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REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA (1894-1921)

By ArchieLB

  • EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS

    EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS
    • An end to feudalism in Russia.
    • Peasants allowed to buy/sell their own land. Govt. bought land off aristocrats and allowed the peasants to buy it giving them 49 years to pay off the debt.
    • The problems included - smaller land patches, and many ex-serfs were in debt to the government.

  • TSAR NICOLAS II

    TSAR NICOLAS II
    • Became Tsar in 1894
    THE TSAR'S AUTOCRACY:
    • Divided government: The govt. system promoted hostile infighting rather than collective responsibility as the 3 key govt. bodies simply did the Tsar's orders.
    • Corrupt Bureaucracy: A complex web of inefficiency and undeserved privilege.
    • Oppressive police: The Okhrana and normal police, used oppressive measures to control the masses.
    • Conservative Orthodox Church: All must do God's will and since God appointed the Tsar all must obey him.

  • RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR BEGINS

    RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR BEGINS
    RUS SITUATN (E.ASIA):
    • Treaties (China--1858-60), took Sakhalin (1875)
    • Trans-Sib Rail (1890)
    • Vladivostok (3 fleets)
    • Leased Port Arthur (1898)-->Liaodong peninsula (1901)--Russian trps stationed to protect it
    RUS-->WAR:
    • Politic unrst (1900-1904)
    • Plehve = fast militry win
    • Jap easy pick--Rus assme
    • War = wide spport//Sergei Witte (pref expnd eco)
    JAP SITUATN (E.ASIA):
    • Imperial
    • China = 'sphere of influence'
    • Meiji R (1868-)--US asst
    JAP-->WAR:
    • Fear Rus intnt
    • Dipl fail

  • THE 1905 REVOLUTION

    THE 1905 REVOLUTION
    UNREST:
    • Strikes start @ Mscw...spread--800,000 wkrs strike.
    • Soviets form @ St-Pbg + Mscw-->demand impvd conditions-->wider politic agitatn
    • Sailrs on bttlshp Potemkin mutinied-->govt fear more unrest among forces
    • Mid libs (Kadets) want tsar's power limt by elected assembly-->Mid libs + wkrs/psnts = 'Union of Unions'--dmnd more politic change
    • Psnts = no rent, atck aristo propty (3000 manors brnt)
    PROBLEMS:
    • No centrl coord
    • prtsts scttrd
    • Few dtmnd revs inv
    • Army loyal to tsar

  • BLOODY SUNDAY

    BLOODY SUNDAY
    • Non-violent March-->Winter Plce (St-Pburg)
    • Led by +Fthr Gapon+
    • Petition-->tsar: Basic civil libs, land reform, fairer taxes, worker voice in factories.
    • Cossack soldiers...dispersed crowd violently_X130X_inj>100_
    • Now workers widely blamed tsar Nic for the repression, whereas prev they referred to him as 'little father' and did not believe he knew of their terrible conditions.
    • 'Bloody Sunday' stimulated more unrest.

  • TREATY OF PORTSMOUTH

    TREATY OF PORTSMOUTH
    WAR:
    • War not decl. surpr atck
    • Rus's supt war 1st-->Tsar pop, less oppo pressr. Later unpop
    • Rus army supply issu
    KEY BATTLES:
    • Jap atck Rus flt @ Prt Athr (Jan 1904)-->Rus lost (1905)_X28000X_XPacific fltX
    • Defeat @ Mukden_X89000X_
    • Tsushima Bay (May 1905) =_XBaltic flt (24/29)X_X12600X ??--Fog, Adm Tojo, Japs expecting (spies) Baltic flt--took long journey round Africa
    PEACE: (Aug 1905)
    • Rus lose Prt Athr
    • Rus lose Manchurian rail
    • Rus recog Korea = Jap
    • Jap occp Sakhalin isl.

  • THE OCTOBER MANIFESTO

    THE OCTOBER MANIFESTO
    • A non-binding doc-->express tsar's intent-->in order to stop the 1905 revolts/unrest.
    IN IT, TSAR NIC SAYS HE WILL...
    • Grant Civil libs {free--speech, press, assembly}
    • Est. broad franchise for legisltive body (the Duma)
    • Legislation would have to be approved by the Duma.
    The constitutional fundamental laws were subsequently created and were not true to the manifesto--far more restrictive... "Everything is given and nothing is given" - Trotsky

  • SERGEI WITTE BECOMES PM

    SERGEI WITTE BECOMES PM
    • Oversaw the 'Great Spurt' as the minister of finance under Alexander III.
    • Responsible for modernizing + industrializing Russia.
    • Negotiated the peace treaty with Japan
    • Drafted the October Manifesto
    • Resigned in 1906 as the Tsar became more repressive

  • THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS

    THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS
    An edict from the Tsar-->serve as consitutn ASSERTED THE TSAR'S AUTHORITY:
    • His rt to rule indep of the Duma (when not in session).
    • His rt to dsslve the Duma @ any tme
    • Pwr to change electoral systm
    • Pwr to appnt mnsters he wantd to the council
    • Sole cmmnder of armd forces-->mltry pwr to crush any unrst
    CONTRARY TO OCT MANIFESTO:
    • The Dma had less pwr than promised--(No pwr ovr exectv brnch)
    • The Dma = 2 houses--only 1 pop electd
    • Civl libs + sffrg = far more limtd.

  • THE FIRST DUMA

    THE FIRST DUMA
    • F. Laws = Dma would NOT be democrtc..."To the Emperor of all the Russias belongs suprme autocratc pwr. Submissn to his pwr is commandd by God himslf."
    • Electns were held erly 1906 to elect the 1st Dma
    • Belief that the Dma = fail-->Mnshvks + Blshvks did not stnd for the electns
    1ST DMA:
    • Many Kadets + S. Revs elctd-->The Tsar's foes...THEY DEMANDD:
    1. nbles land-->psnts
    2. Full share of govt
    3. Free all politic prsnrs
    ===Unaccptble (Tsar)-->Disslvd the 1st Dma

  • PYOTR STOLYPIN BECOMES PM

    PYOTR STOLYPIN BECOMES PM
    • Took repressive measures to quell disorder...Stolypin's Necktie-->executed 1144 people btw Sept 1906 - May 1907
    • Dissolved 2 Dumas + changed the electoral law = hated by the left
    • Reconsider govt policy over land dist-->de-revolutionize the peasntry and create a class of more prosperous peasnts more likely to spprt the Tsar = 'The wager on the strong'
    • The success of this policy = limitd ??-->change-resistant nature of the peasntry and the war in 1914 brought any advances to a halt.

  • THE SECOND DUMA

    THE SECOND DUMA
    • Lenin decided that the Social Democrats should participate in this election for the new Duma.
    • Most of the seats again were taken by Kadets and SRs, while Lenin and the SDs gained a few.
    • Bolshevik members of the SDs stirred up trouble in factories and the Okhrana arrested those in the Duma (most of whom were innocent Mensheviks)
    • Thus this was the excuse that allowed the Tsar to yet again dissolve the Duma

  • THE THIRD DUMA

    THE THIRD DUMA
    • Tsar illegally changed the electoral laws in 1907
    • The new 'College' system was deliberately created to reduce the representation of the workers and the lower classes whilst increase that of the landed gentry and upper classes.
    • To elect a deputy (MP) it now took...630 landowners' votes, 60000 peasants' votes or 125000 industrial workers' votes.
    • This Duma completed its 5 year term.

  • THE FOURTH DUMA

    THE FOURTH DUMA
    • Elected under the same electoral 'college' system as the third Duma.
    • Completed its 5 year term as well.

  • WORLD WAR I !!!!!!

    WORLD WAR I !!!!!!
    ECONOMIC IMPCT:
    • Infl--by 1917 prices up 400% // avrg wages only doubld
    • Food shrtges--Trnsprt issues (mltry ctrl of trnsprt--food rott befor arrival), up pop, food req by army, declne in fertlsrs--> 1917: Petrograd bread supply < 25% pre-1914 levels--and--700 wagns grain reach Mscw (required 2200)
    • Alcohol prohib = 33% govt funds gone
    SOCIAL PRBLM:
    • lvng + wrkng conditns diffclt
    • Alcohol prohib
    POLITIC IMPCT:
    • 1914 Dma suspndd--poor mltry perf-->demnd recall 1915
    • Nic ignrd Dma

  • THE GREAT RETREAT

    THE GREAT RETREAT
    • WWI, Russia had early defeats @ Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes
    • Morale of Russian troops low-->let down by poor cmmdrs and failed strats
    • The Great Retreat was underway by 1915-->withdrawal of Russian forces to a new front line well into Russian territory
    • Nic took personal ctrl of the army in August 1915 and thus became the one to blame for failure
    • @ the end of the war 1.7 million Russians had died

  • THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION

    THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION
    • Massive strikes and protests lead to Nics abdication