THE RISE OF RUSSIA DURING THE REVOLUTION OF 1917.pptx

History of Russia during the bolshevik revolution

1. THE RISE OF RUSSIA By Manoka R.L

2. RUSSIA BEFORE 1917 BACKGROUND The Tzar assumed power in 1894 and under his rule: secret police carefully watched both secondary schools and universities Political prisoners were sent to Siberia, a remote region of eastern Russia The number of factories more than doubled between 1863 and 1900 . Tzar raised taxes as a step to boost the growth of heavy industry, particularly steel . Rapid industrialization stirred discontent among the people of Russia . On January 22, 1905, about 200,000 workers and their families approached the czar’s winter palace They carried a petition asking for better working conditions Nicholas II’s generals ordered soldiers to fire on the crowd. More than 1,000 were wounded and several hundred were killed. Russians quickly named the event “Bloody Sunday.”

3. In October 1905, Nicholas reluctantly promised more freedom. He approved the creation of the Duma In 1906, the Duma met for the first time but it was soon dissolved The only two important classes were the nobility and the peasantry. The peasants numbered 95% of the population and of these some 55% were serfs on lands belonging to private landlords the rest were crown serfs, living on crown land, or free peasants . THE RISE OF NEW REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS These movements were directly influenced by Western Socialism, particularly as preached by Karl Marx They aimed at the overthrow of Tsarism and the establishment of a socialistic regime which would improve the backward social and economic conditions In 1898 the Social Democratic Party was formed by a number of intellectuals, most of them in exile The radical group or Bolsheviks (which in Russian means majority) of which Lenin became the leaders, wished to bring about a revolution in Russia which would lead to a complete social transformation.

4. They did not seek cooperation with the bourgeoisie (middle class). The workers themselves were to effect the revolution and at once set up the dictatorship of the proletariat The Mensheviks (or minority group) were in favour of more moderate action. They were willing to cooperate with liberal bourgeoisie in order to achieve, by peaceful and constitutional means, a democratic form of government THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION OF 1917 In the capital Petrograd, the revolution started as a bread riot. The bread riot developed into political demonstrations Strikes broke out and by 10 March all factories and industrial plants in Petrograd were at a standstill. The troops who called in to suppress the riots, joined the demonstrations. Leaders of the strike committees and representatives of the Socialist parties formed a Council (Soviet) of Workers’ and Soldiers Deputies in the cities On 14 March a provisional Government was set up under Prince Lvov, including both Octobrists and Cadets (Liberals) but no Socialists

5. The government forced the Tsar to abdicate and a republic was proclaimed on 17 March PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT Kerensky, a moderate member of the Social Revolutionary Party, was included in the Provisional Government as a concession to the Socialists, but the Social Democratic Party was excluded The Provisional Government had the upper and the middle classes behind it It suffered from serious impediments such as disrupted food supply, the collapse of the communication systems and a financial position which was deteriorating daily While the Provisional Government started preparing for a constituent assembly, and announced moderate political and agrarian reforms The Cadets and Octobrists wished to continue the war in order to gain control of the Straits and the territory in the Balkans promised to Russia in 1915 Delay in the consideration of the agrarian question, was one of the Provisional Government’s greatest mistakes This question entailed the distribution of among the peasantry of the land still in private ownership

6. The revolution was by no means an urban affair, nor could the needs and demands of the peasants By the middle of 1917 impatient peasants had begun to attack their landlords, to burn down their mansions and to parcel out their land . The Bolsheviks won popular support by appealing to the soldiers’ desire for speedy peace, and to the economic demands of the peasants . Stalin, Molotov and Kamenev were the first to arrive on the scene after the February Revolution Lenin returned from his exile in Switzerland In his famous April Thesis and in a number speeches he outline the four main points of his programme: Immediate peace with the Central Powers (Addressed to the Russian Army). Redistribution of the land to the peasants. Transfer of factories, mines and other industrial plants from the capitalists to committees of workers. Recognition of the Soviets as the supreme power in the place of the Provisional Government.

7. Bolsheviks already had the support of the workers and most of the garrison . In July 1917 the impatient followers of Lenin and Trotsky, taking advantage of the setback at the front, tried to seize power The moderate Socialist under Kerensky took over the government and he ordered the arrest of the Bolshevik leaders Trotsky was arrested, but Lenin went into hiding in Finland. Kerensky tried to rule with a Directory of Five, but failed to evoke any significant support THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION OF 1917 Lenin returned to Petrograd in disguise after he had urged the Central Committee of his party to prepare for armed insurrection On the night of 6-7 November (25 October according to Russia reckoning) all the key positions in the city were taken over by the Red Guards and regular regiments Bolsheviks won control of the capital. Kerensky fled and most of the other members of his government were arrested Governmental authority was now in the hands of the Revolutionary Military Committee which led the Proletariat and the garrison of Petrograd

8. Soviet of People’s Commissars was set up by the new government The Bolsheviks were in a strong majority. Lenin acted as Chairman, Trotsky as Minister (Commissar) of Foreign Affairs and Stalin as Minister for Nationalities In March 1918 the Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communist Party . The civil war which broke out in 1918 would be their sternest test The civil was actually a counter revolution, led by the forces which were opposed to Bolshevik rule These included the former ruling classes, Tsarists, conservatives and bourgeoisie, but also Social Revolutionaries who objected to the one-party rule Together with the Red Army the Red Terror broke down all resistance. Directed by the Cheka or secret police On 3 March 1918, Russia under Lenin withdrew from the WWI The terms of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty were harsh. The Russian empire was deprived of more than a quarter of its population, the best part of its arable land, three-quarters of its iron and coal and half of its industries .

9. LENIN’S ECONOMIC POLICIES State monopoly of foreign trade. Nationalisation of the banks. Socialisation of industry. An eight-hour day. The principle of workers’ control. Also class privileges were abolished and equal rights were granted to women . New Economic Policy (NEP ) was announced The state maintained the ownership of the basic productive industries, banking and foreign trade, but allowed a greater measure of private trading for private profit The smaller industries and retail business were allowed to operate under individual ownership on a capitalistic basis Farmers were allowed to sell their surplus freely, could lease additional land, hire labour and acquire own farming machinery

10. NEP promoted the big individualist farmer (or Kulak), wage-earning hired hands as well as a new rich commercial class of private traders ( Nepmen ). Actually , no real progress was made under the NEP (1921-27 ) To many socialists the disappointing feature of the NEP was that recovery had been effected at the expense of the government’s socialist principles It almost seemed as if the October revolution had not been necessary after all . Do you agree? Justify your answer.

11. THE END THANK YOU