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History - Russia - Revision - Coggle Diagram
History - Russia - Revision
Nicholas' Abdication
Nicholas Abdicated on 15th of March, 1917
Nicholas was detained shortly after by Georgy Lvov's Provisional Government and taken to Tobolsk in Western Siberia.
In April of 1918, Nicholas and his family were taken to Yekaterinburg in the Urals, where he and his family were later executed.
Context
Nicholas was heir to the throne from Alexander III.
Lacked strength of character during his reign, often made decisions under the influence of his family.
Gave an ill-suited amount of trust and power to figures like Grigory Rasputin who presented Nicholas with an idealised vision of Russia.
In 1915, Nicholas left for Poland to directly support the war in the front. Leaving Alexandra (and by extension, Rasputin) in charge in St. Petersburg.
Rise of the Bolsheviks and an "anti-monarchy" mindset.
Technicalities
Originally Nicholas intended for his son - Alexei - to take the throne. However, Alexei couldn't due to his hemophilia.
Nicholas' crown was then passed over to his brother, Michael. He refused it.
The Economy 1894-1924
The Economy under Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917)
Industrialisation under Sergei Witte:
Witte's great spurt, which took place from the 1890s to the early 1900s, saw rapid industrial growth and led to the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Heavy government investment and foreign loans, colloquially known as State Capitalism, particular from France.
Urbanisation and working class growth. Saw poor working conditions and low wages.
Stolypin's Agrarian Reforms (1906-1911):
Aimed to create a class of wealthy peasant farmers - known as Kulaks - by encouraging land ownership and individual farming.
Peasant land banks and incentives to leave the communal farming system, known as the Mir.
There was some growth in productivity, but the reforms were cut short by war and Stolypin's assassination.
Continued Inequalities and Limitations:
Agriculture remained largely backwards and relied heavily on antiquated, rudimentary methods.
Industry grew rapidly, but it was still small compared to western Europe.
Social and regional inequalities persisted. Rural Russia was largely untouched by industrialisation.
Survival of the Bolsheviks 1917-1921
Leadership and Ideology
Lenin's leadership - decisive, adaptive (April Theses, October Revolution, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk) and made frequent use of propaganda. Slogans like
"Peace, Land, Bread"
and
"All Power to the Soviets."
Civil War
Red VS. Whites and Greens - The disunity of the Whites and Greens opposed the geographical advantage of the Reds.
War Communism - Grain requisition, rationing, privatisation of industry, etc.
Use of Terror - The Cheka and the Red Terror suppressed oppression.
Geographic and Strategic Factors
Central control of key cities such as Moscow and Petrograd (previously St. Perersburg) which gave access to communication and industry.
Railways - The Bolsheviks held land with better infrastructure than their contemporaries.
Foreign Intervention - "support" from the Triple Entendre (Britain and France) was half-hearted and ultimately unsuccessful, aiding the Bolsheviks.
Dealing with Internal Threats
The Kronstadt Rebellion - A rebellion led by previously Bolshevik-allied sailors that led to the creation of the New Economic Policy.
Suppression of other Socialist Parties - The Bolsheviks suppressed the Mensheviks and the Social Revolutionaries.
Use of Terror and Repression
Cheka - The secret police employed by Lenin that played a key role in rooting out dissent.
Red Terror - Used to eliminate political opposition and instill fear.
The Revolutions 1905-Feb 1917-Oct 1917
1905 Revolution: 22nd January 1905 - 16th June 1907
February 1917 Revolution: 28th February 1917 (Julian Calendar) March 8th 1917 (Gregorian Calendar)
October 1917 Revolution: 25th October 1917 (Julian Calendar) November 7th 1917
1905 Context
The loss of the Russo-Japanese War - humiliating due to the sheer difference in size between Russia and Japan.
Women striking.
Bloody Sunday - resulted in the killing of unarmed civilians.
February 1917 Context
Mounting discontent with the Tsarist system.
Failures in WW1:
Tannenburg (August 1914)
Winter Battle in Masuria (February 1915)
Loss of Russian Poland (May-August 1915)
Nearly 6,000,000 casualties by January 1917
The Duma (lower house of parliament) and the Stavka (Military High Command) beginning to work outside of the Tsar's control.
Nicholas II taking personal control of the Army and heading to the front in March of 1915, leaving his wife Alexandra (and by extension, Rasputin + his followers) in charge.
October 1917 Context
The Provisional Government (led by Alexander Kerensky and intergrated after Nicholas II's brother - Michael - declined control) was unpopular. Largely due to their decision to keep Russia in WW1.
Tsar Nicholas II's abdication, led to the creation of the Provisional Government.
Rise of the Bolsheviks under Lenin's rule -
"Peace, Land, Bread."
Increased social unrest due to the Provisional Government's failings leading to increased support towards the Soviets.
The continued war devastated the Russian economy, leading to mass food shortages.
Dual Power - shared power between the Provisional Government and the Soviets that gave the Bolsheviks an easy route in.
1905 Turnout
Nicholas II wrote The October Manifesto - Gave people freedom of speech, conscience and assemblage. Participation in the newly formed Duma and ensured that no law would be passed without the consent of the Imperial Duma.
Created the Duma - Dissolved 79 days after.
Appointed Stolypin - Introduced land reforms and an increase in the executions of revolutionaries (Stolypin's Necktie).
February 1917 Turnout
Establishment of the Provisional Government under Georgy Lvov, later replaced by Alexander Kerensky.
Creation of Dual Power between the Soviets and the Provisional Government.
The April Theses
The Kornilov Affair
October 1917 Turnout
Lenin becomes the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Governmental Reforms
Applied the term: "Citizens of the Russian Republic"
Nullified legal designations of civil inequality, such as estates titles and ranks.
Creation of the Cheka.
The Red Terror, shortly after Lenin's attempted assassination.
The Make Up of the Government 1894-1914