The Russian revolution

CHAPTER TIMELINE

1850s 1880s: During this time, people in Russia were talking a lot.
They were worried about how hard life was for workers in factories.
They thought about socialism as a way to make things better for
everyone.

1898: In the late 1800s, a special group was created the Russian
Social Democratic Workers Party. This was the start of organized
groups that wanted socialism in Russia.

2nd January 1905: In 1905, something terrible happened. People were

peacefully protesting in St. Petersburg, but then the soldiers
started shooting. This event was called "Bloody Sunday." After
that, there were protests and strikes all over Russia.

April 1917: A bit later, in April 1917, a famous person named

Vladimir Lenin came back to Russia from a faraway place. His
return was important because he wanted big changes.

2nd March 1917: Just a little while after that, the king, Tsar Nicholas I,
decided he didn't want to be king anymore. He gave up his throne on
March 2nd. A new government took over, but it had its own
problems.

November 1917: Things really changed in November 1917. The

Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, took over the city of Petrograd in what they
called the "October Revolution." This was a big deal because it
changed who was in charge and how things worked.

Most of the banks and industries were taken over: After the
Bolsheviks took control, they started running most of the banks and
factories. This was different from how things were before.
Elections for the first time: With the Bolsheviks in charge, they
decided to have elections. It was the first time people got to vote for
their leaders in Russia.

March 1918: In March 1918, the Bolshevik government did something

important. They made peace with Germany and stopped fighting in
World War I.

December 1922: As time went by, Russia transformed into

something new. In December 1922, they officially created the
Soviet Union from the old Russian Empire. It was like a brand
new country.

After the French Revolution, new ideas ' about'individual rights' and
'societal changes' began to be discussed in Europe and Asia.

Not Everyone in Europe, however, wanted a complete transformation

of society. There were groups who wanted to change society
according to their thoughts and visions

. # Liberals, Radicals and Conservatives were the three main groups

that emerged during this period:

Liberals:

1. Being Nice to All Religions: Liberals wanted a country where

everyone could follow their own religion without any problems.

2. Stopping the King's Superpowers: They didn't like it when kings

had too much power. They wanted to make sure regular people had
their rights protected against the government.

3. Not Full Democrats: Liberals weren't all for full democracy, which
means everyone can vote. They thought only people with property
should be allowed to vote.

4. No Voting for Women: They also thought that women shouldn't

have the right to vote.

#Radicals:

1. People Should Decide: Radicals wanted a government where most

of the people in the country got to say what should happen. They
believed that what most people wanted should be the most
important thing

. 2. Not a Fan of Rich People: Radicals didn't like it when rich

landowners. and factory owners got special treatment. They wanted
things to be. more fair and not just for the rich.

#Conservatives:

1. Not a Fan of Big Changes: Conservatives didn't like the idea of

everything changing all at once. They wanted things to stay pretty
much the same

2. Slow and Steady Change: After seeing the problems caused by the
French Revolution, they thought that some changes were needed, but
they wanted those changes to happen slowly and carefully.

# Industrial Society and Social Change:

1. Big Changes Because of Factories: A long time ago, factories and

machines started to appear, and this made a lot of changes happen in
our lives.

2. New Things Popped Up: With these factories, new cities, special
areas where factories were, railways, and something called the
Industrial Revolution came about.

3. People Working in Factories: However, there was a problem. Many

people, including men, women, and even kids, had to work in these
factories. They had to work for a really long time, and they didn't get
much money for it
. 4. Trying to Find Solutions: Some people, like the Liberals and
Radicals, wanted to find ways to fix these problems. It's interesting
that many of the people who owned these factories were liberals and
Radicals too!

They believed that workers should be treated better.

They thought that if workers were healthy and educated, it would
help everyone in the country.

5. Making Everyone Equal: One idea they had was to create "nations"
where everyone had the same rights. This means that no one would
be treated unfairly just because of who they were.

* The Coming of Socialism in Europe: In the middle of the 19th

century, a big idea called 'Socialism' became really popular. People
who liked this idea were called socialists.

1. No More Private Property: One important thing to know about

socialism is that socialists didn't like the idea of private property. They
thought that things like land and factories should be owned by
everybody, not just one person.

2. Different Dreams for the Future: Socialists had different ideas

about what the world should look like in the future. Let's talk about
three of them:
• Robert Owen (1771-1858): He thought it would be a good idea for
people to work together in a special community called New Harmony
in Indiana, USA, Imagine everyone helping each other out!
• Louis Blanc (1813-1882): Louis liked the idea of people working
together too, but he thought that the government should help make
it happen. Teamwork with government support!

• Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1899): -These two

friends had some big ideas. They said that our world was a
"capitalist" place where a few people made a lot of money because of
our hard working workers.
Mark believed that to free themselves from capitalist exploitation,
workers had to construct a radically socialist society where property.
there was no more private property. This would be 'communist
society'.

#Support for Socialism:

Around the year 1870, a lot of people in Europe started to really like
the idea of socialism. They thought it could make life better for
workers.

1. Workers Fight for Better Conditions: In places like England and

Germany, workers started coming together to form groups. These
groups wanted to make sure workers had good living and working
conditions.
- They were tired of tough times.
2. Germany's Special Connection: In Germany, these worker groups
worked closely with a political party called the Social Democratic
Party (SPD)
. Together, they were able to win seats in the government. This was a
big deal

3. New Parties in Britain and France: Around 1905, socialists and

people. from Labour Unions in Britain decided to start their own
party, called the labour Party. In France, they did something similar
and created the Socialist Party.
4. Trying to Lead the Government: Even though socialists were
working really hard and winning seats in government, they didn't get
to run the whole government until 1914
. That's a long time! Still, their ideas became super important.
They helped shape the laws and rules in their countries.
The Russian Revolution

The fall of Monarchy in February 1917 and the events of October are
generally known as the "Russian Revolution".

#The Russian Empire in 1914:

1. The Ruler: In 1914, Russia was under the rule of Tsar Nicholas II. 2.
The Main Religion: Most of the people in Russia followed a religion.

called Russian Orthodox Christianity. But there were also Catholics,

Protestants, Muslims, and Buddhists.

#Russian Economy and Society:

1. Farming Country: About 85% of the Russian population were

farmers. They grew food and took care of animals.

2. Not Many Factories: There weren't many factories in Russia, and the
few that existed were mostly near places like St. Petersburg and
Moscow.

3. New Factories: In the 1890s, more factories started to appear

because Russia built more railways, and other countries invested
money in Russia.

4. Getting Stronger: With these new factories, Russia was making

more coal and steel than before.
5. Working Conditions: The people who worked in these factories
had different experiences. Some had good hours and pay because
the government watched over them. But others had to work for really
long. hours in smaller workshops.

6. Standing Together: Even though workers had differences, they

would unite and stop working if they didn't agree with their bosses
about working conditions
. 7. Countryside Life: In the countryside, most people were peasants.
They were farmers who grew crops on the land.

#Socialism in Russia:

1. No Legal Parties in Russia: Before the year 1914, it was against the
law to have any political parties in Russia. But, even though it was
illegal, one party called "The Russian Social Democratic Workers
Party" started in 1898. These were socialists who liked the ideas of a
guy named Marx.

2. However, because of government policing, it had to operate

illegally.

3. Dividing Among Socialists: Within this socialist group, there was a

split. Some Russian socialists thought that the way Russian peasants
shared land from time to time made them natural socialists

. 4. A New Party: In the year 1900, these socialists formed a new party.
called the Socialist Revolutionary Party.

They wanted to make sure peasants had rights and that land owned
by rich nobles should begiven to the peasants.

5. But not all socialists agreed on this.

6. Lenin's View: Vladimir Lenin, who was the leader of a group called
the Bolsheviks, thought that peasants weren't all the same. Some
were poar, some were rich, some worked for others, and some were
like bosses who hired workers. Because of these differences, he
believed that not all of them could be part of a socialist movement.

7. Divided About Organization: The party was also split on how they
should organize themselves. Lenin wanted a strict and disciplined
party with high-quality members.

8. On the other hand, there were others, called the Mensheviks, who
thought the party should be open to everyone, like it was in
Germany.

#The 1905 Revolution

1. All Power with the Tsar: Russia was ruled by a tsar, which means
that all the power was in his hands. Nobody else had much say in
how things worked.

2. People Want Change: The citizens of Russia wanted things to be

different. Liberals, Social Democrats, and Socialist Revolutionaries

Joined forces with workers and peasants during something called the
1905 Revolution. They were demanding a constitution, which is like a
set of rules for how the country should be run. 3. Tough Times
Because of the Tsar: Because of this one-person rule by the Tsar, the
country had a tough time. The economy wasn't doing well,

and people were struggling.

The 1905 Revolution: 1. Workers United: A lot of angry workers joined

workers' associations.
2. Big Strike: More than 110,000 workers in St. Petersburg went on
strike. They wanted shorter work hours, better pay, and better

conditions. 3. Bloody Sunday: When a group of workers led by a man

named Father Gapon reached the Winter Palace, the police and the
Cossacks attacked them. Over 100 workers were killed, and about 300
were hurt. This terrible event became known as Bloody Sunday and
started a big chain of events called the 1905 Revolution.

Consequences of Bloody Sunday:

1. Strikes Everywhere: People all over the country started striking. 2.

Closed Universities: Universities had to be shut down because of all

the protests. 3. Middle-Class Workers Unite: lawyers, doctors, and

other middle-class workers formed a big group.

The Tsar's Response:

1. Feeling the Pressure: The Tsar was under a lot of pressure because
of

all the protests. So, he allowed the creation of an elected parliament.

called the Duma. 2. Dissolving the Duma: However, within just 75
days, he dissolved the

Duma and elected a new one. 3. Packed Duma: The third Duma was
chosen in a way that only

conservative politicians got in. They didn't want to give up any of

their

power.

In Simple Words:

Russia was ruled by a powerful Tsar. The people wanted change, so

they protested during the 1905 Revolution, demanding a set of rules
called a constitution. The tough times in the country were because of
the Tsar's one-person rule. The protests led to a lot of strikes,
universities being closed, and middle-class workers forming groups.
The Tsar gave in to some demands by allowing an elected parliament
called the Duma, but he dissolved it quickly and made sure only
conservatives were in the next one to keep his power.
#The First World War and The Russian Empire 1. The Big War Begins
in 1914: In the year 1914, a huge war started, and

it involved two groups of countries. Germany, Austria, and Turkey

were on one side, and France, Britain, and Russia were on the other. 2.
A War Beyond Europe: This war wasn't just in Europe; it reached far
beyond. That's why it was called the First World War. 3. People
Supporting the Tsar: At the beginning of the war, people in Russia
supported Tsar Nicholas II. But as time went on, the Tsar didn't listen
to the main group in the Duma (a kind of parliament), and people
started to become unhappy.

How the War Was Fought:

1. Different Battlefields: The way the war was fought in the east,
where Russia was, was different from the western front. In the west,
armies. stayed in long trenches in France. But in the east, armies
moved a lot and had many battles. 2. Defeats in the East: Russia's
armies suffered big defeats in Germany. and Austria between 1914
and 1916.

Impact of the First World War: 1. Many Casualties: By 1917, more than
7 million people in Russia were hurt or killed because of the war.

2. Destroying Crops and Homes: The Russian army destroyed crops

and buildings to stop the enemy from getting food and shelter.. This
made over 3 million people leave their homes and become refugees
in Russia. 3. Problems for Industries: The war also

caused problems for factories and

businesses. There weren't enough workers

because many were off fighting in the war.

4. Railways Shut Down: By 1916, the railways

that helped transport things started to

close down.

5. Closing Small Workshops: Many small workshops had to close

because of the war.

6. Shortage of Food: There wasn't enough food, especially grains, and

by the winter of 1916, people were so desperate for bread that they
started rioting at bread shops.

The February Revolution

in Petrograd In the year 1917, the city of Petrograd (the capital) was
facing some very

serious problems. Divided City: The city had two sides. On the right
bank of the River Neva, you had the workers" quarters and factories.
On the left bank, there were fancy areas, the Winter Palace (where the
royal family lived), and the Duma (a kind of parliament),

Conditions in Petrograd:

1. Food Shortage: In February 1917, there was a big problem in

Petrograd there just wasn't enough food. This was especially bad in
the areas

where the workers lived. 2. Terribly Cold Winter: The winter that year
was incredibly cold. This cold weather made it really hard for crops to
grow. So, there was even

Less food.

3. Argument About the Duma: The Tsar, who was the ruler, wanted to
close down the Duma (a kind of parliament). But the people in the
Duma, called parliamentarians, didn't agree with him. They wanted
the Duma to keep working.

22 February: A Special Day:

On this day, something important happened. Women who worked in

many factories went on strike, which means they stopped working.
This day later became known as International Women's Day. •
Because the government didn't like this strike, they imposed a curfew.
A curfew is a rule that says people must stay indoors after a certain
time.

25 February: The Tsar Takes Action:

A few days later, on the 25th of February, the Tsar (the ruler) did
something big. He suspended which means he stopped, the Duma (a
type of parliament).

27 February: Things Get Serious:

This day was even more important. The Police Headquarters got
damaged, and a police officer was shot.

At one of the army bases, the soldiers rebelled, which means they
refused to do what they were told. They voted to join the workers
who. were on strike.

These striking workers and the rebellious soldiers got together in the
same building where the Duma used to meet. They formed
something. called a 'soviet' or 'council.' This special council was called
the "Petrograd Soviet."

Leaders from this Soviet and leaders from the Duma formed a new
government called the Provisional Government. This government was
set up to run the country. The February Revolution in Petrograd
played a big role in bringing down the monarchy in February 1917.

#After February

After the February Revolution, some really important changes

happened

in Russia.

1. Freedom to Gather: People were finally allowed to have public

meetings and gatherings. This meant they could come together and

freely share their ideas and thoughts. 2. Soviets Arrive: A new thing
called "Soviets" came into existence. These were like councils made
up of workers and soldiers. But here's the tricky part there wasn't just
one way of picking the people who would represent these Soviets. It
was a bit different in different places. 3. Lenin's Big Return: In April
1917, someone named Vladimir Lenin, who was a leader of a group
called the Bolsheviks, came back to Russia after being in exile (away
from the country). He had three really important demands, which
were called "Lenin's April Theses": a. Stop the ongoing war.

b. Give land to the peasants. c. Take control of the banks.

4. Bolshevik Party Shake-Up: Lenin also wanted to change things up

in his own party, the Bolsheviks. He wanted them to become more
radical and adopt new goals. But not everyone in the party agreed
with this big change,
5. Workers' Movement Spreads: People who worked in factories
began to come together more and more. They formed groups called
"factory committees and "trade unions" to help them stand up for
their rights.
6. Soldiers Have Their Say: Soldiers also wanted their voices to be
heard, so they created committees that would look out for their
interests. 7. July Demonstrations: In July 1917, the Bolsheviks
organized some big protests and demonstrations to show what they
wanted. But the government at that time, which was called the
provisional government, didn't like it and used force to stop them.

# The Revolution of October 1917: 1. Lenin's Concerns: After the

February Revolution, there were a lot of problems between the
Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks. The leader of the
Bolsheviks, Lenin, was worried that the Provisional Government might
become a dictatorship, where one person has all the power.

2. Planning for Uprising: In September, lenin started talking about

doing something big to change the government. He wanted to do an
"uprising," which means a sudden and often violent attempt to
change the government.

3. Revolutionary Committee: On October 16, 1917, the Petrograd

Soviet (that's like a council of workers and soldiers) and the Bolshevik
party agreed that they wanted to have a government that followed
socialist ideas.

They formed a special group called a "military revolutionary

committee," and it was led by someone named Leon Trotsky.

4. Taking Control: Then, on the night of October 24, the Bolshevik

forces made their move. They took control of important government
buildings. By the next day, they had control of the whole city, and the
government ministers gave up and surrendered.
What Changed After October?
1. Nationalisation: After the October Revolution, in November 1917,
the government took control of most of the industries and banks. i,e,
they

became 'Nationalised'. 2. Land for Peasants: The government also

decided that the land, the fields where crops grow, should belong to
everyone in society, not just a

take land from the rich landowners.

few rich people. So, peasants, the people who worked on the land,
could 3. Social Changes: The big fancy houses owned by rich people
were divided into smaller parts so that more families could live in
them based

on their needs. And the use of titles like "Lord" or "lady" was not
allowed anymore. 4. New Clothes: The army and government workers
got new uniforms.

They had a competition to design these new uniforms, and they were
used in 1918. 5. Party Name Change: The political party that Lenin
belonged to, the

Bolshevik Party, changed its name. It became the Russian Communist

Party (Bolshevik). "Bolshevik" means "majority" in Russian.. 6.

Elections and Dismissal: The Bolsheviks tried to win elections in
November 1917, but they didn't get the most votes. In January 1918,
the Assembly, which was like a big meeting where important
decisions were made, said no to what the Bolsheviks wanted. So,
Lenin said, "Never

mind, and got rid of the Assembly. 7. Peace with Germany: In March
1918, the Bolsheviks made a peace deal with Germany in a place
called Brest-Litovsk. They wanted to end the Fighting with Germany.

#Russia A one party state:

Bolshevik became the only party to participate in the elections to the

all-Russian congress of Soviets which became the parliament of the
country.

Effects 1. Trade unions were kept under party control 2. The secret
police punished those who criticised the Bolshevik.

#The Civil War

1. Army Falling Apart: When the Bolsheviks started giving land to

peasants, the Russian army began to fall apart. Many soldiers left the
army to go home and be part of the land changes. They wanted to
get their piece of land..

2. Different Sides in the War: Not everyone liked what the Bolsheviks.
were doing. People who didn't support them, like other socialists,
liberals, and those who liked the old way of having a powerful ruler
(autocracy), didn't agree with the Bolsheviks. They went to a place in
Southern Russia and formed groups to fight against the Bolsheviks. 3.
Different Colours: The groups in this war were given names based on

colours. The Bolsheviks were called the "Red" side because of their
red flags. Those who wanted changes but weren't Bolsheviks were
called "Green."

People who supported the old ruler, the Tsar, were known as "White."
4. Bolshevik Victory and Mistakes: By January 1920, the Bolsheviks
controlled most of Russia. They won because they worked together
with people from different areas who wanted to defend their own
way of life. But in Central Asia, in a place called Kheva, the Bolsheviks
were really tough and killed local people who wanted to keep their
own identity.

#Formation of USSR:

The Bolsheviks made a new country called the Soviet Union (USSR) in
December 1922. In this new country, many different groups that
weren't Russian got to have more freedom and make decisions about
their own areas.

#Making of a Socialist Society:

1. During the civil war, the government introduced a new way of

planning how the country should work. They called it "centralized
planning." This means that the government made all the important
decisions about the economy. 2. Officials assessed how the economy
could work & set targets for a

five years period. The government fixed all prices to promote

industrial growth during the first two plans (1927-1932 & 1933-1938)

Effects of 5 Year Plan:

The country's economy grew, which means it got better.

• Factories produced more oil, steel, and coal, making the country

stronger.

• New cities with factories popped up.

• Schools were improved, and more children got to learn. • Places

where parents could leave their kids, called "creches," were made.

• Health services became cheaper and more available to people.

Cons of above plan:

• Building things quickly led to bad working conditions for the people
who did the building. • For example, in a city called Magnitogorsk,
they built a steel factory

in just three years. That's very fast! Workers had a tough life, and
there were 550 strikes, which means

they stopped working, just in the first year alone.

Stalinism And Collectivisation:

When Russia was figuring out how to run its economy, a big issue
came up: the way farms were organized. The government set prices
for crops, but many farmers didn't want to sell at those prices.
1. Stalin Takes Charge: After Lenin, another leader named Stalin
became the boss. He believed that some rich farmers were keeping
crops to sell later when prices were higher.

2. Farming Together: To fix the problem of not having enough food,

they decided to make farmers work together in big groups called
"collective farms" or "Kolkhoz." They thought small farms couldn't
become modern, so they wanted big farms controlled by the
government instead.

3. The Program Starts: In 1929, the government said that all farmers
had to join these collective farms.
They shared the money they made from the land.

4. Angry Farmers: Many farmers didn't like this idea. They resisted
and even got rid of their animals.
By 1929-1931, a third of the animals were gone.
5. Action against who criticised Stain: Those who fought back were
treated very badly. Many were sent away or even killed.
The famines of 1930-1933 caused a lot of people to go hungry and
suffer.
The Global Influence of the Russian Revolution and the USSR: 1.
Spread of Communism: The ideas of the Russian Revolution and the

USSR had a big impact around the world. Many countries started
forming communist parties, like the Communist Party of Great Britain.
2. Encouraging Voices: The Bolsheviks inspired people to speak up
and fight for what they believed in. 3. Global Meetings: People from
other countries, not just Russia, joined a conference called the
"Peoples of the East" in 1920. They shared ideas.

and supported the Bolsheviks.

4. International Union: The Bolsheviks started a group called

Comintern". This group brought together socialist parties that

supported

the Bolsheviks. They worked together internationally,