THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

NOTES :-
THE AGE OF SOCIAL CHANGE
The French Revolution opened up the possibility of creating a
dramatic change in the way in which society was structured.
Not everyone in Europe, however, wanted a complete
transformation. Some were ‘conservatives’, while others were
‘liberals’ or ‘radicals’.
Liberals: Wanted a nation which tolerated all religions. They
were against the uncontrolled power of the dynastic
rulers.They wanted rights for individuals.They argued for an
elected parliamentary government, subject to laws interpreted
by a well trained judiciary that was independent of rulers and
officials. They were not democrats because they did not
believe in universal adult franchise.

Radicals: Wanted a nation in which government was based

on the majority of a country’s population. They disliked
concentration of property in hands of a few, not the existence
of private property.

Conservatives: They resisted change. After the revolution

they started accepting change provided it was slow and had
links and respected the past.

Industries and Social Change : This was the time of

economic and social change. It was also the beginning of the
industrial revolution. Men, women and children were pushed
into factories for low wages, Liberals and radicals who were
factory owners felt that  efforts must be encouraged so that
benefits of industrialization should be passed on to workers.
Socialism in Europe: Socialists were against private property
and saw it as root of social evils.They had different visions of
the future. Some believed in cooperatives, some demanded
that governments must encourage cooperatives.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels added that industrial society
was capitalist. Marx believed that a socialist society would
free the workers from capitalism. This would be a communist
society.

Support for Socialism  : Socialists formed an organization

called ‘Second International’ to spread socialist ideas.
Workers in Germany and England began forming associations
to fight for better living conditions. They set up funds for
members in distress, reduction of working hours and right to
vote.

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

In 1914,  Tsar Nicholas II ruled the Russian empire.
Economy and Society: Most of the Russian
population( about 85 %) were agriculturalist. Industries were
being set up which was mostly private property of
industrialists. Workers were divided into groups but they did
unite to strike work when they were dissatisfied. Peasants had
no respect for nobility, very unlike the French peasant.
Russian peasants were the only peasant community which
pooled their land and their commune divided it.

Socialism in Russia: All political parties were illegal in

Russia before 1914.
The Russian Socialist Democratic Labour Party was formed in
1898. It struggled to give peasants their rights over land that
belonged to nobles. As land was divided among peasants
periodically which makes them natural socialist  and it was
felt that peasants and not workers would be the main source of
the revolution. But Lenin did not agree with this as he felt that
peasants were not one social group. The party was divided
into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

The 1905 Revolution : Russia was an autocracy. The Tsar

was not subject to the parliament. Liberals wanted to end this
state of affairs. They worked towards demanding a
constitution during the Revolution of 1905.

Bloody Sunday : Prices of essential goods rose so quickly by

1904 that the real wages declined by 20%. During this time,
four members of the Putilov Iron Works were dismissed.
Action was called for. Over 110,000 workers in St. Petersburg
went on strike demanding a reduction in working hours and
increase in wages.  The procession was led by Father
Gapon.This procession was attacked by the police and
Cossacks. Over 100 workers were killed. Strikes took place as
a reaction. People demanded a constituent assembly.
The Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative
Parliament or Duma. The Tsar dismissed the first Duma
within 75 days and announced the election of a second Duma.
The First World War and the Russian Empire: In Russia,
the war was initially very popular but later the support grew
thin. Anti-German sentiments ran high. Russian armies lost
badly in Germany and Austria. There were 7 million
casualties and 3 million refugees in Russia.
The war also affected the industry. There was labour shortage,
railway lines were shut down and small workshops were
closed down. There was shortage of grain and hence of bread.
THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION IN PETROGRAD
Events
  In the winter of 1917, Petrograd was grim. There was
food shortage in the workers’ quarters.
 22 February : a lockout took place at a factory. Workers
of 50 other factories joined in sympathy. Women also led
and participated in the strikes. This came to be called
the International Women’s Day.
 The government imposed a curfew as the quarters of the
fashionable area and official buildings were surrounded
by workers.
 On the 24th and 25th, the government called out the
cavalry and police to keep an eye on them.
 On 25th February, the government suspended the Duma
and politicians spoke against this measure. The people
were out with force once again.
 On 27th, the police headquarters were ransacked.
 Cavalry was called out again however it refused to fire
on demonstrators.
 An officer was shot at the barracks of a regiment and
other regiments mutinied, voting to join the striking
workers gathered to form a soviet or council. This was
the Petrograd Soviet.
 A delegation went to meet the Tsar, military
commanders advised him to abdicate.
 The Tsar abdicated on 2nd March.
 A Provincial Government was formed by the Soviet and
Duma leaders to run the country.
The people involved were the parliamentarians, workers,
women workers, soldiers and military commanders.
Effects
 Restrictions on public meetings and associations were
removed.
 Soviets were set up everywhere.
 In individual areas factory committees were formed
which began questioning the way industrialists ran their
factories.
 Soldiers’ committees were formed in the army.
 The provisional government saw its power declining and
Bolshevik influence grow. It decided to take stern
measures against the spreading discontent.
 It resisted attempts by workers to run factories and
arrested leaders.
 Peasants and the socialist revolutionary leaders pressed
for a redistribution of land. Land committees were
formed and peasants seized land between July and
September 1917.
OCTOBER REVOLUTION
 16th October 1917 — Lenin persuaded the Petrograd
Soviet and Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure
of power. A Military Revolutionary Committee was
appointed by the Soviet to organise seizure.
 Uprising began on 24th October. Prime Minister
Kerenskii left the city to summon troops.
 Military men loyal to the government seized the
buildings of two Bolshevik newspapers. Pro-government
troops were sent to take over telephone and telegraph
offices and protect the Winter Palace.
  In response Military Revolutionary Committee ordered
to seize government offices and arrest the ministers.
 The ‘Aurora’ ship shelled the Winter Palace. Other ships
took over strategic points.
 By night the city had been taken over and ministers had
surrendered.
 All Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd approved
the Bolshevik action.
 Heavy fighting in Moscow — by December, the
Bolsheviks controlled the Moscow – Petrograd area.
The people involved were Lenin, the Bolsheviks, troops (pro-
government).
Effects
 Most industry and banks were nationalised in November
1917.
 Land was declared social property and peasants were
allowed to seize the land of the nobility.
 Use of old aristocratic titles was banned.
 New uniforms were designed for the army and officials.
 Russia became a one party state.
 Trade unions were kept under party control.
 A process of centralised planning was introduced. This
led to economic growth.
 Industrial production increased.
 An extended schooling system developed.
 Collectivisation of farms started.
The Civil War — When the Bolsheviks ordered land
redistribution, the Russian army began to break up. Non-
Bolshevik socialists, liberals and supporters of autocracy
condemned the Bolshevik uprising. They formed their troops
and were called ‘Greens’ which would fight against Bolshevik
‘Red’. The pro Tsar ‘Whites” controlled most of the Russian
empire. They were supported by French, American, British
and Japanese troops. All these fought a war with the
Bolsheviks.
Making a Socialist Society — The Bolsheviks kept industries
and banks nationalised during the civil war. A process of
centralised planning was introduced. Rapid construction and
industrialisation started. An extended schooling system
developed.
Stalin and Collective Farming — Stalin believed that rich
peasants and traders stocked supplies to create shortage of
grains. Hence, collectivisation was the need of the hour. This
system would also help to modernize farms. Those farmers
who resisted collectivisation were punished, deported or
exiled.
GLOBAL INFLUENCE
By the 1950s, it was recognised in the country and outside
that everything was not in keeping with the ideals of the
Russian revolution. Though its industries and agriculture had
developed and the poor were being fed, the essential freedom
to its citizens was being denied. However, it was recognised
that social ideals still enjoyed respect among the Russians.
But in each country the ideas of socialism were rethought in a
variety of different ways.