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Revision:The Russian Revolutions of 1917TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > The Russian Revolutions of 1917
Reasons for Rev. of March 1917
Russia: 1905-1917 Timeline19th Century: -Russia was backward in the 19th Century compared with Western European states like Britain, France and Germany. Start of 20th Century: -Because Russia industrialised too quickly, its two main cities, St. Petersburg (Later became Petrograd because it sounded less German) and Moscow, became crowded with industrial workers. 1903: The Social Democrats (political parties were illegal at this time) split between the Mensheviks and the BOLSHEVIKS. SD split. 1905: -Nicholas II, the Tsar, just survived a revolution and agreed to introduce a parliament (Duma) and legalise political parties. This agreement was called the "October Manifesto". 1905 - 1913: The Tsar's government would go back on their promises made in 1905. The Tsar would arrest memers of the St. Petersburg Soviet and send fifteen of them into exile. An army would also be sent to crush the Soviet and thousands died in street fighting between revolutionaries and soldiers. In 1906, the Tsar would issue a set of "Fundamental Laws", essentially stating that Russia would remain an autocratic country, even with the Duma having been set up. When the first Duma would demand a share of power, it would be split up. The second Duma would contain SD and SR members, so it too was broken up in 1907. The third Duma remained in place for five years as the Tsar would not allow revolutionaries to be voted into it; it consisted mainly of conservative politicians. 1914: World War One starts. 1917: The Tsar is forced to abdicate in March of 1917 due to military and economic disasters which were accelerated due to the First World War. The Duma has a vote of no confidence. Dual Authority is set up in Parliament The Provisional Government and the Soviet of Soldiers, Sailors and Workers. Lenin’s return to Petrograd was funded by the Germans because both Lenin and the Germans wanted Russia out of the war. Lenin returns 3 April. Lenin delivers his April Theses ("All power to the Soviets!") on 4 April. The Russian army fails in a major attack on Austria, and turns into a retreat. Many soldiers go to Petrograd to join up with the Bolsheviks and demand an end to the Provisional Government and therefore an end to the war. 3-6 July – Failure of the “July Days”, which consisted of three days of rioting. Bolsheviks are rounded up and imprisoned, Lenin flees to Finland. Bolshevik support drops. 8 July – Alexander Kerensky appointed Prime Minister. 18 July – Kornilov becomes Commander-in-Chief. 1 September – Kornilov’s march on Petrograd is abandoned because his soldiers refused to fight against fellow workers. The Prov. Gov. release and arm the Bolsheviks to defend Petrograd. Bolsheviks seen as protectors of the people. Kornilov affair highlighted the weakness of the Prov. Gov., it’s inability to defend itself and defend Russia. Now more than 25,000 Bolsheviks are armed and in the street. 12 September – “HISTORY WILL NOT FORGIVE US IF WE DO NOT ASSUME POWER” Lenin. 25 September – Bolsheviks gain a majority in Petrograd Soviet. 7 October – Lenin returns to Petrograd. 9 October – Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) set up, Trotsky in charge (later becomes the Red Army). 23 October – Zinoview and Kamenev warn the Prov. Gov. of the revolution and Kerensky moves to shut down Pravda and Izvestiya. 25-27 October – The revolution takes place with very little fighting. Cossacks (a female unit known as the “Amazons”) walked off when confronted by the Red Guard (which was comprised mainly of 10,000 elderly men). Kerensky flees. Bolsheviks take the Winter Palace and take power. Reasons for Bolshevik Success in the October Revolution of 1917Provisional Government Weaknesses: - Failure to defend itself (Kornilov affair) - Failure to solve the Land Question (many Prov. Gov. members owned land); peasants killed their landlords on over 2000 farms and divided the land amongst themselves because of lack of action - Failure to act on the problems that Russia was facing; unemployment, starvation, kept itself in the war needlessly The Weakness of the non-Bolshevik parties: - Most parties were pro-war, but the Bolsheviks were consistently anti-war. - Russia’s lack of party-political tradition (they were so used to Tsarist Russia, most parties were unable to negotiate properly and this was advantageous for the ruthless Bolsheviks) - The Bolsheviks were ruthless and determined. They were a new breed of politician, utterly self-confident and loyal to their leader. - The Bolsheviks had an answer to the Land Question. They stole the SR slogan “Land to the peasants”. This meant that the Bolsheviks viewed the land-seizures as legimiate, thus gaining large amounts of support in the countryside. This move also made a lot of left SRs align with the Bolsheviks. Their political platform spoke to the majority. - The Bolsheviks were in control of the only military force in Petrograd, the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC). Comments |
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