This relinquishing of power results in a power vacuum
Bolshevik Revolution
Coup, Lenin rises to power
Lead to Russian Civil War
Soviet Union was declared in 1922 and lasted until 1991
February/March Revolution- - Could be considered top down because Tsar advocated - Could be considered bottom up because of: minority discontent and radical opposition groups, and the nobility/army ceased to support the Tsar so he had no choice - Began in Petrograd (St. Petersburg before WW1) because: center power, main industrial center (many discontent proletarians), people more educated in cities with public schools, intelligentsia - March 8: food riots, troops sent to stop rioters but instead join - March 14: Duma declares creation of provisional government: temporary government. Many things going on WW1, Germanic Huns were major threat- the type of government was secondary, but there will be democratic elections later: one in 1917. - Maintained an autocracy while having a democratic system in place- didn’t work because it is not a true Parliament with a Tsar in rule. - March 15: Tsar abdicates- POWER VACCUM: no political power in place- confusion, fear
Provisional Government after Revolution- will rule UNTIL a Constituent Assembly is elected - Duma: dominated by Liberals who represented urban bourgeois and landed gentry (intelligentsia and nobility)- democratic, capitalistic, Kadets, liberal parties - Wanted western-style constitutional monarchy- wanted to keep royal family - Advocated land reform (redistribution to peasants instead of nobility), minority rights, liberal constitution - STAYS IN WW1- already fighting for 3 years, promotes nationalism - Kept Tsarist civil service (bureaucracy)- service to the people through gov - No control of army- officers were loyal to Tsar
- Formation of Petrograd Soviets: workers and soldiers- socialist intellectuals, Mensheviks and Socialist revolutionaries. Soviets controlled railways, telegraph station, soldiers in Petrograd garrison, factories, power supplies (access to coal). - Constituent assembly: when an old system of gov collapses, a new one must be set up- represents constituents, writes constitution. Takes long time to set up- size of Russia.
Problems with Provisional Gov: - Soviets (proletariats) developed all over country, mainly in Moscow and Petrograd: democratic worker councils in factories. Dominated by Social Democrats, mainly Mensheviks: radical and impatient with provisional government. - April 1917: Lenin arrives with German assistance- GREAT MAN THEORY- radicalizes situation, calls for world revolution of workers and peasants- (like Marx predicted)- wanted to pull out of war. Dismisses Feb/March Revolution as a “bourgeois” revolution. All land to peasants, all power to soviets, stop war.
October/November Revolution -Beginning - Kerensky and Provisional Gov advocated fight against Germans- unsuccessful, but ignore “war-weariness.” - Petrograd Soviet issues Army Order #1 in May: army only takes orders from Soviets, undermines military discipline - Lenin attempts coup, fails, flees - General Kornilov (tsarist officer) attempts to take over provisional government, Kerensky forced to ask Bolsheviks for help- this gives legitimacy and authority to Bolsheviks to act on behalf of provisional government. - Results in both Provisional Gov and Soviets believing they have control over Russia
Bolsheviks Gain Power- Lenin - In Petrograd and Moscow Soviets - War is going badly, only group in Russia calling for peace - Demand immediate land redistribution of large estates to peasants - Encouraged workers to seize and control factories from bourgeois owners - Nationalized banks: no private ownership of banks, national government takes control of banks- people and government make profit instead of private owners - Confiscated church property - Called for: abolishment of class privileges, equal rights for women, rights of national minorities, “peace, land, and bread.”
October/November Revolution - November 1917: Bolsheviks overthrow Provisional Government in a coup- Bolsheviks storm Palace. Popular revolution from below? - Establishment of Council of Commissars led by Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin. - Communists said this was popular revolution FROM BELOW- people came together and demanded an end to Tsardom. If that were true, it gives this revolution legitimacy, new leaders are legitimate and deserve to lead the country. - Leads to start of civil war- Lenin and Bolsheviks defeat White Army in 1922. In 1922, Lenin declared Russia as the USSR (Russia was one of its 25 republics). In theory all republics were equal with autonomy. - Marx called for democracy and capitalism, Lenin took a shortcut- theory not practice - Bolsheviks rewrite history in their own ideological view- see human history as class struggle. – INDOCTRINATION- countries use history books to indoctrinate people- makes people patriotic. Censorship office about writing/study of history until 1991- what we study is influenced by Marxist-Leninist interpretation of history - Most Bolshevik general were Tsarist. - By 1924, Communist party is running USSR. Lenin dies 1924
February/March Revolution-
- Could be considered top down because Tsar advocated
- Could be considered bottom up because of: minority discontent and radical opposition groups, and the nobility/army ceased to support the Tsar so he had no choice
- Began in Petrograd (St. Petersburg before WW1) because: center power, main industrial center (many discontent proletarians), people more educated in cities with public schools, intelligentsia
- March 8: food riots, troops sent to stop rioters but instead join
- March 14: Duma declares creation of provisional government: temporary government. Many things going on WW1, Germanic Huns were major threat- the type of government was secondary, but there will be democratic elections later: one in 1917.
- Maintained an autocracy while having a democratic system in place- didn’t work because it is not a true Parliament with a Tsar in rule.
- March 15: Tsar abdicates- POWER VACCUM: no political power in place- confusion, fear
Provisional Government after Revolution- will rule UNTIL a Constituent Assembly is elected
- Duma: dominated by Liberals who represented urban bourgeois and landed gentry (intelligentsia and nobility)- democratic, capitalistic, Kadets, liberal parties
- Wanted western-style constitutional monarchy- wanted to keep royal family
- Advocated land reform (redistribution to peasants instead of nobility), minority rights, liberal constitution
- STAYS IN WW1- already fighting for 3 years, promotes nationalism
- Kept Tsarist civil service (bureaucracy)- service to the people through gov
- No control of army- officers were loyal to Tsar
- Formation of Petrograd Soviets: workers and soldiers- socialist intellectuals, Mensheviks and Socialist revolutionaries. Soviets controlled railways, telegraph station, soldiers in Petrograd garrison, factories, power supplies (access to coal).
- Constituent assembly: when an old system of gov collapses, a new one must be set up- represents constituents, writes constitution. Takes long time to set up- size of Russia.
Problems with Provisional Gov:
- Soviets (proletariats) developed all over country, mainly in Moscow and Petrograd: democratic worker councils in factories. Dominated by Social Democrats, mainly Mensheviks: radical and impatient with provisional government.
- April 1917: Lenin arrives with German assistance- GREAT MAN THEORY- radicalizes situation, calls for world revolution of workers and peasants- (like Marx predicted)- wanted to pull out of war. Dismisses Feb/March Revolution as a “bourgeois” revolution. All land to peasants, all power to soviets, stop war.
October/November Revolution -Beginning
- Kerensky and Provisional Gov advocated fight against Germans- unsuccessful, but ignore “war-weariness.”
- Petrograd Soviet issues Army Order #1 in May: army only takes orders from Soviets, undermines military discipline
- Lenin attempts coup, fails, flees
- General Kornilov (tsarist officer) attempts to take over provisional government, Kerensky forced to ask Bolsheviks for help- this gives legitimacy and authority to Bolsheviks to act on behalf of provisional government.
- Results in both Provisional Gov and Soviets believing they have control over Russia
Bolsheviks Gain Power- Lenin
- In Petrograd and Moscow Soviets
- War is going badly, only group in Russia calling for peace
- Demand immediate land redistribution of large estates to peasants
- Encouraged workers to seize and control factories from bourgeois owners
- Nationalized banks: no private ownership of banks, national government takes control of banks- people and government make profit instead of private owners
- Confiscated church property
- Called for: abolishment of class privileges, equal rights for women, rights of national minorities, “peace, land, and bread.”
October/November Revolution
- November 1917: Bolsheviks overthrow Provisional Government in a coup- Bolsheviks storm Palace. Popular revolution from below?
- Establishment of Council of Commissars led by Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin.
- Communists said this was popular revolution FROM BELOW- people came together and demanded an end to Tsardom. If that were true, it gives this revolution legitimacy, new leaders are legitimate and deserve to lead the country.
- Leads to start of civil war- Lenin and Bolsheviks defeat White Army in 1922. In 1922, Lenin declared Russia as the USSR (Russia was one of its 25 republics). In theory all republics were equal with autonomy.
- Marx called for democracy and capitalism, Lenin took a shortcut- theory not practice
- Bolsheviks rewrite history in their own ideological view- see human history as class struggle. – INDOCTRINATION- countries use history books to indoctrinate people- makes people patriotic. Censorship office about writing/study of history until 1991- what we study is influenced by Marxist-Leninist interpretation of history
- Most Bolshevik general were Tsarist.
- By 1924, Communist party is running USSR. Lenin dies 1924
By: Greta Hiestand