The Way to Revolution

1. The Way to Revolution

2. Autocracy: A country or state that is governed by a single person with unlimited power.

3. So, what was the form of Autocracy in Russia before 1917? Tsar / Tsaritsa: 1881 total power, head of church, decided policies, chose gov., no respect = arrest, Siberia; secret police to find disloyal = Police State

4. Tsarism Tsarism: “system of autocracy rule and central government” • 1881 • Tsar decided all about all people, expected to be obeyed or punished • Strong central gov = St. Petersburg (1703-1917) • Own land / business to ensure modernization, development (private existed) • Large army

5. Modernization!

6. Influenced Greatly By . . . • Peter the Great (1682-1725) • Russia fell behind science / tech, caught up now • Main goal: modern European country • New schools, professional classes, written media, travel, engineers, railroads, changes to old customs

7. 1881: good economy = new industries • Urbanization: 1881: 1 million peasants in factories • Moscow: major centre: textile, goods • St. Petersburg: metal, heavy industry • South Ukraine: iron ore / coal (region = Donbas); major port for wheat export • Caucasus Mts: oil! Donbas:

8. Population: 1881 • Nobility 1% • Held titles: duke, lord, earl; NOT inherited (do service to earn from gov); wealth from farming / industry, gov. • 1% uber-super wealthy (had parties) • 20% so-so wealthy (gentry) – politics, travel • 79% poor (some like peasants)

9. Other 18% (working class, military, clergy, professions)

10. Peasants 81% • 1861: peasants freed from serfdom (not allowed to leave location) • Village commune: peasants farm land together; used 3 field system (1/3 unused in year); extended families; mandatory service in army

11. Expansion: 1881 = Multinational Empire! • 1700-1800: expanded through warfare (PtheG: vs. Sweden & Turkey) • Into: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, 1800s: Caucasus Mts, N. Asia, defeated Napoleon (1812) • Expansion not stopping nationalistic feeling: not wanting to be controlled by Russia

12. Revolution! 1881 opposition to autocracy: unhappy about poverty, change to custom, religion, lang. = accept Marx’s ideas: violent change

13. The Influence . . . Marx – 1848 Communist Manifesto; 1867 Das Kapital. • “Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of all lands, unite.”

14. German-born, influenced by Friedrich Engels: • went to England for textile, • saw great poverty, became concerned about I.R. • more factories = more machines = more unemployed • discussed socialism with Marx – political / economic system: workers own / control goods

15. Communist Manifesto: • Landlords exploit peasants, bourgeois exploit proletariat, rich owned factories / controlled gov, prolet. = no power • Machines will become best for factories, prolet. will lose jobs, lead to widespread poverty / loss of dignity / individuality • Only way for prolet. to stop this: rise up against rich, create new society (dictatorship of Proletariat): all belonging to rich to be seized, owned, operated by people

16. No private ownership, personal profit, shared by all (period called socialism) • Communism follows = fight remaining capitalists, create classless society, all dignity to be restored, liberty / equality for all ; no gov.

17. 1870s: Marx-inspired rev. groups • Narodniks • nobility – want to educate peasants, • thought Tsar wouldn’t change; • 1881 – Alex II killed by bomb, • Alex III arrested, executed man revolutionaries

18. The Gathering Storm

19. Alexander III Autocracy: • no Western ideas, must rid Russia of revs. (person to change society, gov, esp. through violence)

20. Alexander . . . • Exiled revs.: Siberia • Total control of gov.: appointed all members, answered to him • Non-orthodox religions persecuted: Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jewish • Russian lang. official policy—all others forced to speak Russian • “One church, one language” Russian orthodox Russian Muslim

21. Expansion: • not much under Alex III: only into central Asia, Far East

22. Modernization • industry – remarkable growth, but lagged behind West. Europe • Foreigners encouraged to invest in Donbas; Russia gov. = Trans-Siberian Railway • Agriculture problems: industry expand, but 1891-2, 1897 crop failure = starvation . . . hungry / angry peasants violent revolt: plots too small to support family

23. Revolution! (Again): • Revolutionaries’ threat to Alex III: • Proletariat (working class) – expanded under Alex III • Worst working conditions in Europe • Strikes illegal, but happened

24. Capitalists: small class 5% pop., growing fast • Include: factory / business owners • Also called bourgeoisie

25. Nicholas II – Last Tsar of Russia • People excited for new tsar, but he proved not interested in change to help people • Increasing people wanted to form elected gov. , no want for dictator • Revolutionary movements: clashes w/ gov, tsar (1905 – Bloody Sunday)

26. Tsar promised: parliament for people, changes to system land ownership • Promises broken: lead to Russian Revolution (1917)

27. Autocracy:Nicholas II followed Alex. III autocratic policies:

28. Powerful country = strong leader, unite different people • Changes to stop challenges to authority: force non-Russians to speak Russian, restrict native lang., convert non-Russian / Slavic to Russian Orthodox faith Russia Orthodox Kremlin

29. Siberia • Oppressed: Catholic, Jewish, Muslim – Jews / Muslim not allowed to live in many parts of country • Illegal for political meetings, conferences – result = Siberia • Expanded Secret Police – many secretly joined rev. groups Russian Jewish Russian Catholic

30. Ra, Ra, Rasputin: • Nic. II not strong personality, influenced by others • Rasp. responsible for Tsar’s overthrown 1917 • Rasp. became 1 of most powerful in Russia

31. Brought to court to heal Tsar’s son of hemophilia – improved, seen as miraculous “cure” • Gained great power: influence Tsar / Tsaritsa, name / dismiss gov. members • Many policies bad for country – lead to people’s revolt

32. Modernization (again): • Nich. II reign: economic growth highest in Europe

33. new factories = south, central • 1913: Russia 5th largest industrial power in world • Despite: industrial strikes, demonstrations: working conditions dangerous, low wage, crowded

34. Taxes: peasants poorer = heavy taxes, to pay for army & gov. in economy • 1905: ½ peasant wage paid in tax – starvation, deeper debt • Land reform: meant to improve working conditions; dissolved village commune; peasants now can own land, decide product, get loan

35. Revolution (Again??! No, 1905 one)

36. Political Parties: illegal, secret; 2 kinds: • Revolutionary(overthrow Tsar, violent) • Social Democrat Party (1898): spread Marx’s ideas of socialism • Lenin: tight-controlled professional revolutionaries run by dictatorship: won by 2 votes, became Bolsheviks(majority) • Opposing party: looser structure, became Mensheviks(minority)

37. Party of Socialist Revolutionaries: • formerly Narodniks • socialism brought to Russia through peasants, • favoured terrorism/ violence to change gov.

38. 2. Non-Revolutionary(peaceful change): 1. Constitutional Democratic Party (Kadets): • Small, middle class • Change through election • Private farming / land ownership, growth of industry 2. Octobrist Party: • Constitutional gov, Tsar as figurehead • Private farming, land reform

39. 1905 Revolt = Bloody Sunday • Jan 22 • St. Petersburg: demonstrators vs. Tsar soldiers • Working classes for rev. ideas due to: • Disparity • People opposing Russo-Japanese War (over Russia expanding East) b/c caused food shortage, high prices at home, lost relatives in battle, anger over defeat by Japanese

40. Build up: • Strikes, demonstrations in major cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, ending in armed uprisings: backed by rev. parties • Student protests • Peasant rebellions in country: burning manor houses: backed by Socialist Rev. • More land for peasants • Party of Socialist Rev. : campaign of terror: killed many gov. officials • Procession led by Father Gapon: march to Winter Palace, 1000s killed, wounded in event =Bloody Sunday Winter Palace

41. Results: inspired rev. movement • worker strikes, • street battles, • serious consider of armed revolution to solve problems • break b/w Tsar & people

42. Trotsky & Lenin!! • Trotski: Bolshevik, organized councils (Soviets) in shops / factories. • Most important Soviet: Petrograd Soviet – directed much of rev. action 1905: strikes, pamphlets, challenged gov. • Lenin: return to Russia 1905 to spread ideas: overthrow Tsar • few listened • late 1907: fled to Sweden to escape arrest • minor influence at this point

43. World War I: Ferdinand Assassination • 1914 Archduke Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hugary throne, assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by Serbian terrorist. • Austria threatened war if Serbia not meeting Austrian conditions • Serbia failed, Austria declared war • Russia, Serbia ally, prepared to defend Serbia

44. Germany, Austrian ally, sees this as hostile act, declareswar on Russia • Tsar enters Russia in war to protect Baltics, • All countries with treaties with others picked sides • Assassination just trigger: WWI based on many issues: nationalism, colonial issues, economic issues, political issues

45. Russia in WW1 . . . • Russia on side of “Allies” vs. “Central Powers” • Russia not prepared for war: needed new weapons, food, supplies, factories to make; poor organization, low morale • Effects of war on Russia: • Soldiers deserting, hard to fight, war shortages

46. Rasputin Influence: • To prevent peasant deaths, advised Nich. II to not fight • Urged Tsar to take command of army (unwise), real ruler = Rasputin

47. Poor economic conditions: “catastrophic”

48. Royal Family: • Russia not wanting war, on cruise when WWI began, Nich. II at first gave army control to cousin

49. Rising Suspicion • People became suspicious, hateful towards all things German • Tsaritsa Alexandra German-born, but those knowing her knew her love of Russia • Tsar took control of army, moved to army headquarters; Tsaritsa happy (Grand Duke said Rasp. a fraud), she became substitute ruler: great energy, worked w/ Rasputin: bad b/c unorganized gov. now Tsaritsa Alexandra

50. Letters to Tsar from Tsaritsa • Tsarista wrote Tsar, gave advice, even war: he took some • People felt was German influence in Royals – saw Rasp. as spy, Tsaritsa as “German Woman” – nobility decided Rasp. must go: plotted assassination (1916): poisoned, shot many times, dumped in icy river, died of drowning • Rasp. never killed anyone Rasputin demise