Russian Revolution Summary

The Two Russian Revolutions of 1917

I. Long Term Causes

1. Bad, autocratic leadership by the czars

No democracy or even a trace of modern government until 1905

2. Absolutism in a modern age = Disaster and revolution

3. Westernizers versus Pan-Slavophiles: Conflict over the future of Russian

a. Pan-Slovophiles: “People’s Will” Assassinated the good czar: Alexander II because he tried to modernize Russia

b. Westernizers

-Moderates: Cadets: Wanted British-style government for Russia

-Radicals: Mensheviks (minority) Less radical

Bolsheviks: Radical communists led by Lenin

4. 1905 Revolution

a. Loss to Japan and “Bloody Sunday”

b. “October Manifesto”: Czar Nicolas II was forced to allow for a “Duma”

Duma: Russia’s parliament: Dominated by the wealthy gentry and ignored by the czar for the most part

Prime Minister Stolypin: Tried to work with Nicholas II to create reforms but his assassination ended all chances for peaceful change in Russia

5. Nicholas II: “Bloody Nicholas”

Horrible leader, incompetent, arrogant and ruthless

“The Black Hundreds”: Pro-czar terrorists….pogroms: Attacks on Russian Jews

II. The February Revolution

1. World War I was a total disaster for Russia (Over 3 million soldiers died)

2. Rasputin and Czarina Alexandria embarrassed and angered the Russian people

3. March 8, 1917: International Women’s Day: Riot and the fall of the Romanovs

4. Czar Nicholas II abdicated

5. Alexander Kerensky, a moderate socialist, created a Provisional Government, with a parliament, the Constituent Assembly, dominated by wealth members of the gentry, replacing the Duma.

6. However, Kerensky never had full control over Russia as the radical communist Petrograd Soviet and late the Moscow Soviet challenged the moderates.

7. Army Order Number 1: Destroyed what was left of the Russian army by placing command over soldiers from officers to “committees of soldiers”

8. Germany sent Lenin back to Russia from exile in April of 1917 to disrupt Kerensky’s government. (This worked)

III. The October Revolution

1. Lenin returned to Russia in April, 1917

2. “April Theses”: Lenin called for a radical revolution and for non-cooperation with the moderates.

3. “The July Days”: Lenin and the Bolsheviks were defeated and Lenin had to flee to Finland

4. However, an attempted coup by General Kornilov, forced Kerensky to ask for the Bolsheviks to return for help.

5. Lenin and the Bolsheviks did not leave and with help from

thePetrograd Soviet and late the Moscow Soviet, took over the government

of Russia.

6. Kerensky fled into exile for the rest of his life

7. Bolshevik control:

a. Ended Russian involvement in World War I

b. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Lenin gave away about 1/3 of Russia to Germany but he was confident that Russia would re-gain those lands, (he was right).

IV. The Russian Civil War (1918-1922)

1. The Red Army versus the White Army

2. Trotsky created a formidable Red Army that he used to gain control over all of Russia

3. Lenin and Trotsky used “war communism”, the Cheka and the “Red Terror” to force Russians to support them. Over 2 million Russians died under the Red Terror. By 1922, almost every Russian that had opposed Lenin was either dead or in exile.

4. Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.

The Reds won the Russian Civil War because:

1. The Reds were totally united by their cause

2. The Whites were disorganized, (socialists, Royalists, moderates, etc), and supported by foreign troops from the USA and Japan….created a bad image as traitors for the Whites.

3. The Whites had poor communication within themselves

4. The Red Army was ruthless. All opposition was crushed.