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Communism Further Refined
Lenin developed Marx's ideas futher in 'What is to be Done?' and other writings. In this were contained the specific principles upon which his revolution would be staged fifteen years later.
The major change Lenin made was adding a 'revolutionary vangaurd of intellectual elites'. (Smart people to lead the masses). -
Sunday Bloody Sunday
An apprehensive military open fire on 200,000 peaceful protestors, killing 1,000.
This caused great anger all through Russia, and many other protests were staged, with peasants, students and sailors all showing their anger at times through the year.
Russia was ripe for revolution at this stage, but was lacking in the organisation Lenin believed in. -
October Manifesto
More info on the Duma
Tsar Nicholas II saw he was in trouble, and made BIG promises, he was going to allow civil rights (what everyone is entitled to by living), freedom to form political parties ('Hurrah' says Lenin), universal voting conditions (adult women and men) and the creation of a Duma (sort of a parliament).
Unfortunately, he also limited the power of the Duma, which meant nothing really changed. -
The Beginning of the End of the Tsars
Things didn't go well for Russia during WWI. They were horribly ill equipped and led for the most part by incompetent generals.
By the end of 1916, 2 million Russians were dead with the same number captured and another 1 were 'missing'.
Tsar Nicholas II took charge of the army, which allowed the people to blame him specifically for the disaster. -
Revolution the First: February
The people rose against the Tsar for the first time. Unfortunately, those who could (and later would) organise them successfuly were absent at the time.
The people were protesting the war and food shortatges (caused by the war).
General strikes (everyone stops working) were called and finally Russian troops defied orders and joined the people.
Against such opposition, Nicholas II could not stand and he abdicated on the 2nd of March. -
Complicated Governing
Before the Tsar's abdication, a Provisional (temporary) government was created, alongside the Petrograd Soviet.
The Petrograd Soviet was a workers council, representing the interests of the people, ensuring they wouldn't be made to suffer again.
For a time the two worked relatively in sync. -
Lenin returns! Briefly
With the threat of the Tsar removed, Lenin returned finally from exile to his homeland.
Immedieately he called for the overthrow of the temporary government and an end to the war.
At this time Lenin changed his mind about a key point of his vision, it required a single dictator rather than a group. -
Kerensky Connives to Keep Power
After the abdication of the Tsar, one man from the Provisional Government made a grab for power.
Kerensky firstly became Minister for War and set about trying to convince his troops to put greater effort into WWI.
When Lenin opposed the War, Kerensky accused him of being a German spy. Soon after, Lenin fled the country.
With a lack of Bolshevik opposition Kerensky was appointed Prime Minister. -
Kerensky Confused
Kerensky was incredibly unpopular with the Russian military, mainly due to his personal involvement with it (a mirroring of Tsar Nicholas).
When the new Russian commander Lavr Kornilov moved toward Petrograd to assist in defending the city against a Bolshevik revolution, Kerensky thought they were moving to stage a military coup to place the Tsar back on his throne.
Trotsky (a revolutionary and general) was released and charged with training a 'Red Army' to defend agains Kornilov. -
Tense Times
Trotsky gained popularity and was elected Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, while Lenin wrote to key revolutionaries urging them revolution was needed.
He understood that the Provisional Government would hold a majority in the next election (in November) which would destroy the chance for a Communist Russia.
Some of these letters were made public and on October 23 Kerensky ordered the end of all Bolshevik interests. The movement was to be disbanded. -
Revolution the Second: October
The following night Lenin and Trotsky began their revolution. Between 9:40pm and 2:00am the Bolsheviks took control. Very few died, even Kerensky escaped.
The next day Lenin was elected as Chairman of the Soviets.
He planned to educate Russia and turn the nearly medieval Russia into a fine example of communist modernity.
All was not to go to plan. The Bolsheviks did not go well in the November elections. -
Lenin's loose ideals
After failing to gain any sort of a majority in the elections, Lenin and the other bolsheviks found themselves unable to properly implement their revolution.
When the government met for the first time on the 19th of January, it was shut down and the Bolsheviks organised their own parliament. Lenin argued that a 'dictatorship of the proleteriat' was required while the regime was in transition. Placing himself in the same historical position as Kerensky and the Tsars. -
A conflict ends, another begins
Now firmly in charge, Lenin pursued an end to Russia's involvement in WWI. Other Bolsheviks believed that Germany would follow them into Communism if they continued to fight, but Lenin understood his country was exhausted.
The treaty of Brest-Litovsk saw Russia exit the war and Germany gain a lot of Russian land.
This helped breed opposition to the Bolsheviks, who were already struggling to hold to power.
Taking another leaf out of the Tsar's book, they maintained power by squashing dissent. -
Rules and Rebellion
The main ideas of Communism (centralisation of economy, abolition of private property, nationalisation of banking, finance and industry) began to take hold in 1918, which led to some dissent.
Armies opposing the Bolsheviks sprang up across Russia, supported by foreign powers (U.K, FRA, JAP, U.S.A).
In August, an attempt was made on Lenin's life, and he was struck by two bullets. Though he recovered, it is thought that these injuries led to his eventual death from stroke -
Red Terror
Upset by the attempt on the life of their Chairman, the Bolsheviks struck back. Tens of thousands of PERCEIVED enemeies were tried, and sentenced to gulags or death.
Lenin again justified these actions by saying they were neccessary for the transition to Communism.
Civil war continued while Lenin met with international revolutionaries, trying to convince them to start their own revoultions, hoping that would end their own troubles.
The Bolsheviks began calling themselves the Communist Party. -
Victory at Cost
From 1921-22 the Red Army achieved a series of victories. This was mainly due to the fact that their opponents the White Armies had a variety of interests, which made maintaining a single objective difficult.
Additionally, those who were suspicious of the Bolsheviks were as concerned that they were their best chance for a better Russia.
15 million people died before the civil war ended, from battle, the Red Terror, starvation and disease. Drought in 1920-21 worsened the situation. -
Dream achieved, Hope shattered
Soon after the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was finally firmly in command of the whole country, Lenin suffered the first of three strokes (May '22), which left him partially paralysed on his right side.
He continued to work, and the stress resulted in a second stroke (March '23), and Lenin resigned. A third stroke in March confined him to his bed, unable to speak.
He died the following year on the 21st of January.
His body was embalmed and can still be seen today. -
Man of Steel
Lenin died fearing the ambitious Joseph Stalin would take control of the communists. This occured due to Stalin's apparent moderate position, his claim to being Lenin's heir, and most importantly because he controlled the Communist Party before leading it.
Stalin supported the Bolsheviks from the beginning, though he had an intense rivalry with Trotsky. He was a great liar, claiming to have done things he never had.
He didn't literally take over the next day, but he began to. -
Shifty Stalin
Stalin got to the top by changing alliances in order to isolate and marginalise those who didn't suit his needs. He was initially alligned with Kamenev and Zinoviev, while removing the threat of Trotsky (exiled and eventually murderd in 1940 with a pickaxe).
With trotsky gone, Stalin moved against his former allies, and joined with moderate communists... for a time.
in 1928 he began the first of his 'five year plans', that were to modernise the USSR.
The following year, he was unmovable. -
Fantastic and Terrible: Five Year Plans
The rapid industrialisation of the USSR was nothing short of incredible. The first one (ending in 1933) saw industrial production rise by 250% during a time the rest of the world was going through the Great Depression.
The USSR became an industrial giant, mainly due to their focus on defence, whose budget went from 3.4% in 33 to 32.6% in 1940.
The cost was the death of around 5-10 million Russians, mostly peasants through starvation. Food was gathered by the state, and usually exported. -
Purges
Though in power by 29, Stalin spent the next ten years removing any and all threats.
From 35-9 there were 3 show trials wherein every other member of the first revolutionary government where forced to confess to treason and spying. Stalin was the only survivor.
37 saw the destruction of the military leadership, 35,000 officers executed, replaced with Stalin's men.
Conservative estimates put the total of dead around 30 million, most in labour and re-education camps.
