Part+2+19.10.10

This is yet another picto-diagram-note-taking-form-thing that I drew based on this section. It illustrates the events of the Russian Revolution from the end of WW1 onward to the end of the Bolsevik revolution of 1917.

media type="youtube" key="G-bpJf10eLw?fs=1" height="385" width="480" This is a mildly amusing video which summarises the events of the Russian Revolution thus far. It's told through Mario characters - I thought it was pretty cool, but some parts of it are inaccurate. For example, the Communists were not the first ones to overthrow the Tsar (the government's own Duma was); Stalin, who is the main character in the cartoon, did not have such a big part in the revolution itself.


 * Chapter 7: Russia at War, 1914-17**
 * August 1914: Russia goes to war w/ Germany (WW2)
 * defeated early on, lost more than 1 million men in year of 1914
 * St Petersburg -> Petrograd
 * collapse of economy, 1915
 * lack of workers: 15.5 million young men taken to armies, 600 factories closed
 * transport: not enough trains to supply both army and people
 * inflation: roubles losing value in 1914
 * August 1915: Tsar Nicholas leaves Petrograd to take personal command of army
 * left Alexandra w/ Rasputin, who constantly replaced ministers, halting all work
 * accused Alexandra / Rasputin of being German spies, Rasputin murdered December 1916
 * 1917: began with near-death circumstances, cold, starving...
 * Chapter 8: The Revolution of March 1917**
 * 7 March: 20 000 steel workers go on strike, spark other strikes
 * 8 March: 50 factories close, 90 000 workers on strike, socialist women on streets demonstrating
 * 9 March: 200 000 workers on strike
 * 10 March: 250 000 workers on strike, no public transport, no newspapers, Cossacks revolt
 * 11 March: Tsar orders Duma to stop meeting
 * 12 March: mutiny in army, Duma sets up Provisional Committee, revolutionaries set up Petrograd Soviet
 * 13 March: Tsar offers to share, but too late
 * 14 March: Tsar refused entry into Petrograd
 * 15 March: Tsar abdicates, Russia becomes republic
 * Chapter 9: The Provisional Government**
 * two new governments:
 * Provisional Government = official government, set up by Duma, temporary government until elections
 * made up of SRs, Mensheviks , Bolsheviks , willing to cooperate with Provisional Government
 * Order No. 1: order to armed forces to revolutionise ways of running army
 * Petrograd Soviet : unofficial government, elected by working people
 * other Soviets in other town took lead from Petrograd Soviet, gave it great power
 * Lenin : made speech to Bolsheviks, introduced April Theses
 * April Theses = Communism, end war, land to peasants, nationalise banks, all power to Soviets
 * July Days: Bolsheviks riot, but broken up by Kerensky 's loyal troups, Lenin exiled again
 * Kornilov revolt: Commander-in-Chief of armies, General Kornilov
 * watned to get rid of Petrograd Soviet and revolutionaries, take control of Provisional Government
 * best rebel troops in Russia, nearly succeeded
 * Bolsheviks helped Kerensky w/ Red Guards, saved Provisional Government , became heroes
 * Bolsheviks by October 17: organised, disciplined army, powerful position in politics
 * Chapter 10: The Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917**
 * Provisional Government gradually lost power Sept/Oct 1917, Bolsheviks get ready for 2nd revolution
 * state of Russia in September 1917: out of control
 * peasants seize land, kill landlords, divided up land evenly, violence led to food shortage
 * army discipline breaking down, soldiers deserting army
 * November Revolution: Lenin returns in Oct 1917
 * Bolsheviks decide to stage armed uprising against Provisional Government
 * Leon Trotsky = Bolshevik chairman of Petrograd Soviet
 * 6-7 November: started taking control, Provisional Government defeated
 * Bolsheviks took power after 1 day of rebellion, minimal arrests/deaths

Russia's war with Germany causes many problems for its economy and its government; the Tsar leaves to take command of the army, and the government falls apart under Alexandra's hands. In March 1917, workers gradually go on strike and eventually the Tsar abdicates, leaving two governments in charge: the Provisional Government, the government set up by the Duma; and the Petrograd Soviet, the government elected by the people which had power over all of the other Soviets in Russia. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, made an attempt at revolution with the April Theses, but was defeated by the Provisional Government; however, the Bolsheviks came to power again with the Kornilov revolt in October 1917. With discipline breaking down in the fields and the army, revolution was made easy for the Bolsheviks; the November Revolution was over in one day with minimal arrests and deaths.
 * Summary**

What differences are there between the first and second Bolshevik revolutions? Why was Rasputin assassinated? Summarise the April Theses. Compare and contrast the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet. What caused the Revolution of March 1917?
 * Questions**