The RUSSIAN Revolution of 1917

Our objectives are:

• You will be able to understand why the events of World War I hastened the outbreak of the Russian Revolution

• What was the ultimate fate of the Russian Royal Family—judge for yourself if they deserved their fate.

• In what ways did Lenin solve the erratic political situation that existed in Russia during the Revolution’s early months?

• You will be able to understand the deeper meaning of the slogan “PEACE, LAND, and BREAD.”

We have already learned that war broke out in August 1914

after Russia mobilized to protect Serbian interest.

Peasants and ordinary workers were sent to fight the Germans. Terrible

disasters at Tannenberg and the Mausaurian Lakes, in the first month

of the war, destroyed the Russian soldier’s confidence…

The Germans moved deep into Russia territory, and by 1915, over

2 million Russian soldiers had been killed, wounded, or captured.

The Middle class offered support to the government. Business groups

put factories into maximum production.

But life at court was bizarre…the

Tsarina Alexandra relied on Rasputin

to treat her hemophiliac son,

Alexei.

All groups complained about the Tsar, the court, and while the nation was at war, the system seemed hopelessly “out of it.”

The Dumas reassembled in November 1916, and loudly

protested conditions. The leader of the Dumas shouted out about the sinister influence of Rasputin.

In December 1916, Rasputin

was assassinated

by Prince Yssapov and

others…

The Tsar had gone to the

front to command

the troops…

While in St. Petersburg, in March 1917, food riots broke

out.

Crowds shouted “Down with the Tsar.” And, most important, the imperial troops refused to fire on

the rioters.

Mutiny and insubordination spread throughout the city…

Middle class leaders demanded that a new ministry be formed with approval of the Dumas.

Tsar Nicolas retaliated by disbanding the Duma…the city of

St. Petersburg split into two factions—those who supported the

Dumas…

And the other was the Petrograd Soviet, representing revolutionary

forces.

In March, 1917, the Duma’s committee set up a Provisional

Government.

The Tsar tried to

return from the front, but his train was turned back by troops.

Nicolas abdicated the throne.

He also abdicated the throne for his heir, the hemophiliac Alexei,

and his brother, Michael, also refused the throne.

On March 17, 1917, Russia

became a republic, and the

300 year old Romanov

Dynasty came to and end.

The Royal Family was held at their residence, then a

year later, they were assassinated at Ekaterinburg,

Siberia.

The Provisional Government immediately promised elections by

universal male suffrage (haven’t we heard that before?).

They also arranged to prepare a constitution for the new regime. Then, it tried to continue the war

against Germany…

In July 1917, a new offensive was mounted against the Germans---

but the Germans struck back, hard.

The Provincial Government also promised wholesale re-distribution

of land to the peasants.

Things fell apart: the armies at the front “melted away” and made their way home to make sure they

got their share of this land redistribution.

The Petrograd

Soviet opposed the war,

and called for its

immediate end.

Vladimir Lenin arrived in Petrograd on April 3, 1917 aboard a sealed train that had taken him from Switzerland through Germany. At the Finland Station he issued a speech denouncing both positions and demanding the elimination of dual power by the transfer of "all power to the soviets."

Now, in July 1917, there was a rebellion against the Provisional

Government by some soldiers and sailors.

Lenin was blamed for this, and he had to “temporarily” flee to

Finland. He would return just a few months later and this time, he

would take control of the city.

The Provisional

Government tried to

maintain popular

support by naming

Alexander Kerensky as

its head.

Now, a military commander,

General Kornilov, who was

defeated in his efforts to

overthrow the government. However, the

Bolsheviks continued to

press for control of the

government.

Kerensky lost support. The food situation worsened. The war front

was now in a state of collapse.

WHO WAS GOING TO TAKE POWER?

Lenin proposed to end the war, redistribute land, and provide work by transferring ownership in factories to

the workers themselves.

Lenin promised PEACE, LAND and BREAD

This slogan was repeated in pamphlets

dispersed throughout

the city.

Lenin raised the cry “All

power to the Soviets” to

crush Kerensky. Kerensky

struggled to control the Provisional

Government.

Lenin judged his hour had come. He was backed up by Trotsky and Stalin, both emerging leaders in

the Bolshevik party.

Lenin returned in October, inspiring an armed revolution with the slogan "All Power

to the Soviets!" against the Provisional Government. His ideas which

called for a new form of government based on workers' councils, or soviets. In this

work he also claimed that ordinary workers should, in principle, be capable of running a

factory or government. He emphasized, though, that to be able to govern the state,

a worker should "learn communism." He furthermore insisted that a member of the government should be paid no more than

the salary of an average worker

Troops around St. Petersburg (Petrograd) voted to support the

Soviets in their takeover…

On the night of November 6-7th, 1917, the Bolsheviks took

over the…• Telephone exchanges

(communication)• Railway stations• Electric power stations• A warship turned its guns on the

Winter Palace where Kerensky’s government sat.

The Soviets now proclaimed that they were the new

government. the Council of People’s Commissars.

• Lenin was the head• Trotsky was in charge of foreign affairs• Stalin was in charge of domestic affairs

among the various Russian states.• Kerensky fled to the U.S. and died in

1970!

Lenin introduced two resolutions:

• To negotiate a just democratic peace

• To abolish all landlord property immediately and without compensation.

• The vast landlord estates were now given to peasants to provide a base of support for the Bolsheviks

Just a side note: This November revolution is actually called the October revolution, or October

1917, because the Julian calendar was used in Russia until 1918—and the Julian calendar was a month behind the Gregorian

calendar.

The long awaited constituent assembly met in January 1918,

after 36 million persons had voted for it. But, when the votes were

counted:

• 9 million had voted for the Bolsheviks• 21 million had voted for Kerensky• Lenin broke up the assembly by

having armed sailors surround it.

Thus, Lenin did not favor majority rule. He decided that the

Bolsheviks would make the decisions. Two months later, the Bolsheviks named themselves the

Communist party.

The Russian Revolution would now continue with a Civil War between those that supported the Tsar (the whites) and those that supported

the Communists (the Reds). It took years before Russia was

stable.

Stay tuned…

Our objectives are:

• You understand why the events of World War I hastened the outbreak of the Russian Revolution

• You know the ultimate fate of the Russian Royal Family—

• In what ways did Lenin solve the erratic political situation that existed in Russia during the Revolution’s early months?

• You understand the deeper meaning of the slogan “PEACE, LAND, and BREAD.”