JohnsonK2013+INO-+Russian+Revolution+October+18+2010+(Part+2)

= Russian Revolution Notes Part 2 = toc

= Awesome =



= Notes =

7. Russia at War, 1914-17
- Russia went to war in August 1914 . popular . patriotic demonstrations in support of the Tsar . hatred of Germany spread > >Nicholas renamed St. Petersburg to Petrograd

Early Defeats
- 2 huge Russian armies attacked Germany at the end of August 1914 . won a great victory against one German army > >but Russian armies were badly led and badly equipped > >1mil men without rifles and half without boots - 2 battles: Tannenberg & Masurian Lakes . both Russian armies were wiped out . 250,000 were killed, KIA or POW > >end of 1914: lost over 1mil men

The Collapse of the Economy
- 1915, economy collapsed . lack of workers . 15.5 mil young men were taken into army . 600 factories had to close . many empty farmlands - Another problem: Transport . depended on railways for food and raw materials > >not enough trains > >tones of butter, meat, and grain rotted in railway sidings in the countryside . coals weren’t transported to factories and power stations - Third problem: inflation . the rouble (Russian money) began to lose its value in 1914 . food prices went up - Fighting fronts, defeat after defeat . end of 1915: 300,000 Russians had been killed . more POW, KIA

Dark Forces Destroying the Throne
- August 1915 Tsar Nicholas took personal command of his armies . left Petrograd and went to live at army headquaters > >big mistake: Alexandra in govt, influenced by Rasputin - August 1915 – 1916 . used power to sack ministers who displeased her > >replaced with those who pleased Rasputin > >4Prime Ministers > >5 of Interior > >4 of Agriculture > >3 of War >2 of Foreign Affairs - work of the govt groud to a halt . food and fuel were in short supply > >almost unobtainable . although the armies had won some important victories in 1916, death = 1mil - people thought that the 2 Germans, Alexandra and Rasputin were agents who tried to destroy Russia . people murdered Rasputin and thought the “Dark force” was no more > >situation didn’t change > >1917, bad winter > >railways were frozen > right time for revolution

8. the Revolution of March 1917
- March 1917, conditions grew rapidly worse . Petrograd, full-scale revolution

Wednesday 7 March
- managers of the giant Putilov steel works locked out their 20,000 workers after pay talks broke down . other workers went on strike, support for the steel workers

Thursday 8 March
- 50 factories closed down . 90,000 on strike . Intl. Women’s Day, thousands of women demonstrating

Friday 9 March
- 200,000 on strike

Saturday 10 March
- 250,000 on strike . no transport and newspapers . food shortages continued

Sunday 11 March
- President of Duma, Michael Rodzianko sent a telegram to the Tsar . Tsar’s response was to order the Duma to stop meeting

Monday 12 March
- 6am, mutiny in Volinsky regiment of the army . sergeant shot his commander dead . soldiers left barracks and marched into the center of Petrograd . Duma meeting not allowed > >Provisional Committee of 12 people to take over the govt. . revolutionaries set up a Soviet > >council of workers and soldiers > >taking over govt. after organizing food supplies for the city

Tuesday 13 March
- Tsar sent a telegram to the Duma . wanted to share power but it was too late

Wednesday 14 March
- Leading army generals sent telegrams to Nicholas . none of the army supported him . Tsar tried to get back but train stopped by the revolutionaries

Thursday 15 March
- Halted train, Nicholas agreed to abdicate and give his throne to Alexis . Alexis was too ill > >gave to his brother, Grand Duke Michael - Michael feared that he would be unpopular . 24 hrs later, he abdicated . Russia a republic > >but which party should govern Russia?

Two New Governments
- New govt. 12-men committee . Provisional Govt. . govern until elections are held - Provisional was official . Tauride Palace, Petrograd Soviets, unofficial > >aimed to protect the interests of working people and soldiers > >followed by other soviets - Petrograd Soviets, first action . Order No.1 : soldiers and sailors must set up committees to take control of all arms, ammunition and equipment > >soldiers call officers Mister Colonel Mister General, instead of Your Excellency . obeyed in all parts > >Petrograd Soviets had control over the army - 2500 deputies of the Soviet were revolutionaries . SRs and Mensheviks + some Bolsheviks > >wanted all land to peasants and factories to workers > >didn’t want to push too far for the time being > >willing to cooperate with the P.Govt.

Lenin and the April Theses
- During March Revolution, the leader of the Bolsheviks, Lenin was in exile in Switzerland . disagreed with working with the P.Govt. > >wanted a second revolution - Petrograd, 2000km away with Russian enemies in between . Germans helped Lenin get back to Russia > >trouble would help Germany in the war - Lenin reached Petrograd on 16 April 1917 . made a speech to the Bolsheviks . must end war with Germany . all land to peasants . banks nationalized . change name to Communists . no support to P.Govt. . known as April Theses - great surprise to Bolsheviks . many thought time was not right yet . doubt was correct, June 1917 Russian army attacked on Austria > >failed, retreated >soldiers deserted in large numbers > >joined Bolsheviks . more than 100,000 soldiers and Bolsheviks marched shouting “All Power to the Soviets!” - 3 days of rioting, the July Days . Alexander Kerensky, Minister of War sent loyal troops to Petrograd > >broke up the mobs, killing and wounding 400 of them . claimed that the Bolsheviks had been paid by the Germans to cause trouble and Lenin was a German agent . Lenin fled to Finland, while other Bolsheviks in prison

Kornilov Revolt
- Alexander Kerensky became Prime Minister of the P.Govt. . faced with a challenge form the Commander-in-Chief of the armies, General Kornilov . believed Russia needed a “strong man” (himself) > >planned to get rid of P.Govt. > >continue fighting Germany without interference - Kornilov rebel troops were best in Russia . Savage Division from the Caucasus Mt. and the Cossacks > >loyal - to help him defend Petrograd, Kerensky allowed the Bolsheviks to set up a defense force called the Red Guards . 25,000 armed Bolsheviks were on streets > >Kornilov’s troops refused to fight and he was arrested - Bolsheviks became heroes . showed that they weren’t German agents > >armed discipline force > >majority in elections for the Petrograd Soviet in September - October 1917, Bolsheviks were more powerful than before . considered a second revolution

10. The Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917
- September and October 1917 kerensky and the P.Govt lost their authority . peasants rebelled . soldiers refused to fight . Bolsheviks ready for 2nd Revolution

The State of Russia in September 1917
- peasants began to take over land . waiting since March for the govt. to give them land > >more than 2000 peasants killed their landlords and divided land among themselves > >seized the lands of the Church and the Tsar - Kerensky tried to stop them by sending soldiers on “punishment expeditions” . did not find enough loyal troops to do it - violence delayed harvest . winter, treat of famine - armies discipline was breaking down . Order No.1 led many to disobey their officers . soldiers began to desert and go back to their villages . Bolsheviks encouraged soldiers to give up fighting . the army was chaotic and violent

The November Revolution
- October 1917 Lenin returned . wanted to begin ASAP - Bolshevik leaders agreed . drew up plans and set up HQ in the Smolny Institute (disused school) - Trotsky did not have to make this a secret . P.Govt. could not stop them . guards of Peter and Paul Fortress gave all the rifles - night of 6 November, Red Guards were well armed and ready . began to take control of all the most important locations in Petrograd > >6 bridges across the river Neva . 7 November, seized govt. buildings, power station and railway stations - P.Govt HQ was in the Winter Palace . guarded only by army cadets and the Women’s Battalion of the army . evening of 7 November a cruiser, the Aurora, fired blank shells at the palace . guns in the fortress fired on the Palace > >Red Guards stormed in > >gave up without a fight > >ministers of the P.Govt. were arrested - Bolsheviks now controlled Petrograd . next day, Lenin announced that he was setting up a new govt. . came to power after a single day of revolution > >arrested 18 people and 2 people killed

= Summary = Russia was losing the war which caused the condition of the country to get worse and worse. Eventually, Nicholas was dethroned and the Provisional Government became the official government of Russia, temporally. Later, the Bolsheviks formed Red Guards to help the government. After stopping the revolt of Kornilov, they gained a lot of power. Later, a second revolution started by the Bolsheviks and only took them one day to take over the government, with Lenin as the leader.

= Questions = 1. Why was Russia's capital renamed? 2. Explain what happened during the Revolution of March 1917 3. Who later became the Tsar after Nicholas had been abdicated? 4.What was the Provisional Government? 5. How did the Bolsheviks manage to start a 2nd Revolution ?