands of the Germans
§ The Tsarina
• Inexperienced and incompetent
• Personally unpopular because she was a German
• Listened to the bad advice of Rasputin
§ Inefficient railway system
• Failed to cope with the additional demands of war
• What do you think were the effects of an inefficient railway in the country embroiled in war?
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