The Russian Revolution

1. The Russian Revolution

2. “I shall maintain the principle of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as it was preserved by my unforgettable dead father.” -- Alexander II

3. Industrial Development • The Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II were determined that Russia must become an industrial power.

4. Sergei Witte • Sergei Witte, the industrialist and railroad tycoon, was appointed Finance Minister in 1892 by Alexander and would serve both Alexander III and Nicholas II.

5. Witte pursued a policy of planned economic development, protective tariffs, high taxes, the gold standard, and industrial efficiency.

6. Under Witte the Russian railway system grew from 30,000 to 60,000 miles and the Trans-Siberian Railroad was almost completed.

8. Iron production increased from 928,000 tons to 4,641,000 tons. • Textiles manufacturing flourished and the factory system was developed throughout the country.

9. Industrial Discontent • Rapid industrialization brought considerable social discontent. • Landowners were envious of industrialists and angry about foreign investments.

10. Peasants were upset that grain exports and heavy taxes were used to pay for development in which they did not share.

11. Emerging Proletariat • The nearly three million industrial factory workers labored in harsh conditions for very low wages. • Trade unions were illegal and though they were granted an 11.5 hour day they had little state protection.

12. Agrarian Unrest • Similar social unrest was found in the rural areas. • Peasants were still bound economically to their mirs or village communes and were burdened by state redemption, taxes and failing grain prices.

14. Peasants were often too poor to support their families and had to hire themselves out the landed nobility or more prosperous peasants called Kulaks.

15. The population of Russia doubled between 1860 and 1914 – from 50 million to approximately 103 million.

16. Hunger, discontent and violent uprisings became common in rural Russia.

17. Political Developments • The development of new political parties and movements accompanied the social and economic troubles.

18. The Social Revolutionary Party. • A new party with roots in the agrarian populist movement was founded in 1901. • The Social Revolutionary Party opposed industrialization and called for a return to the communal life of the farms.

19. The Constitutional Democratic Party. • The CDP or Kadets was formed in 1903, drawing its members from the local councils called Zemstvos. • They modeled themselves on the liberal progressives of western Europe.

20. The Kadets wanted a parliamentary regime with responsible ministers, civil liberties, and economic progress.

21. Lenin and the Bolsheviks • Russian socialists did not believe in the compromises and accommodations of the western European Socialists.

22. The repressive policies of the Tsarist regime forced the socialist Russian Social Democratic Party to operate in exile.

23. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov • The future leader of the Communist Revolution was born the son of a high bureaucrat.

24. Ulyanov’s brother was executed as part of plot to kill Alexander III.

25. Ulyanov became a Marxist and was arrested in 1895. • After spending five years exiled in Siberia, he fled the country and spent the next 17 years in Switzerland.

26. Lenin • In Switzerland he wrote under the name of Lenin and became heavily involved in exiled Social Democrats.

27. In his “What is to be Done?” Lenin outlined his plan for revolution. • Revolution was to come from an elite cadre of highly organized professional revolutionaries.

28. The Party, he said, must maintain “the strictest secrecy, the strictest selection of members and the training of professionals.”

29. The London Congress • At the London Congress of Social Democrats, Lenin forced a split in the party.

30. His followers gained a razor thin majority in party, and there after called themselves the Bolsheviks – meaning majority.

31. Mensheviks and Bolsheviks • The minority group was called the Mensheviks. • The Bolsheviks, under Lenin’s leadership, called for the unification of the proletariat and the peasants.

32. The Two Tactics. • Lenin’s plan was based on these two principles – An elite party and a dual social revolution.

33. The Bolsheviks

34. The Dismissal of Witte • In 1903, Nicholas II dismissed Witte, hoping to quell the social unrest. • The next year Russia went to war with Japan hoping to rally the people to Tsar and country.

35. The Russo-Japanese War • Russia was quickly defeated by the Japanese in 1905, following the capture of Port Arthur by the Japanese and the loss of two Russian fleets.

36. The Revolution of 1905 • With the humiliating loss Russia faced a serious internal domestic crisis and reacted with violence and repression.

37. Bloody Sunday • On January 22, 1905 a priest named Father Gapon led several hundred workers on a protest march to present a petition to the Tsar at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.

38. The petitioners were slaughtered by the tsar’s troops in front of the Winter Palace. • Revolutionary disturbances spread throughout the country.

39. Revolution • The tsar’s uncle was assassinated and strikes broke out in St. Petersburg where worker’s groups called soviets gained control of the city.

40. The October Manifesto • The Tsar recalled Witte and issued the October Manifesto which promised a constitutional government.

41. The Duma • Tsar Nicholas II announced the establishment of two house legislature called the Duma. • But Nicholas reserved for himself the power to appoint ministers, and to make financial, military and foreign policy.

42. The First Duma • The First Duma was elected with a very radical assembly despite very limited suffrage. • Nicholas then dismissed Witte again and appointed P.A. Stolypin.

43. Stolypin then persuaded Nicholas to dismiss the Duma. • A second Duma was then elected in February 1907.

44. The Second Duma was still not cooperative enough and the Tsar dismissed this one as well. • The Third Duma was sufficiently pliable for the Tsar who had managed to quickly regain autocratic rule.

45. Stolypin’s Repressions • Stolypin began to repress any rebellion by establishing field courts to try rebellious peasants. • Moderate land reforms were also established , but hatred of Stolypin was high.

46. In 1911, Stolypin was assassinated by a Social Revolutionary who may have been an agent of the Tsar.

47. Rasputin • By this time the Tsarina and much of the court had fallen under the spell of the strange powers of the uncouth monk Rasputin, who claimed to have the power to heal the hemophilia of the Tsar’s son.

49. World War I • When the war broke out Nicholas went to the front to take personal charge of the war. • While the Tsar was gone from court Rasputin became more and more influential.

50. As the leadership in Russia muddled its way through one disaster after another, the working class, middle class and aristocrats became more convinced that something must be done.