Russian Revolution

 

 

Lenin’s Russia :

 

He was the leader who did more than any other in Russia to create the first Communist government in the world. Communism would become feared throughout the Western world and this fear would contribute to the growth of fascism as wealthy and powerful people turned to right wing dictators to stop the spread of communism during the Great Depression at any means. Communism had many enemies both within and outside of Russia. Lenin had to deal with many problems and obstacles to set up and secure a communist government. Some of the strategies he used were brutal and undemocratic and sowed the seeds for the vicious regime that would follow under Stalin’s leadership.

 

Russia before the revolution :

 

Vast empire – an autocracy ruled by Nicholas II – backward – mostly poor peasants – cities were beginning to grow and industry start up – working conditions and pay were very poor –

 

In 1905 – popular uprising – demand that the Tsar share power – set up the DUMA – SOVIETS(councils) set up to rule cities.

 

Political parties were banned – secret police arrested anyone who was against the regime – there were a number of groups who were unhappy and planned revolutions – some peaceful some violent – Lenin belonged to one such group – The Social Democrats – they followed the ideas of Karl Marx –

 

Communism and Karl Marx :  - German 19^th Century thinker.

 

Abolish private property – Government control of land, industry and banks – wanted a classless, equal society where all property was owned by the community as a whole – he said there would be a class struggle between the workers (the proletariat) and the bourgeoisie (middle classes and factory owners) –

 

World War 1 and the Tsar becomes more unpopular :

 

The Tsar moved to the front – Rasputin gained huge influence of the whole Tsarist system of government – the war went badly – 1 million dead or wounded in 1916 – breakdown in food supplies –

 

Political parties in 1917 :

 

The Kadets -  wanted democratic capitalism.

The Social Revolutionaries (SRs) wanted peasants to take the land from landlords and become owners.

The Social Democrats – BOLSHEVIKS and MENSHEVIKS –

 

 

 

THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION and THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT :

 

January – food shortages and riots in the capital Petrograd – February – city paralysed – soldiers joined with protestors rather than crushing the protests – the Tsar lost control – abdicated – a Provisional government was set up – It was to rule until an election would take place for a CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY.

 

THE PETROGRAD SOVIET also worked side by side with the Provisional Government – it had a lot of power and controlled the railways and the soldiers – it worked with other Soviets throughout Russia – LENIN AND TROTSKY OF THE BOLSHEVIKS were soon to get control of these soviets and use them and the soldiers to stage a second revolution to take over power from the Provisional government in the OCTOBER REVOLUTION.

 

LENIN RETURNS, THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT BECOMES UNPOPULAR, GROWING BOLSHEVIK SUPPORT.

 

Lenin who was in Switzerland (on run from the Tsars secret police) – sent back to Russia by the Germans with funds to help organise a revolution and seize power (he would take Russia out of the war) –

 

April thesis – take power – no co-operation with the Provisional government by the Soviets

 

Could see the Prov. Gov. Was becoming unpopular – continued the war – postponed land reform

 

Came up with a popular slogan “Peace, Bread, Land”

 

The Petrograd Soviet – led by Trotsky – organised itself into an armed group called “THE RED GUARDS” – Bolsheviks now in charge of the Petrograd and other Soviets –

 

The Germans were inflicting heavy defeats on the Russian army – inflation grew – food shortages continued – the government was struggling to control things –

 

Failed attempt to seize power in JULY – the Red guards stopped the Russian Army from defeating the Provisional government –

 

October takeover – 24^th – key buildings – little bloodshed – by early November Moscow and most of the larger cities recognised the new government.

 

Politburo – Commissars (Trotsky – war, Stalin Nationalities)  – Congress of Soviets – many opponents both inside and outside state – against Communism – struggle to hold on to power and set up a communist state

 

 

 

 

Lenin holds on to power :  - massive challenge – first steps to establish authority and popularity

 

Ceasefire

Allowed peasants to take over landowners lands – not really Marxist – needed peasants on their side

Nationalised banks and abolished private property

Took over property of the Church

 

Beginnings of one party dictatorship :  made people unhappy

 

DICTATORSHIP MEANS RULE BY ONE MAN OR PARTY, THEY CONTROL ALL POWER AND BAN OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES, CONTROL THE PRESS, RADIO OR TELEVISION, USE A SECRET POLICE AND OFTEN IMPRISON PEOPLE OR KILL PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THEM.

 

In the elections of Jan. 1918 (planned by Prov.Gov) the Bolsheviks only won 25% - the SRs were the biggest party – Lenin was determined not to share power and believed any means were justified to establish a communist state – he closed the assembly at gunpoint – abolished the assembly – anti-democratic – dictatorship

 

The treaty of Brest- Litovsk :  March 1918  

 

made people unhappy

 

Outbreak of Civil War :  June 1918 

 

Lenin concentrated on economic and political problems while Trotsky organised the military.

 

The Whites :

 

SRs

Former Tsarists

Supporters of the provisional government

Landlords

Industrialists

Helped by the Allied powers (Britain/France/US and Japan) – stop the spread of Comm.

 

The Red Army – led by Trotsky – only controlled the centre of Russia – main cities – Petrograd/Moscow – main industrial areas and railways and best farming land – attacked on all sides by whites but defeated them

 

Trotsky introduced CONSCRIPTION and used harsh discipline to keep order and train them. He forced former Tsarist officers to train them often by kidnapping their families – he would use terror to force them to fight hard – he would put special troops behind the front line and shoot any deserters – force them to concentrate on war effort

 

 

Lenin and War communism :(INTRODUCED DURING THE WAR AND INTENDED TO HELP WAR EFFORT)

 

During the Civil War Lenin introduced a wide range of policies that were aimed at making Russia a Communist state and help the war effort. It was a programme that was supposed to transform Russia into a Communist state by replacing all private business with a state controlled economy where the State would run and be in charge of all industry and production and own all property.

 

INDUSTRY : Private trading was banned – all factories of more than 10 people were taken over by the government – production was planned and organised by the government – strikes were banned and strikers were shot as “enemies of the people”.

 

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD : Food was rationed – peasants were only allowed to keep whatever food they needed and the rest was requisitioned by the government to feed workers and the soldiers. – grain was seized by red guards –

 

War Communism helps to win war but causes huge problems :

 

Peasants who were not been paid for grain eventually stopped growing grain – where they were paid they often refused as government prices were so low – food shortages in the cities – government terror – new secret police THE CHEKA and the red guards fought with the peasants – hundreds of thousands killed – bad drought of 1919-20 – famine – 5 million

 

Factory production only one fifth of what it was in 1913 – huge inflation due to shortages of goods

 

Red terror during Civil War – Communist Dictatorship :

 

The Cheka was set up in 1918 – Tsar and family killed in July 1918 as Whites advanced – assassination attempt on Lenin in August 1918- start of red terror – mass executions and arrests – anybody suspected of opposing the Reds could be punished or executed –

 

Rich peasants

Striking workers

Priests

Nobles

SRs

 

Organised and systemic violence aimed at establishing complete control and crushing all seeds of resistance through fear and terror. Encouraged and organised by Lenin. All opposition squashed and banned – exiled, shot or imprisoned or sent to concentration camps.

 

Worlds first concentration or slave labour camps set up in places with harsh weather – over 100 – guards cruel and vicious – no rights – up to 500,000 murdered by the Cheka.

 

 

Lenin and others in the Communist party hoped the revolution in Russia would lead to other communist revolutions in other countries ;

 

The Comintern – March 1919

 

The end of War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP) : 

 

By 1921 – lots of unrest and discontent in Russia

 

Peasant risings against Food requisitions

Workers unhappy at factory closures due to shortages of fuel and materials

Strikes in Petrograd in spring of 1921

 

But the Kronstadt Naval Base revolt really got Lenin’s attention and led him to change policy. “Flash of lightening”

 

NEP :

 

Requisitions ended

Peasants to give a fixed amount of grain as tax and keep the rest

Peasants could sell surplus grain

Small privately owned companies were allowed again – but large scale businesses stayed under state control

 

Some party members were against this and saw it as a betrayal of communist ideas – but Lenin argued it was needed to give the Russian people and economy time to recover and to ensure the communist party survived and firmly established itself.

 

The Russian Revolution