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04 BACKGROUND TO THE SOVIET REVOLUTION, Garazi García Antruejo, image,…
04 BACKGROUND TO THE SOVIET REVOLUTION
TSARIST RUSSIA
At the beginning of the 20th century
Russian Empire had 150 million inhabitants
economy was based on agriculture
standard of living was low and poverty was widespread
autocratic monarchy
tsar was an absolute ruler
political opposition to tsarism grew in Russia
inspired by the Marxist Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party (RSDWP) was also founded
This party felt that the working class should carry out a revolution
In 1903 split into two groups
Bolsheviks
leader was Vladimir Lenin
defended the seizure of power by a committed working-class minority
Mensheviks
leader was Julius Martov
more moderate
favoured an alliance with reformist liberalism
Grigori Rasputin
a mystic
he cured the tsar's eldest son
Rasputin came to have a big religious influence on the tsarina
He was accused of
manipulating the appointment of government positions
being a German spy
influencing the tsarina in favour of the Germans
assassinated in 1916
FROM THE REVOLUTION OF 1905 TO THE GREAT WAR
Russian and Japanese imperialism competed for control of Korea and Manchuria
led to the Russo-Japanese War
Russia was defeated
this defeat was added to a serious economic, political and social crisis
led to strikes
forces opposing tsarism tried to take power through a revolution
In a peaceful demonstration where the people begged the tsar for improved living conditions
the tsarist army repressed thousands of demonstrators
more than a thousand victims
known as Bloody Sunday
marked the final rupture between the people and the tsar
prerevolutionary situation
Popular protests, workers’ strikes, peasant revolts and military uprisings
Political strikes became the main weapon
first Soviet was formed in St. Petersburg
consisted of workers, peasants and soldiers that would later play a fundamental role in the revolution
in 1905
they pressurised the tsar into implementing some reforms
the creation of the Duma or National Legislative Assembly
the equivalent of a parliament controlled by the tsar
an agrarian reform
distribution of lands that would serve to create a social base
The project was cancelled because of the assassination of its promoter
establishment of limited individual and citizens’ liberties
In 1914, World War I began
After some defeats, Tsar Nicholas II took direct control of the army in 1915
he could not prevent the collapse of the front or the breakdown of civil power
serious economic and social situation due to increasingly poor living conditions
which generated conditions for a new revolutionary outburst
produced the demoralisation of the army and the people
Trans-Siberian Railroad
The Russian Empire in 1914, covered a territory that made up one sixth of the Earth’s surface
The Trans-Siberian Railroad managed to connect the European part with the most remote regions
Garazi García Antruejo
