Russia 1905-1917

María Jesús Campos

Chusteacher
Wikiteacher
 The Russian Empire

Russia was an
empire that
stretched out
from Europe to
Asia. It included
many different
nationalities.
 The Tsar’s Empire
• Nicolas II was crowned
Tsar of Russia in 1894.
• The Old Regime:
– The Tsar ruled as an
absolute monarch and
rejected to carry out
reforms
– Until 1861
servitude/serfdom had
not been abolished
The Russian Empire: Society

Aristocracy

Middle classes:
capitalists

Industrial and Urban

Workers

Peasants
 The Aristocracy
• 1,5 % of the
population
• Owned most of the
land
• Hold political
positions and assisted
the Tsar
 The Capitalists
• Landowners,
industrialists, bankers,
traders and
businessmen.
• Focused on increasing
their wealth and
controlling their
workforce (industrial
workers and peasants)
 Industrial Workers
• By the end of the 19th century Russia had
experienced a rapid industrial growth.
• Isolated industrial centers. Mainly St
Petersburg (capital) and Moscow.
• Trade unions were illegal.
• Workers lived under harsh conditions.
 Peasants
• Around 80% of the
population were
peasants.
• They lived in
communes.
• A few were kulaks (rich
peasants).
• Servitude had been
abolished in 1861 but
peasants still did not
own the land.
 The Russian Empire: Politics
• Autocracy: the Tsar had
almost absolute power
and believed in the
“divine right of kings”
• Resistance in Russia was
limited as most peasants
and workers were deeply
religious and loyal to the
Tsar.
Opposition was illegal: to oppose the Tsar meant to be executed,
sent to Siberia or going into exile. Many members decided to live
on foreing countries.

Cadets

Opposition to Socialist
the Tsar Revolutionaries
Bolsheviks
Social
Democratic Party
Mensheviks
 Socialist
The Cadets
Revolutionaries
• Liberals • A revolution was
• Wanted the Tsar needed to:
and a Duma • Give land to
(Parliament) to peasants
share power • Abolish
privileges
• Used violent
means
 The Social Democratic Party
• Followed Karl Marx’s
ideas
• In 1903 the SDP divided
into:
• Bolsheviks: led by Lenin.
Russia was ready for a
Revolution.
• Mensheviks: Russia was
not yet ready for a
Revolution. They needed
to prepare the population
while demanding reform.
 1903
Living conditions and the activities of the
opposition parties led to a series of strikes and
demonstrations
1905
22 January, Bloody Sunday: 200.000 people went
to the Tsar’s palace to ask for reforms
1905
Demonstrations grew. The battleship Potemkin’s
soldiers revolted. General strike in September. Lenin
and Trotsky returned from exile. Workers’ Councils
or Soviets were formed.
The Tsar rejected reforms and started a war
against Japan. Patriotism stopped protest for a
while
The Tsar has left the palace. The Cosaks opened
fired against the crowd.
The Tsar stopped war against Japan to bring his
troops back. Revolution was crushed.
Opposition leaders were sent to Siberia or went
to exile.
 The October Manifesto (1905)/ The
Fundamental Laws (1906)
• The Tsar issued the
October Manifesto in
1905 to stop protest:
– A Duma (Parliament ) was
to be created.
– Freedom of Speech
– Right to form political
parties
• The Fundamental Laws
(issued after crushing the
revolt) accepted the
Duma but with very
limited power.
 1906-1914
• Duma:
– Very limited power
– Voting rules avoided
the Tsar’s opponents
to be elected as
members
– The Duma could not
change Russian
policies
 1906-1914
• Prime Minister Stolypin:
“the carrot and the stick”
– Brutally suppressed the
opposition by hanging
protesters (“Stolypin’s
necktie”)
– Allowed kulaks to obtain
land
– Economic growth: in
agriculture; industry… but
still far away from European
industrialized countries
 Economic growth
• Agricultural production
went from 40 million
tons of grain in 1890 to
90 million tons in 1913
• Coal production
increased from 8
million tons in 1890 to
30 million tons in 1913
• The profits went to the
capitalists while the
workers living
conditions did not
change much.
 Rasputin
• A miracle worker
• The Tsarine believed he
could cure his son’s
haemophilia through
hypnosis.
• His influence grew and
he was giving advice to
the Tsar about how to
govern Russia.
 Russia enters the First World War
(1914)
• Member of the Triple
Entente (France and
Great Britain)
• Patriotism again stopped
protest.
• The war was long and
cruel. 13 million soldiers
were sent to the front,
9,15 million died.
Discontent grew.
• 1917: strikes broke out all
over Russia. Even
members of the army
supported them.
 1917: the turning point
• Discontent grew: lots of • The Petrograd Soviet was
casualties; lack of bread created to take control of
and supplies food supplies.
• Strikes spread • It was not clear who
• The Duma set a governed: the Duma, the
Provisonal Committee to Pretrograd Soviet, the
take over government. soldier’s soviets…but the
When the Tsar ordered Tsar was not doing it
the soldiers to imprisoned anymore.
the Duma’s members, the
soldiers refused.
 The Tsar’s regime collapses
Because of discontent
Because of the I WW
inside the country
The Duma’s Provissional Government
• The Tsar abdicated on 15
March 1917.
• The Duma’s Provisional
Goverment dedided:
– To continue the war
– Peasants should have to
wait until the elections to
get lands

• At first the Petrograd

soviet supported the
Provisional
Government.
 Lenin and his April Theses
• Leader of the Bolsheviks.
Exiled in Europe to avoid
the Tsar’s persecution.
• Returned to Russia on a
special train provided by
the German government.
• His theses:
– All power to the soviets.
– Peace, land and bread.
 The Bolsheviks overthrow the Provissional
Government
• The Provisional Goverment
had lost support because of
the failures in the war.
Dessertions increased.
• The Bolsheviks obtained
support after the April
theses.
• November 1917, the
Bolsheviks Red Guard, led by
Leon Trotstky overthrew the
government.
The Provisional Government has been
overthrown. The cause for which the
people have fought has been made
safe: the inmediate proposal of a
democratic peace, the end of land
owner’s rights, worker’s control over
production, the creation of a Soviet
government. Long live the revolution
of workers, soldiers and peasants.
Proclamation of the Petrograd Soviet, 8
November 1917
 October 1917:
February 1917: The Bolshevik
Duma’s Revolution
1905: Provisional
Government
the revolution’s
rehearsal.
1903:
Discontent
and
strikes.
Propaganda