Table of Contents
Introducing
Causes of Bolshevik and Russian Revolution
World War I
The outcomes
In conclusion
Initially, this is an overview.
The Russian Revolution was a series Russian events that saw first the overthrowing of the system and then the overthrowing of the liberal Provisional Government ( Duma). This led to the establishment by the Bolshevik party as the Soviet power. The Soviet Union was eventually established, and lasted until 1991.
There are two phases to the Revolution.
The February Revolution of 1917 was a revolution that overthrew the autocracy under Tsar Nicholas II, Russia’s last effective Tsar, and established a liberal republic.
The October Revolution saw the Bolshevik and workers’ Soviets lead by Vladimir Lenin defeat the Provisional Government. While there were many important historical events that occurred in Moscow or St. Petersburg, there was also an extensive movement in the rural areas where peasants seize and redistribute land.
Causes of both the Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Revolution1917 witnessed two distinct revolutions: the overthrowing of the Tsarist regime (February Revolution) as well as the formation of the Provisional Government. The October Revolution saw the Bolsheviks take over the Provisional Government. The causes of these two revolutions encompass Russia’s political, social, and economic situation.Politically, the people of Russia resented the autocracy of Tsar Nicholas II and the corrupt and anachronistic elements in his government. Socially, Russia was behind Europe’s other countries in agriculture and industry. This meant that the Russian Tsarist Russia had few opportunities to provide fair advancement for peasants or industrial workers. Inflation and food scarcity in Russia were major factors in the revolution’s economic success. Militarily, Russia suffered huge losses from World War I because of insufficient supplies and logistics. This further hurt Russia’s perception of Nicholas II. They considered him weak and unfit for the throne.
In the end, the Russian Revolution was a combination these four and the development of a revolutionary idea, movement, and ideology of Communism by Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin.
The causes and consequences of revolutions:
Financial
Russia’s outdated economy was largely responsible for the economic causes of Russia’s Revolution. Russia’s agriculture was largely run by independent peasants and had little to no modern machinery. Russia was blessed with a mild climate that allowed for a short growing season. Its average growing season was only 6 to 9 months. Western Europe’s average is 8-9 months. Russia is the largest exporter and importer of agricultural products around the globe, even though its vast territory was much larger than the population.
Community
The Tsarist regime’s oppression of the lower class for centuries and Nicholas’s failures at World War I led to the social causes that led to the Russian Revolution. Although the 1861 emancipation of rural agrarian farmers from serfdom was a significant step, the peasants still felt the need to make redemption payments and demand communal tender of the land on which they work. In the pursuit of securing land ownership, peasant rebellions and even full revolts increased. Russia was dominated predominantly by poor farmers with just 1.5% owning 25%.
Rapid industrialization in Russia led to urban overcrowding, and poor working conditions for urban workers. Between 1890-1910, St Petersburg’s population grew by 1,033,600 to 1,905,600. Moscow experienced a similar growth. A 1904 survey revealed that there were sixteen people sharing each apartment in St Petersburg. The average number of people living in each room was six. The workers were also exposed to human waste and no running water.
The chaos was only made worse by the outbreak of World War I. Russia’s unwilling soldiers were forced to enlist. There was a huge demand for workers and war supplies in factories, which led to many labor riots. In order to replace skilled workers in cities, Conscription was implemented. Workers fled cities in large numbers to find food.
The soldiers were also dissatisfied with Russia’s poor accounting during the war.
Government
Most Russian society was dissatisfied by the current autocratic system. They didn’t have representation in government, while the Tsar was completely out of touch.
The Bloody Sunday massacre saw thousands of unarmed protestors being shot by Tsar troops, resulting in Russian workers’ dissatisfaction. After the massacre, strikes erupted throughout the country. Nicholas published his October Manifesto promising a democratic legislature (the State Duma), to placate the people. The Tsar nullified Nicholas’ promises of Democracy by removing Article 87 from the 1906 Fundamental State Laws. He also dismissed the first and second Dumas for not cooperating. These unfulfilled democracy hopes led to revolutionary ideas and violent attacks on the Tsarist system.
It seems that Tsar Nicholas II did not consider Russia a constitutional country and he remained steadfast in his desire for an Autocratic Russia.
“Let’s make it known to everyone that I…will maintain the principle autocracy equally firmly and unflinchingly like my unforgettable father'” – Tsar Nicholas 2 in 1906, in a speech before the Duma.
The Russian Empire was still reeling from the humiliating defeat suffered at the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. Nicholas wanted to restore Russia’s prestige after the war. Nicholas wanted to unify the various peoples of his empire and unite them by directing military forces at the Central Powers and Germany. By doing this, he believed he could distract people from ongoing problems such as poverty, inequality, poor working conditions, and other sources of discontent.
World War I would have horrifying consequences for Russia’s military, political, and diplomatic standing and could even be used to undermine it. Incompetent officers and generals led the troops, who were not well-equipped with weapons from the start. Also, logistical problems were a result of Russia’s badly maintained roads. Nearly everywhere Russian forces met German forces with superior weapons, military talent, logistics.
World War IRussia’s history is one of failure during World War I. It is only a small part of its history. Russia’s military failures in recent times are not new. Russia had already lost a war against Japan in 1903-04, long before the First World War. In the same war, Japan sunk most of Russia’s navy. While Russia was successful in its initial battle against Austria-Hungary 1914, Russia soon discovered its weaknesses, particularly with regard to the equipment of its soldiers as well as the lack of modern technology (telephones and aeroplanes) that made it more difficult for them to defeat the enemy.
Russia’s war’s most important battle was a disaster. The 1914 Battle of Tannenberg saw more than 120,000 Russian troops die, be wounded, or capture, while Germany only suffered 20,000 casualties. The Russian government lost any patriotic or nationalistic support it had gained during the initial period leading to the war.
Things took a serious turn when Germany switched its attack focus to the Eastern Front in 1915. The superior German army was more effective than the Russians, as it was more well-trained, better-equipped, and had better leadership. Russia had almost five million men by the time of October 1916. They had also lost 1.6 to 1.8 million soldiers. These were huge losses. These were devastating losses. Soldiers became starving and were without food, water, munitions, or even weapons. Sometimes whole regiments went to war without guns.
ResultsNicholas was largely responsible for all the crises. His support system began to collapse. In November 1916, the State Duma warned Nicholas that a constitution-based government would be necessary to stem the growing discontent. Nicholas ignored the warnings, in typical Nicholas fashion. In the end, Russia’s Tsarist government collapsed shortly after the February Revolution 1917. The execution of the Tsar, along with his family, took place one year later. Nicholas’s poor handling of the War and country would eventually endanger the Tsarist regime. It would also cost him his life.
The February Revolution of 1917 occurred in Russia, during which the Tsar was overthrown and the Provisional Government was established.
The Russian political and economic crisis had caused the February Revolution to take place. It happened seemingly by accident when Petrograd, Russia’s capital, began to protest the war and the food shortages.
As protests escalated, various radical and liberal left-leaning political reformists started to coordinate their actions. Petrograd’s protests turned violent in February when large numbers clashed between police and soldiers. This was followed by a total strike. The majority of Petrograd soldiers were forced to join the protests. In the end, the people who took power occupied all the major places within the city. This had lead to the abdication by Tsar Nicholas 2 in a almost bloodless transfer of power.
A Provisional Government had been formed. Between February-October revolutionaries worked through the Petrograd Soviet to promote further change. Alexander Kerensky, a popular and young lawyer, was the driving force behind provisional government. Kerensky, who was also the minister of warfare, decided to support the Russian efforts in World War I despite its enormous popularity. Kerensky offensive was launched by new generals. The offensive started well, but turned into yet more defeat. Kerensky’s government attempted to intimidate soldiers into fighting by creating the Women’s Battalion. However, this failed. His failure to win the war brought a lot of resentment among the people.
Civil War
Millions of people suffered and died in the Russian Civil War. It broke out shortly after the revolution. The Red Army (‘Reds”), which included radical communists and revolutionaries, fought the war against the Whites (the monarchists. The Whites were supported by countries like the UK, France and USA as well as Japan.
Nestor Makhno, a Ukrainian anarchist leader, also participated in the Civil War. Mikhail Frunze, a Bolshevik leader, decimated the Makhnovists. A secondary role was played by the so-called “Green Army”, which were nationalists and anarchists.
In a peaceful coup d’etat, the Provisional Government buildings were captured by the Red Guards on November 7th and 8. The Bolsheviks took power and declared Soviet rule. Lenin became the leader of the first communist country in the world.
Trotsky, Lenin, and Trotsky stated that Russia would never achieve socialism without the achievements of the world’s proletariat. Without the German Revolution. A revolutionary wave was indeed sustained until 1923.
There are many views and opinions on this issue from different Marxist parties and groups. Stalin rejected the idea and stated that socialism could be achieved in one country.
The confusion around Stalin’s position is caused by the fact that Stalin used Lenin’s argument, namely that socialism depends on workers from other countries, to defeat his enemies within the party. He accused them of betraying Lenin.
Conclusion: The 1917 revolution and World War I were the catalysts that turned Russia upside down. The war had already claimed 4 million lives and left 7.5 million Russians homeless. The Russian Revolution, which is an internal and outside movement, has been deemed large enough that it can be considered a national social movement.