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Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-1953 - Coggle Diagram
Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-1953
Part 1: The Russian Revolution and the Rise of Stalin, 1917-1929
Recap
Russia in 1917 was a developing country, with the majority of its population living as peasants
Industrialisation had been rapid before WWI, but workers endured harsh working and living conditions.
Liberals frustrated with the autocratic system that shut down any opportunities to share power, whilst the tsarist secret police forces battled with radical groups who plotted to overthrow the tsar.
The Tsar and political authority
Russia before the Feb/March Revolutions was an autocracy: a rule by one person with no limits to their power. That person was Nicholas II, whose personal failings as a leader had seriously weakened his political authority by 1917.
Reasons for Nicholas' weakened authority
Nicholas and Russia's problems
Nicholas and Alexandra believed there was a religious bond between the Tsar and the people
Believed Russia should put its faith in God and tradition
Meant Nicholas didn't actively try and solve Russia problems, believing instead they were in Gods hands
Rasputin had a reputation of sexual promiscuity. Rumours about him and Alexandra damaged Nicholas' authority
Alexandra encourages Nicholas to listen to Rasputins words, which made him more powerful than many ministers, which undermined the Tsar support in court.
Rasputin was a self-styled 'Holy man', trusted by the royal couple after he was able to speak to their son Aleksei, who suffered from Haemophilia
Alexandra and Rasputin
Nicholas and the State Duma
Nicholas was forced to allow a State Duma (an elected representative assembly) to form in 1906.
The Duma held meetings to debate politics and legislation.
Nicholas refused to share any real power with the Duma, frustrating to those who were hoping for a more democratic approach to Russia's government
Meant Nicholas remained responsible for Russia's problems
Undermined his ministers to stop anyone challenging his authority
He was stubborn and saw advice as criticism
Believed completely in the Divine right to rule
Nicholas' personality
Opposition to tsarism
Three Main Groups:
Liberals
Loose collection of groups that favoured reform and a constitutional monarchy
Included the Constitutional Democrats (known as Kadets), the Octoborists and the Progressives
It suffered from internal divisions. Some extreme SRs believed in political assassination, but the moderate wing gained influence after 1905.
It chiefly represented peasants interests, including land reform.
Social Revolutionary Party founded 1901
The Social Revolutionaries (SRs)
The Social Democrats (SDs)
The All-Russian Social Democrat Labour Party founded in 1898
represented the proletariat (industrial working class)
Split in 1903, into Mensheviks and Bolsheviks, following arguments about how to apply Marxism to the Russian situation.
The Russian War Effort
July 1914, Nicholas mobilised Russia's armies to support Serbia in its war against Austria-Hungary. When Germany joined the war as Austria's ally, Russia experienced several very serious defeats. By early 1917, Russia's involvement in WWI was major cause of discontent.
Lack of weapons, ammunition, equipment and clothing for the Russian troops contributed to numerous defeats.
For example, at Battle of Tannenberg (Aug 1914), around 300,000 Russians killed or wounded and thousands taken prisoner
Liberal Zemstva and others saw the government failures as a call to action.
A 'Union of Zemstva' was set up to provide medical facilities which state seemed to neglect.
Factory owners and businessmen set up a Congress of Representatives of Industry and Business to help coordinate their production for the war effort.
In June 1915, all Russian union of Zemstva and Cities was formed. Chaired by Prince Lvov (later to lead the Provisional Government)
Nicholas refused to let this civilian organisation to take any part in government management of the war.
August 1915, a 'Progressive bloc' in State Duma (made up of more than half of all the Duma deputies) demanded that responsibility for the war effort to be handed over to a civilian government
Nicholas refused, increasing liberal discontent with tsarist government
September 1915, Nicholas took role of Commander in Chief of Russia's armed forces, despite lacking enough military experience
Made him directly responsibly for everything that went wrong in the War.
Nicholas effetively left Alexandra to govern Petrograd.
Alexandra's reliance on Rasputin, a peasant, appalled the aristocracy
One of the Tsar's relations, Prince Yusupov, assassinated Rasputin in Dec 1916.
The economic and social state of Russia
Cost of war caused major economic problems and had a significant social impact. Two of the most important impacts were food shortages in the towns and cities, and a soaring cost of living because of runaway inflation.
Food shortages and insanitary conditions led to an increase in death rate of workers in towns and cities.
This, combined with increased cost of living and rising unemployment, led to unrest and strikes.
Jan 1917, 30,000 workers went on strike Moscow and 145,000 Petrograd
Reasons for food shortages
millions of men conscripted into army caused labour shortages on farms and in factories, reducing food supplies.
Peasants hoarded their grain rather than sell it
Food supplies prioritised for the army, leaving towns unsupplied.
Railway system turned over to transporting military supplies. Supplying towns was lower priority.
Reasons for the soaring cost of living
to pay for the war, government raised taxes and took loads of loans
Shortages of food and manufacturing goods raised prices causing inflation
Unemployment increased as non-military factories forced to close due to lack of supplies
Discontent in Russia
Most of discontent expressed toward those in positions of power: employers, landlords, and officers in the army. Expressed in strikes, unrest in countryside and desertions from armed forces
Tsar's refusal to cooperate with Progressive bloc increased political discontent. Progressives discussed the Tsar's possible abdication.
Although workers and soldiers were increasingly open to radical political influences, most radical opponents of tsarism were in exile or in prison.