InNo+Russian+Revolution+Notes+Nicholas+Lim+10.18.10

= Russia At War =
 * War on August 1914, news spread everywhere
 * Hatred of Germans spread across the country
 * Tsar renamed St Petersburg, Petrograd because the name sounded like German.

= Early Defeats =
 * Two large Russian armies attacked Germany at the end of August 1914, should have been a great victory against the single army of Germans.
 * They were badly led and equipped.
 * Battles of Tannnenberg and Masurian Lakes led to both armies being wiped out.
 * 250,000 killed, taken prisoner and wounded
 * Only 6 weeks after star of war
 * By the end of 1914, over 1 million casualties in the war.

= The Collapse of the Economy =
 * Lack of workers in Russia began to lead to economical collapse in 1915.
 * 15.5 million men were taken to fight in the war, halving the number of workers.
 * Resulted in nearly 600 factories closes because of lack of workers.
 * Transport was also another problem, depended on the railways for transport of food and raw materials.
 * Not enough trains to keep the armies and people supplied, food rotted on the railway.
 * Coal supplies could not reach in time, power stations stopped, electricity shut down more factories.
 * Inflation was also another problem
 * Began to loose value in 1814, food prices went up as value went down
 * Less and less food for people
 * Battles led to 300,000 deaths, 3 million wounded or locked in enemy camps by 1915.

= "Dark Forces Destroying the Throne" =
 * Tsar Nicholas II decided to take personal command for the armies.
 * Left Petrograd to live at headquarters 500km away.
 * Fatal mistake because Alexandra became in charge of government in Petrograd, under the entire influence of Rasputin.
 * For 16 months Alexandra did what she like.
 * Sacked ministers and replaced them with people she and Rasputin liked.
 * 4 different Prime Ministers, five Ministers of Interior, four Ministers of Agriculture, three Ministers of War and two Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
 * Work of government stopped because of so many changes.
 * Food fuel and ammunition went from scarce to almost unobtainable.
 * Death toll of soldiers went up to 1 million people.
 * Rumors about Alexandra and Rasputin spread, they knew she was a foreigner (German).
 * People claim that they were German agents to destroy Russia, closest supporters began to fall apart.
 * On December 1916, three loyal nobles of the Tsar decided to murder Rasputin.
 * Rejoice after Rasputin was killed.
 * On 1917 there was a blizzard, temperature plummeted to -35 degrees
 * Supplies began to run out, railways shutdown people began to freeze and starve, bringing the start to revolution.

= The Revolution of March 1917 =
 * March 1917, conditions in Russia grew worse, causing a revolution which overthrew the Tsar.

=// Wednesday 7 March //=
 * 20,000 workers locked out after pay talks broke down, the 20,000 tough, angry steel workers marched into the streets.
 * Other workers decided to follow.

=// Thursday 8 March //=
 * 50 factories closed, 90,000 workers on strike. Also on same day as International Women's Day (Socialist Women also demonstrating).
 * Bread was pretty much the main subject

=// Friday 9 March //=
 * 200,000 workers on strike.
 * Always dispelled by police.

=// Saturday 10 March //=
 * 250,000 workers on strike, no more public transport, newspapers and food shortages continue.
 * Cossacks refused to attack strikers when ordered to.

=// Sunday 11 March //=
 * Duma sent telegram to Tsar saying capital was in Anarchy.
 * Government paralyzed
 * Transport down, food and fuel supplies also disorganized.
 * Discontent rising, shooting on the streets.
 * Someone confident in the country should help form new government with them.
 * Tsar responded by stopping Duma meetings.

=// Monday 12 March //=
 * At 6 o'clock mutiny began in the army, sergeant shot his commanding officer dead and left to center of Petrograd.
 * Duma held meeting without permission from Tsar and set up 12 men committee called Provisional Committee
 * Revolutionaries set up Soviet (council of workers and soldiers, intend to take over government and organize food supplies for the city)

=// Tuesday 13 March //=
 * Tsar Nicholas sends a telegram to Duma saying he will share power.
 * Replied by leader Michael Rodzianko that it was too late

=// Wednesday 14 March //=
 * Army generals told Tsar Nicholas II that the army doesn't support him anymore
 * Train was stopped on his way back to Petrograd by revolutionaries.

=// Thursday 15 March //=
 * Tsar Nicholas agrees to abdicate his throne to son Alexis
 * Realized Alexis too sick and gave power to brother Grand Duke Michael
 * Grand Duke Michael scared he would be unpopular and abdicated throne in less than 1 day.
 * Russia was a republic governed by elected leader.
 * There are two governing bodies, Provisional Committee or Petrograd Soviet can govern Russia.

= The Provisional Government = = Two New Governments =
 * New government was the Provisional Government set up by the Duma on 12 March, 12 men were in charge.
 * Governed Russia until elections and then resign.
 * Petrograd Soviet was the unofficial government elected by working class, aimed to protect interests of workers and soldiers.
 * Formed all over Russia in March imitating the decisions made by the Petrograd Soviets.
 * The Petrograd Soviet's first action was to issue Order No.1
 * Soldiers and sailors must set up committees to take control of all arms, equipment and ammunition.
 * Off-duty soldiers cannot salute to their officers and had to adress them as "Mister (Rank in Army)" and not "Your Excellency"
 * 2500 deputies in the Petrograd Soviet were revolutionaries, mostly Socialist Revolutionary Party and Mensheviks, also some Bolsheviks.
 * Wanted demands to be met but did not want to push too far, so they co-operated with the Provisional Government and waited for change.

= Lenin and the April Theses =
 * At March Revolution, Lenin was exiled in Switzerland.
 * Disagreed with revolutionaries who wanted to co-operate and wanted to go back to Russia to start a second revolution.
 * Petrograd was 200km away from Switzerland, Germans helped Lenin to get back home to cause trouble for Provisional Government and help them in the war.
 * Provided him with food, money and a train to cross to Russia.
 * Arrived on April 16th and gave a speech with ideas later known as the April Theses.
 * Stated land must be given to peasants, banks nationalized, they should be called "Communists", no support to the Provisional Government and they should form a new government.
 * Great surprise to Bolsheviks because they thought it was not time to do this yet.
 * June 1917 failed attack on Austria led to retreat, resulted in many people joining the Bolsheviks to end the Provisional Government.
 * Three days of rioting (known as July Days) Minister of War Alexander Kerensky sent troops to Petrograd and broke up mobs from 16-27 July, 400 people killed and wounded.
 * Kerensky claimed the Bolsheviks were paid by Germans to cause trouble and Lenin was a German agent.
 * Arrested many Bolsheviks while Lenin fled to Finland into exile again.

= The Kornilov Revolt =
 * Kerensky became Prime Minister of the Provisional Government.
 * General Kornilov the Commander-in-chief of the armies challenged Keresnky for power.
 * Planned to get rid of Petrograd Soviet, arrest revolutionaries, take control of the government and continue fighting Germany.
 * He had the some of the best troops, the Savage Division (from Caucasus) and the Cossacks.
 * Kerensky had few loyal troops and was about to loose power.
 * Allowed Bolsheviks to set up defense force called red Guards to help defend Petrograd
 * 25,00 Bolsheiks armed with rifles and machine guns to fight Kornilov's troops.
 * Kornilov's troops refused to fight fellow workers and resulted in Kornilov being arrested.
 * Bolsheviks became heroes and came out as a fighting force.
 * Position further strengthened when they got majority of elections for the Petrograd Soviet.
 * By October 1917 the Bolsheviks were at their peak and considered carrying out the second revolution.

= The Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917 =
 * Kerensky and Provisional Government began to loose power, peasant rebelled, soldiers refused to fight and the revolution was on the way.

= The State of Russia in September 1917 =
 * Peasants began to take control of land waited for Provisional Government to give them land but didn't.
 * Over 2000 farm peasants killed landlords, took land from Church and Tsar
 * Kerensky sent soldiers on "punishment expeditions" to prevent land grabbing.
 * Not enough troops to continue the work so violence continued.
 * This delayed the harvest on many farms and led to food shortages (again).
 * Faced winter with threat of famine
 * Army discipline broke down in Russia, the Petrograd Soviet's Order led to a lot of disobedience before.
 * Now, thousands were deserting the army each week to go back and grabbed their fair amount of land.
 * Bolsheviks encouraged soldiers to stop fighting, drunkenness, chaos and violence was all over the army.

= The November Revolution =
 * Lenin returned to Petrograd in October 1917, wanted revolution immediately.
 * Leon Trotsky, and Bolshevik chairman drew up plans in a disused school called the Smolny Institute.
 * Army supported the Bolsheviks and guards of Peter and Paul Fortress gave all rifles over to Bolsheviks.
 * On 6 November, Red Guards began to take control of important locations such as bridges, government buildings, railway and power stations.
 * Provisional Government headquarters in the Winter Palace which was only guarded by army cadets and the Women's Battalion of the army.
 * On 7 November a cruiser (Aurora) captured by the Bolshevik sailors sailed up river Neva and fired at the Winter Palace.
 * The Red Guards also followed and stormed the Winter Palace.
 * The Provisional Government guards gave up without a fight and ministers of the government were arrested and taken away
 * Bolsheviks controlled Petrograd now.
 * Lenin announces that he is setting up a new government.

= Summary = Russia lost several battles in war and Tsar Nicholas II decided to go and take control of the army himself, he left Alexandra and Rasputin in charge. They led the country horribly because of Rasputin's corruption, this resulted in his death. Several strikes caused the Duma to set up a Provisional Government and the revolutionaries Petrograd Soviet. The Tsar abdicated his throne to his son and brother (abdicated throne too). This made Russia a republic. Lenin came back from exile, gave the April Theses and tried to rebel but was exiled. General Kornilov tried to take power but was thwarted by the Red Guards (Bolsheviks). This gave them power where they rebelled again in November to take control of Petrograd in a day.

= Questions = What large roles did Lenin play over the course of these chapters? Which figure would Alexander Kerensky most remind you of in the French Revolution? What do you think are some reasons that Tsar Nicholas II would stop the Duma from meeting? Describe the story of the Bolshevik's steady rise to power. Why was transportation such an important factor in the economy? What was the result of its collapse?

A Jeopardy Game As Review Over This Section The jeopardy game contains 4 different groups for each Russian revolution chapter. There are a range of questions are available for people to play. They serve as a review for this part of the chapter. media type="custom" key="7265069"