The Russian Revolution, Class 9 , History- lesson:2 cbse

a presentation helpful to the 9th graders in the CBSE stream.

1. Presented by:
abdul shumz, kv kanjikode
Class 9 , History- lesson:2
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2. 1. The age of social change
•Influence of French Revolution- new ideas of rights,
freedom, democracy
•‗Liberals‘ or Radicals demanded a complete transformation
of society
•But ‗Conservatives‘ , not.
•‗Liberals‘: wanted: a)a nation , not an empire- which
tolerate all religions.
• b) opposed uncontrolled power of dynasties.
• c) rights to citizens, elected govt.
• But they were not democrats: not believed in UAF- (only
to land lords, and not to women)
•Radicals: a nation based on majority- supported woman's
suffrage ( suffragette)- opposed privileges to the
landlords- not against private property.
• ‗Conservatives‘: (opposed both Lib. and Rad.)- against
changes- no revolution
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3. Industrial society and social changes:
Industrialization- New cities-
railways-
Factories- men and women- low
wages-long work hours- exploitation-
housing and sanitation problems-
benefits only to industrialists – not to
workers- Liberals demanded
changes: freedom, encouraged
revolutions-
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4. A new new set of ideas – against
private property- welfare of the
people- control of society and not
individuals- collective social interests.
Different visions: 1) idea of co
operatives. [ Robert Owen, USA- a
community: New Harmony in
Indiana] & [Louis Blanc, France]
Karl Marx.



Coming of Socialism to Europe
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5. Karl Marx and Friederich Engels: against
‗Capitalists‘- against private property-
-a Communist society -
Karl Marx
Activity: List 2 differences between:
capitalist and socialist ideas or private
property.
Support for socialism : new ideas- to
co ordinate, formed, Second
International.
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6. Workers of England & Germany
formed associations- 1) set up funds
to help members-2) demanded
reduction of work hrs-
3) right to vote.
These associations , in Germany
worked with Social Democratic Party
Labor party in Britain (1905)
Socialist party in France.
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7. Pre-Revolutionary Russia
Only true autocracy
left in Europe
No type of
representative
political institutions
Nicholas II became
tsar in 1884
Believed he was the
absolute ruler
appointed by God
Russo-Japanese War
(1904) – defeat led to
pol. instability
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8. Map : page 30
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9. People:
Farmers- Agriculture- 85% of population-
Russia was a major exporter of food grains
Industries : 2 cities- St. Petersburg &
Moscow.- many factories
Railways-
Crafts men, factory workers
31% factory workers were women-paid
less than half-
Workers formed associations. Started
strike work-
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10. In villages: peasants- farming
Nobles, powerful land owners-
Often clashes and killings- no rent
payment-
Russian peasants pooled their land
together and their commune
divided it according to the need of
families.

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11. Socialism in Russia.
All parties banned in 1914.
Russian Social Democratic Workers Party,
1898, operated illegal actions – mobilized
workers- strikes- a newspaper.
Socialists formed a party: S Rev. Party,
1900- struggled for peasants rights- to
transfer land to peasants-
Party was divided 2- Mensheviks: open to all
Bolsheviks: by VI Lenin- disciplined &
controled number, quality of members.

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12. The 1905 Revolution
Russian autocracy- no respect to
parliament-
Democrats and revolutionaries demanded
a constitution- supported by nationalists &
Muslim dominated areas by Jadidists-.
1904– rose in price- less wages- 4 workers
dismissed- strike by 110,000 at St.
Petersburg-demands: 8 hrs work, wages-
better working conditions.
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13. The Revolution of 1905
Rapid growth of
(discontented) working
class
Vast majority of workers
concentrated in St.
Petersburg and Moscow
Little help from the
countryside:
impoverished peasants –
Populist Movements of
the 1870s and later had
done little to improve
their lot
–No individual land
ownership
–Rural Famine
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14. Procession led by Father Gapon,
attacked by police at winter palace- 100
workers killed- 300 wounded- known as
‗Bloody Sunday‘.
Started series of events- known as:
1905 Revolution.
Strikes everywhere- unive. closed.
Middle class, lawyers, doct, engr,
demanded a constituent assembly.
Tsar allowed to form parliament: Duma
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15. After 1905 all unions banned-
severe restrictions-
after 75 days Duma was
dismissed- formed 2 Duma-
changed voting laws- filled
with more conservatives- no
questioning- no liberals/
revolutionaries.

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16. First World War
1914- 2 Alliances-
Germany, Austria &
Turkey[central power]
France , Birtain &
Russia and later Italy.
Global , fought out of
europe.
Tsar didn’t consult
Duma
Anti German feeling
St. Petersburg
(german name)
renamed as Petrograd.

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17. Tsarina Alexandra
was a German
Rasputin, a monk
and advisor to
king, made the
autocracy
unpopular.
Till 1916 faced
defeats from
Germany- 7 million
died 1914.
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18. Alexandra: The Power Behind the
Throne
Even more blindly
committed to
autocracy than her
husband
She was under the
influence of Rasputin
Origins of Rasputin’s
power - ?




Scandals surrounding
Rasputin served to
discredit the
monarchy
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19. 3 million refugees
Destruction of crops and buildings
Soldiers hesitated to fight.
Able bodied were recruited to
army
 so labour shortages
Industries collapsed
Shortage of food grains
High price
1916, riots for bread.
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20. conditions deteriorated,
rev. became possible,
esp. w/ Lenin‘s
involvement
he had gravitated
towards the Social Dem.
Workers‘ Party of George
Plekhanov – they believed
in dialectical materialism
and thus favoured
modernization/capitalism
(which the czars also
favoured as a measure to
catch up w/ the w.
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21. Conservatism Continues:
1905-1917
Tsar paid no
attention to the
Duma; it was
harassed and
political parties
suppressed –
only token land
reform was
passed
Nicholas was
personally a very
weak man; he
became
increasingly
remote as a ruler
Numerous soviets
thus began to
appear
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22. World War I: ―The Last Straw‖
War revealed the
ineptitude and
arrogance of the
country’s
aristocratic elite
Corrupt military
leadership had
contempt for
ordinary Russian
people
Average
peasants had
very little
invested in the
War
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23. World War I (cont)

ill-trained, ineffective
officers, poorly equipped
(Russ. was not ready for
ind. war) – the result
was mass desertions and
2 million casualties by
1915
Result: Chaos and
Disintegration of the
Russian Army
Battle of Tannenberg
(August, 1914) –
massive defeat at hands
of Hindenburg and Ger.
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24. The Collapse of the Imperial
Government
Nicholas left for the
Front—September, 1915
Alexandra and Rasputin
throw the government
into chaos
Alexandra and other
high government officials
accused of treason
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25. The Collapse of the Imperial
Government (cont)
Rasputin assassinated in
December of 1916
Complete
mismanagement of the
wartime economy
ind. production
plummeted, inflation and
starvation were rampant,
and the cities were
overflowing w/ refugees
they became a hotbed for
pol. activism, and this
was ignited by serious
food shortages in March
1917, esp. in St.
Petersburg
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26. The Two Revolutions of 1917
The March
Revolution
(March 12)
The November
Revolution
(November 6)
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27. The March
Revolution
Origins: Food riots/strikes
Duma declared itself a
Provisional Government on
March12
Tsar ordered soldiers to
intervene; instead they
joined the rebellion…the
Tsar thus abdicated on
March 17
the Menshevik Alexander
Kerensky headed the
Provisional Government,
along w/ Prince Lvov
–Very Popular Revolution
–Kerensky favoured gradual
socialist reform/ saw the war
effort as #1 priority



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28. Kornilov Affair
General Kornilov
attempted to
overthrow Provisional
Government with
military takeover
To prevent this
takeover, Kerensky
freed many Bolshevik
leaders from prison
and supplied arms to
many revolutionaries

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29. The Petrograd Soviet
leftists in St.
Petersburg formed the
Petrograd Soviet,
which they claimed to
be the legit. gov’t
Ger. was aware of the
Russ. situation and
began to concentrate
on the W. Front
Ger. even played a role
in returning Lenin to
Russia, so he could
foment rev.
–Having been
granted “safe
passage”, Lenin
returned in April
1917
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30. Soviet Political Ideology
More radical and
revolutionary than
the Provisional
Government
Most influenced by
Marxist socialism
Emulated western
socialism
Two Factions
-- ―Mensheviks‖
-- ―Bolsheviks‖
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31. Founder of Bolshevism: Vladimir Lenin
His Early Years
--Exiled to Siberia in 1897
Committed to Class Struggle
and Revolution
Moved to London in 1902
and befriended Leon Trotsky
What is to be Done?
–vanguard is required to lead
the rev. (thus rev. from
above)  this split the SDWP
in 2


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32. Lenin Steps into This Vacuum
Amnesty granted to all political
prisoners in March of 1917
Lenin’s arrival in Petrograd
A tremendously charismatic
personality
“Peace, Land, Bread”
“All Power to the Soviets”
He preached that the war was a
capitalist/imperialist war that
offered no rewards for the
peasants/workers; he also felt
the war was over w/ the czar’s
abdication
Bolshevik party membership
exploded; their power was
consolidated
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33. Lenin formed the
Military-Revolutionary
Council and in May
1917 he urged the Pet.
Soviet to pass Army
Order # 1
–This gave control of
the army to the
common soldiers;
discipline thus
collapsed, and
Kerensky was
undermined
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34. The November Revolution
Nov. 6, 1917…
this was the ideological
aspect of the rev., w/ the
coup itself planned by Leon
Trotsky, who had gained the
confidence of the army (=
the “Red Miracle”)
Lenin went on to consolidate
his power in Jan. 1918 when
he disbanded the
Constituent Assembly (had
replaced the Duma) – the
Bolsheviks had not gained a
majority there in late Nov.
elections - Russ. dem. thus
terminated  a Council of
People’s Commissars was
created
All private property was
abolished and divided among
the peasantry
Largest industrial
enterprises nationalized
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35. November Revolution (cont)
Political Police
organized: CHEKA
Revolutionary
army created with
Trotsky in charge
= “Red Army”
Bolshevik Party
renamed
Communist Party
in March of 1918
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36. November Revolution (cont)
Lenin’s 1st task was to
get Russia out of the war
so he could concentrate
on internal reform…
The Treaty of Brest-
Litovsk negotiated with
the Germans, giving them
much Russian territory,
population, and
resources
Civil War followed, 1917-
1920
“Reds” versus “Whites”
Complete breakdown of
Russian economy and
society
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37. Interpreting the Russian Revolution
The official Marxist
interpretation
 The importance of a
permanent international
revolution
Function of Russian
History and Culture
Imposed Revolution on
an unwilling victim
A Social Revolution…
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