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Booklet 1 Russia - Dissent and Revolution , Russia before Revolution 1917*…
Booklet 1 Russia - Dissent and Revolution
Russia before Revolution 1917*
The Tsar
convinced autocracy was right - very stubborn
National assembly as a senseless dream
kept his minsters weak and put them against each other - did not like people with growing power
Tsarina trusted Rasputin as he "cured" their son's disease haemophillia - blood disease
the Tsarina not liked as she was German born - and often influenced him to make bad decisions
Rasputin
infamous for being a womaniser and a drunk
helped damage the Tsar's reputation
disliked by almost everyone as he inteferred in political decisions
The Roman Tercentary 1913
Tsar and his family traveled the streets in open carriages in 1905, were met by a welcoming crowd so they assumed that all the warnings of revolutions were false, as people loved them
Russian war effort 1914
war was popular ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENTS
St Petersburg (germanic name) changed to Petrograd
Duma dissolved in order to not burden russia with unecessary politics in war time
vast army assembled fast and was able to get to the front quickly - taking germans by surprise
low morale
Battle of Tannenburg - Aug 1914, extreme loss 300,000 Russians dead or wounded
defeat in Masurian Lakes in september - forced Russia into a temporary retreat
clear there would ne no quick victory as reports of military incompetence helped the simmering discontent in the capital
by 1916, 1.5 million deserters
russian army
around 12 million soldiers between 1914 and 1917
however they did not have suitable weaponry, lacked basic warm clothing and waterproof footwear
1914 - 2 rifles for every 3 soldier, 1915 - artillery limited to 2-3 shells per day
soldiers relied on weapons of fallen soldiers to fight
civilian effort
Tasrist gov set up military zones and suspended civilian authority,
this was opposed by the ZEMSTVA who established Union of Zemstva to provide medical facilities
factory and buisnessmen set up Congress of Representatives of Industry and Buisness to coordinate production
in 1915 zemstva joined municipal dumas to form ZEMGOR All Russion Union of Zemstva and Cities - chaired by Prince Lvov
Nicholas not happy so he turned it into an organisation dealing with liberal discontent
Brusilov offence 1916 - high point for russia as they captured lots of towns and soldiers from Astro- Hungary - they attacked on multiple fonts
politics
Nicholas given a chance to save himself by giving the responsability of war to government in 1915, as over half the Duma parties (KADETS, OCTOBERISTS AND PROGRESSIVES) organised themselves into Progressive Block
they wanted a constitutional monarchy with gov the ultimate choice - which Nicholas did not agree with
Nicholas became Commander In chief of the Russian Army - and left for the front lines
this wasn't helpful as he had no military experience and also allowed Rasputin to meddle in domestic affairs - he appointed his friends into government, e.g. four new Prime Ministers and three foreign secretaries
Economic and Social State
to pay for war, the government increased taxes - with the damage to grain exports by the war this lead to INFLATION.
money worthless by 1917
peasants hoarded food instead of selling causing a food shortages
trade was stopped as German occupation of land in europe
railway system collapsed as well as severe fuel shortages
lots of grain sent to the front lines - starving at home
long queue to buy bread - factor in 1905 revolution
unemployment due to non- military factories closing
300 % rise in the cost of living - in JAN 1917 30,000 workers on strike in Moscow and 145,000 in Petrograd
Russia's industrial production was quite small - 4.6 million tons of pig iron in 1914 compared to Germany (16.9) lowest amount out of all countries
however industrial growth rate was 3.5% (higher than other countries) but too many strikes slowed this - 2404 in 1913
Trade unions banned and Russia was exporting all grain to the front, leaving nothing for homeland
Bloody Sunday 1905 - protesters were shot in a peaceful rally after they went to winter palace but Tsar didn't show up - they got agitated and got shot at - up to 200 people dead
Discontent in Russia
strikes, riots against the Tsar even from patriots
anger on the front line - disertations as there were too many casualties and bad operating conditions during the winter of 1916
political unrest - The Progressive Block had talks about a coup to de-throne the Tsar, and Milyukov openly accused the Tsar's ministers of seeking peace with Germany secretly - Prince Lvov unsure if Nicholas can keep the throne much longer
less threat from the left as socialists had different opinions on the war - however radical socialist agitators helped stir up discontent - Lenin less than 10,000 followers
OKHRANA REPORT jan 1917: - hostile feelings from peasants, proletariat in capital on the verge of despair, closing of trade unions and suspension of labour newapapers push people to revolutionary- minded ideas
developments between revolutions
The February/ March revolution
Causes
frustrations of the unemployed,, starving and desperate, - demonstration of 150,000 in Petrograd on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in jan 1917.
direct catalyst was shortage of bread but in reality it was failure from war effort, dislike of the Tsar and horrible life both at home and in the war
war a key cause
events
14th feb 1917 - 1000,000 workers strike in Petrograd after news that bread would be rationed caused massive queues and fights to mass buy bread
22nd Feb - 20,000 workers locked out of Putilov Steel works and went on strike
23 Feb INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY - 90,000 workers on strike and 50 factories closed, women's march was joined by striking workers and they marched in Petrograd. City in chaos with 240,000 on the streets - eventualy order restored by police with no castualties
24th Feb - 200,000 workers on strike, waved red flags and called for end to Tsardom - some radicals joined and distributed flags and emblems but nobody funded this protest
25th Feb - 250,000 (over half the capitol) on street - all major shops and factories closed, no newapapers and no public transport, leader of police killed and band of civilians shot - Cossaks refused to srtike protesters
26th Feb Rodzianko, Duma president sent Tsar a telegram of the situation, Nicholas ignored the warning and othered Duma to dissolve the next day