|
Internet Modern History Sourcebook
Crib Sheet: The Russian Revolution
[Note: Crib Sheets are meant as review aids for a particular
period/theme. They are not complete overviews!]
Geography of Russia
- 1/6th earth's land surface.
- Understand difference between "Russia" and "Soviet
Union" or "USSR"
Russian Culture:
- Slavic language
- Russian Orthodox Church
- Byzantine Background
Tsarist Russia
Society:
- Tsar/Czar (= Caesar or Emperor)
- Government is an autocracy
- Most people are peasants. Most peasants were serfs until 1861.
Notable Rulers
- Ivan the Terrible 1533-1584
- Peter the Great 1688-1725 - builds new capital city - St.
Petersburg
- Catherine the Great 1762-1796
- Alexander I 1802-1825
- Nicholas I 1825-1855 - begins policy of Official Nationality - slogan "Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationalism".
Russia under Alexander II 1855-81 (the Liberator)
- Abolition of serfdom 1861
Peasants were forced to live in Mirs: a communal landholding
system.
- Population Growth from 1860: 50 to 100 Million 1860 - 1900
Alexander III 1881-1894
- Very rapid Industrialization under Sergei Witte
The Lead-Up to Revolution
Opposition: The Intellegensia
- Organization - "Land and Freedom" - Populists/Narodniks
- "The People's Will", a terrorist group, kill Tsar
in March 1881.
New Political Parties
- Social Revolutionaries 1901
- Constitutional Democrats (Cadets) 1903
- Social Democrats 1898
- George Plekhanov 1857-1918 Founder of Social Democrats
Vladmir Illich Ulyanov "Lenin" 1870-1923
- Theories in What is to be Done? 1902
- "Vanguard of the Revolution", "democratic centralism"
- "Strategy" - long term goal, not to be altered/
"Tactics" - day to day flexibility
Origins of Bolshevism
- London Conference 1903
- Mensheviks (=minority) split from Bolsheviks (=majority)
The 1905 Revolution
- Father Gapon - March on Winter Palace Jan 22 1905.
- "Soviets" (Worker's Councils) set up.
- Tsar Nicholas II responds with The October Manifesto
-Grants a Duma (Parliament) and some civil liberties.
Government 1907-1914
- Peter Stolypin 1862-1911 - Prime Minister 1906-1911
- Nicholas I 1894 -1917 and Alexandra.
- The Tsarvitch and Hemophilia.
- Grigory Efimovich Rasputin (1871?-1916)
The 1917 Revolutions
First World War 1914-1918
- Russia battle preparedness - boots, guns,
February Revolution 1917 (March 1917 New Calendar)
- Long-standing causes - peasants anger about land,
- Population explosion 1860-1914, Workers' discontent
- Workers Revolt - Feb 23 1917
- Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers set up
- A Provisional Government set up by the Duma
- Problems: Continuation of the War, Return of Lenin and other
Bolsheviks, Continuing Unrest in the cities.
- Alexander Kerensky (1881-1970) - chief minister from
July 1917. Kornilov Plot shows his weakness.
October Revolution 1917
- Bolshevik Slogans: "Peace, Bread and Land",
"All power to the Soviets"
- Attack on Winter Palace October 1917 (November 6-7-8 new Calendar)
Bolsheviks Actions in Power
- Aim is to secure power
- -Constituent Assembly dissolved December 1918
- -Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 3 1918 ends war with Germany
- -Nationalization of all factories - June 1918
- -Execution of the Tsar and his Family 1918
Civil War 1917-1921
- Red Army, led by Trotsky, vs. the "Whites".
- War Communism - a collection of emergency measures:-
- -The Cheka - secret police from December 1917
- -Communist Party control of the State
- -Nationalization of production
- -Opposition suppressed Kronstadt Rebellion March 1921
The Third International (Cominintern)
- 1919 split European socialists into "Communists"
and "Social Democrats".
New Economic Policy March 1921
- Aim - increased food production. Incentives were allowed.
- Peasants allowed to farm for profit and small businesses with
up to 12 workers allowed.
- Economy recovered by 1927.
- Kulaks - rich peasants become important.
Stalin Takes Over
- Struggle between Leon Trotsky, who wanted rapid industrialization,
and Nicolai Bukharin, the editor of Pravda, who
was pro-peasant.
- Josef Djugushvili "Stalin" (1879-1953). An
ally of Bukharin. By 1912 on Central Committee. Succeeds by controlling
party organization.
Stalin in power
- A revolution from above - Doctrine of "socialism in one
country"
- Agriculture - collectivization of land: perhaps 10 Million
people died in forced collectivization.
- Rapid Industrialization:
Five Year Plans Began in 1928
1928-1940, 400% increase in production
- Purges and Personality Cult: Show Trials 1936-38
© 1997, Paul Halsall, halsall@murray.fordham.edu
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
the Fordham University Center
for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the
Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in
providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not
the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.
© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 15 November 2024 [CV]
|
