Notes Chapter 25.

3 War and Revolution

The Russian Revolution Russia totally unprepared for WWI, 6-8M soldiers K-W-C between 1914-16, lost its will to fight Political parties challenging the tsar Social Revolutionaries o Most popular believed in land socialism. Government gives to each peasant the amount of land he can cultivate o Equality of Russians and non-Russians, their appeal was to poorer peasants and non-Russians mostly nonviolent but had some extremists who used terrorism Social Democrats (from Marx 1875) o Marxist believed Russia must be industrialized before a social revolution could take place o Industrialization overthrow of tsar bourgeois democracy proletariat overthrow communist state must be dominated by an elite group o Key leader Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lenin, followers in SD party Bolsheviks Mensheviks less radical Unrest in Russia caused by o Land shortage peasant inheritances subdivided generation after generation indiv. holdings smaller o Rapid industrialization no leadership to bring about needed changes in lives of peasants and workers o WWI showed inefficiency in military machine poor transportation, no supplies, outmoded warfare techniques, soldier morale dropped so low it supported revolution Tsar Nicholas II weak and ineffective influenced by wife determined to maintain autocratic govt. gets help from Grigori Rasputin (Siberian 'healer, holy man' who could stop bleeding of Tsarina Alexandra's son. Held and controlled political power) 1915 Nicholas II goes to front lines to direct troops mostly to get away from wife and Rasputin, Able ministers dismissed (Rasputin becomes unbearably despotic), 1916 group of high nobles assassinate Rasputin faith in Tsars govt. cannot be reestablished The February (March) Revolution Late Feb.- early March (1917), revolution begins without any real plan or leadership like 1905 Womens Day March - 1917 Petrograd women called for 'Peace and Bread' 'Down w/Autocracy', many factory workers general strike, shut down factories, soldiers supposed to shoot but joined protest Nicholas orders Duma home refused orders police to fire on strikers like 1905 didnt work this time soldiers defect to other side, Duma sets up committee to stay in session and soldiers set up Soviets (councils) of workers and soldiers deputies Soldiers patrol streets, Duma tries to create govt. March 15 Nicholas abdicates provisional govt. begins (300 years of Romanov rule is over), provisional govt, represented middle and liberal elite class, wanted continuation of war for honor, civil rights, weak. Alexander Kerensky leader belonged to Social Revolutionary Party conservative member not in tune with the majority o Wanted orderly western style govt. civil liberties and voting rights too ideal o Peasants and workers wanted peace, worker control of factories, peasant control of land listened more and more to Petrograd Soviet (Socialist) o New govt. cant win wide support Kerensky kept Russia in war April 1917 Germans help smuggle Lenin into Russia (from exile in Switzerland) he begins agitating for communism (Germans wanted Russia out of war) Lenins April Theses opposes the provisional government, step backward from the revolutionary ideas, said bourgeoisie rev not needed, move right into socialism. soviet groups were ready made weapons, too much like governments of capitalist nations Bolshevik (October) (communist) Revolution falsely accused of trying overthrow prov. gov, grew more power because of A. Kerensky. Slightly made majority of sovietsBolsheviks have gained control of Petrograd Soviet Leading Bolsheviks- Lenin powerful personality, self assurance, knows way to success, intolerant of opposition undisputed chief Revisionist socialist, wanted to seize power at once not wait for bourgeois period, espoused by Marx Justified dictatorship as a transition to dictatorship of the Proletariat Promises peace, land, and bread and a quick withdrawal from the war more appealing to masses than Kerenskys talk of civil rights and votes (also Worker Control of production and all power to the Soviets) Trotsky the strategist who works out details of govt. seizure highly disciplined

(Oct. 24-25) factory militia (Red Guards) and army units of Bolsheviks seize Winter Palace in Petrograd (and other strong places), Lenin declared master of new all-Russian Congress of Soviets o Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries walk out in protest o Nov. 7 worlds first communist govt. takes office attempted since 1848 France, Germany, Italy, Within 3 weeks Bolsheviks get precarious grip on Russia Alexander Kollontai - Revolutionary Socialism, pushed Bolshevik program for women's rights, social welfare reforms. Minister of social welfare, tried to provide healthcare for wom & children. Made marriage civil, legal divorce, equality of men & women, abortions, women's bureau (Zhenotdel). Some later undone, Comm faced other challenges. Civil War Mar. 1918 Russia withdraws from WWI treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Lenin promised peace, treaty w/Germany, gave up E Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Baltic Regions. Argued it didn't matter, soon all of Europe would be Socialist. o Lost much land & population (Poland, Finland, Baltic States, Ukraine, areas in Caucasus = 62M people) o Petrograd too close to foreign border capital moved to Moscow (1918) o Bolsheviks opposed within Russia govt. seized not country White armies (conflicting) oppose Red Communists Many Russians opposed to Bolsheviks included non-Russians, aristocracy, army officers, clergy, factory owners, landlords, (truly a proletariat revolution) Full scale civil war erupts, Tsar Nicholas and family killed July 1918 Red terror made old Jacobin terror of Fr. Rev. look like a Sunday School party o Cheka (secret police) formed reign of terror many killed if not supportive of Bolsheviks o Trotsky organizes Red army fires them with zeal win or die by 1921 white armies defeated o Almost all people above peasants or workers had been killed, jailed, exiled, fled no place for them in the new Russia had been sacrificed to Bolshevik Revolution (war communism) o Did away with any institution they couldnt control (set standard for 20 th century totalitarian state) Constitutional convention, abolished Zemstvos, destroyed tsarist army, anti-religion, put education in hands of govt. o Retained support of Marxist followers Allowed peasants to seize large estates (like great fear) land would eventually be taken away, abolished class privileges (citizen comrade), created a constitution for workers peasant soviets real power with leaders o Created the true Marxist Socialist state communist becomes name of their political party Last Year of the War 1918 Bolshevik regime made Russia into bureaucratically centralized state dominated by one party, only happened because of Russian collapse & total war. With Russia out, Germany makes one last attempt to win on western front o Second Battle of the Marne - France w/American troops defeated hopeful German leaders, July 1918. W/more Americans, defeat was imminent against Allies. Germany suffers a mini revolution like Russia o General Ludendorff demanded German sue for peace, Allies refused, they set up lib gov, too late. Germ 'soviets' formed, taking over administrations. Force Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate set up a republic, Ebert's Socialists established republic. New revolutionary gov. o Germans sue for peace armistice Nov. 11, 1918 (11th hour, etc.) o German Communists later crushed by Ebert's free army, 'Free' antirevolutionary corps after wanting socialist republic. Led to German fear of communism after bloody crushing by older regime of conservatives. Revolutionary Changes in Germany and Austria Germany o Communists led by Karl Liebnecht and Rosa Luxemburg attempt overthrow of German o Republic fails leaders brutally murdered, creates an overpowering fear of communism in Germany o The fear will be manipulated by Adolph Hitler Austria o Empire dissolves Franz Joseph abdicates o Imperial regime crushed seemingly destructive nationalists Serbia, led to complete empire breakup. Ethnic minorities wanted independence, supported by Allies. New countries independent! Only socialism was in Hungary, failed w/Bela Kun. New nations appear Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia Other areas join - Italy, Poland, Romani o