9.2.1 The Russian Revolution - T -

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

9. The Time of World Wars

INTERBELLUM

9.2.1 The Russian Revolution

Lesson series 9.2

9.1 was about World War 1.

9.2 is about the time between World War 1 and World War 2. 

We call this period (1919 - 1939) "the Interbellum". ("inter" = between, "bellum" = war)

You will learn how democracy was challenged when economic crises hit Europe. Several countries turned away from democracy and started their own political experiments, with devastating effects:

1. Communism in Russia
2. Fascism in Italy and Spain
   
3. National-Socialism in Germany.
   

These new (dictatorial) ideologies would lead Europe to a new World War.

You can find out about these 3 ideologies in a separate Lesson.

people in this lesson

Nicholas II

czar (emperor)

Russia

Rasputin

mad wizard

Russia

Lenin

Communist leader

Soviet Union

Karl Marx

"father" of communism

Germany

Word Duty

serfdom: Medieval system in which peasants (serfs) lived on a piece of land, owned by a wealthy landlord. The serfs paid for the use of the farm and land by giving the landlord part of their produce.

Duma: Russian parliament

soviet: revolutionary council of labourers or peasants in Russia before 1917; also: citizen of the Soviet Union (Soviet)

communism: system of social organisation in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to his ability and needs

Bolshevik: member of the political party of Lenin

April theses: Lenin's promises to the Russian people when he returned to Russia in April 1917: peace, bread, land

dictator: ruler with total power over a country, mostly one who had obtained control by force

proletariat: the poor people (originally Roman term for "those without any possession")

KEY WORDS

Important dates in this lesson:

1905: peaceful demonstration crushed by the czar (Bloody Sunday)

          founding of the Duma (Russian parliament)

1917: February Revolution

          Czar Nicolas II abdicates

          Lenin arrives in Petrograd (April), April Theses

          October Revolution

          November: start Civil War

1918: March: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

         July: execution of the czar and his family

 1922: Oct: end Civil War

What you will learn in 

this lesson

• what Russia was like before 1917.
• the causes for the February Revolution
• what marxists / communists are
• how Lenin and the Bolsheviks turned Russia into a communist state

Use these questions to make your own summary

In this lesson:

Russia before 1917

How was Russia ruled? What problems did Russia face?

1917: Februari Revolution

Demonstrations in Petrograd, abdication of Czar Nicolas II.

New temporary government. War continues.

1917: October Revolution

Lenin and Bolsheviks seize power.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

1918 - 1922: Civil War

Whites against Reds. Czarist family executed. Bolsheviks (Reds) win.

Introduction

During World War I, the Russians fought on the side of the Allies, but the war did not go well for them. At this time, the Russian people were suffering with poverty and political unrest; in 1917, revolution broke out. What was the cause of the revolution and what did it change?

A demonstration of workers from the Putilov plant in Petrograd (modern day St. Peterburg), Russia, during the February Revolution.

Russia before 1917

Around 1900, Russia was the largest country in the world, covering around a sixth of the world’s landmass. It had the greatest grain production, the most inhabitants and the biggest army in Europe. However, the country struggled with internal problems; there was a huge gap between rich and poor. Ninety percent of its inhabitants were still working in agriculture. Though serfdom was abolished in 1861, farmers still suffered cruel treatment from their landlords. They had a hard life of poverty and hunger, while nobles lived in magnificent manors. In the cities, industrialisation had advanced as quickly as in Western countries. Labourers still worked long days for very low wages. There was only a very small middle class and Russia also faced political problems. Czar Nicolas II ruled his vast empire with absolute power, believing that God had given him this power. But gradually Nicolas II lost the support of his people. In 1905, he had used violence against Russians during a peaceful demonstration in the capital Saint Petersburg. This had led to a revolution, after which Nicolas II was forced to embrace reforms. One of these was the founding of a parliament, the Duma, but these reforms did not bring sufficient change and the Duma lacked real power.

Russian troops slaughtered the peaceful marchers as they converged on the Winter Palace at St Petersburg in 1905. This day became known as "Bloody Sunday".

Rasputin, the mad wizard

Czar Nicolas and his wife had five children: four daughters and one son. His son and heir Alexei had haemophilia, a rare disease that caused his body not to stop bleeding when he was wounded. Many doctors had been looking in vain for a cure until a mysterious monk was invited to the palace: Grigori Rasputin. This man with his rough beard, dirty clothes, hypnotic eyes, and bad manners seemed able to heal Alexei. By doing so, he gained a lot of influence over the czar. But Rasputin also had many enemies. Most nobles thought that he was a disgrace; it was rumoured that he was a wizard and that he had a secret love affair with the czarina. A young nobleman felt that Rasputin was damaging the reputation of the czar and took matters in his own hands. He tried to poison the monk, but when this failed he shot him. However, Rasputin’s death did not solve the problems of Nicolas II and Russia.

The contrast in wealth.

left: Russian peasant family outside their one room log hut (1912).

right: Czar Nicholas II and the Imperial Family in 1913.

The February Revolution

After 1905, the situation of labourers and farmers did not improve much; during World War I, the situation became even worse. The war was not going well for Russia. The soldiers were poorly trained and the army lacked weapons. Millions of Russian soldiers were killed and the German army even conquered Russian territory. This increased the people’s resistance to the government even more. When the tsar decided to lead the army himself, he made it even worse, because Nicolas II proved to be a terrible war leader and now he had associated himself with an unpopular war.

The demonstration in Petrograd, February 1917. On the left banner: ‘Feed the children of the defenders of the motherland’; on the right: ‘Increase payments to the soldiers’ families - defenders of freedom and world peace’.

In February 1917, an uprising broke out in Saint Petersburg. Women led a demonstration demanding bread and an end to the war and tsarist’s rule. Poor workers joined them. When the tsar heard about the uprisings he ordered the soldiers who were still in the capital, to shoot on the demonstrators. But at a critical moment, the soldiers resisted. Some even joined the demonstration, which turned into a revolution. Within days the imperial system collapsed. The capital was taken over by revolutionaries. Labourers and soldiers united to govern themselves in committees called soviets. The czar abdicated and control over Russia was given to a temporary government.

Russian soldiers that were sent to crush the demonstrations, joined the demonstrators

Lenin

At the time of the February Revolution, the country was still at war. When the Germans heard about the unrest in Russia, they used this to their advantage. They contacted a professional Russian revolutionary called Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin. Lenin was banished from Russia because he had resisted against the power of the tsar. He was inspired by the ideas of the German philosopher Karl Marx. In his book ‘Das Kapital’ (‘Capital’) Marx predicted a revolution: the poor working class would revolt against the rich. They would take power and form a society based on equality in which there were no individual possessions, so nobody would steal or feel hunger. This system of social organisation is called communism. Lenin dreamed of forming a communist state and believed he could achieve this through a revolution. To do this Lenin had formed his own party: the Bolsheviks. The Germans arranged Lenin’s trip to Russia and paid for his plans in secret. In exchange, Lenin would make peace with the Central Powers. On 16th April 1917, Lenin arrived in Petrograd by train, welcomed by hundreds of supporters.

In a Soviet painting from 1935, Lenin arrives at the Finland Station in Petrograd, April, 1917. Josef Stalin, who was not actually present, is fictitiously depicted standing behind Lenin.

The October Revolution

Back in Petrograd, Lenin immediately began to organise his followers to prepare for a coup. The country was still involved in the unpopular war and famine persisted. In his ‘April Theses’ Lenin promised the Russians bread, peace and land. He said that he would end poverty by taking the wealth, food and land of the rich and give it to the poor. The power should be given to the workers, who were organised into soviets. Lenin also promised to put an end to the horrible war with Germany. These were exactly the things that Russians wanted to hear. On October 25th, the Bolsheviks gained enough power to launch an attack on the Winter Palace, a seat of the government and a former palace of the czar. The assault started with a shot that was fired from the battleship Aurora. After a short fight, the Bolsheviks captured the building and gained control over the city. Lenin became the new leader of the government. To consolidate his rule he called for elections, because he was sure that the people would support the Bolsheviks. He was wrong: his party did not get the most votes. Lenin did not agree with the election results and dissolved the outcome. He banned the other parties, took all power and became a dictator. Lenin felt that this was necessary to form a communist state, with Moscow as its capital.

the czar's winter palace in Petrograd

Karl Marx wrote in 'Das Kapital' that the revolution would only succeed with a temporary 'dictatorship of the proletariat'. This was necessary to change the social system and divide all the means of production. But this had to last only for a short time.

Civil war

Lenin kept his promise to Germany and on 3rd March 1918 they signed the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk. But while World War I ended for Russia, a civil war broke out. Lenin’s right-hand man Leon Trotsky had founded the communist Red Army. This was necessary, because there was a lot of resistance to Lenin’s take over. Pro-czarists Russians united (with those who were against the peace treaty) in the White Army. A bloody civil war broke out that caused destruction and famine in large parts of Russia. Britain and France supported the White Army, because they hoped to restore their ally. The soldiers of the Red Army proved to be more motivated and well organized. They won and in 1922, a new country was founded: the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union.

"In 1920, [Dmitry] Moor designed a striking poster, "Bud' na strazhe!" (Be on Guard!) that featured a drawing of Trotsky holding a bayonet and standing, larger than life, on Russian territory, with minuscule enemies around him."

On 17th July 1918, the Bolsheviks shot the tsar and his family in a basement. It is not known if Lenin gave the orders; but it is said that he feared that supporters of tsar would not rest while there was still a Romanov alive.

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