Introduction
The biggest outcome
of the War, the Russian revolution, was unique in world history. The
socio-political and economic conditions prevailing in Russia were brought to a
head by the vast losses and sufferings caused by the War. There were really two
revolutions in the year 1917, one in March and the other in November. On the
abdication of the the Tsar the bourgeois government which followed,
wanted to continue the war. But the people were against it. So there was a
second great uprising under the guidance their leader Lenin, who is seized
power and established a communist government in Russia.
Causes of the Revolution
Social causes:
In Russia Peter the Great and Catherine II
attempted westernisation without changing the social conditions. The Russian
peasants were serfs tied to land owned by wealthy Russians. After Russia's
defeat in the Crimean War, some reforms were introduced. In 1861 Tsar
Alexander II abolished serfdom and emancipated the serfs. But they were
not given enough land to subsist. These peasants became the powder keg
for the revolution. The labourers and workers whose number had increased on
account of industrialisation where aggrieved as they got very low wages.
Roll of Revolutionaries
The spread of revolutionary ideas among the
intelligentsia and their repression by the Tsar's government made the
socialistically inclined students to carry their propaganda to the peasantry.
Soon, based on the Marxist is philosophy, new ideas began to take shape and a
Social and Democratic Labour Party was formed.
Autocracy of the Tsar
Tsar Nicholas II of
Ramanov dynasty had little experience of government. His wife Tsarina Alexandra
was a dominant personality and Nicholas was under her strong influence.
Determined that Russia should not be left out in the scrabble for colonial
possessions, Nicholas encouraged Russian expansion in Manchuria. This provoked
a war with Japan in 1904. The resulting Russian defeat lead to strikes and
riots. On 22 January 1905 father Gapon, a priest organised a march of men,
women and children on the Tsar's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg demanding a
representative national assembly and agrarian and industrial reforms. But
police and soldiers fired on the procession. Hundreds were killed and many
thousand wounded. The events of this day lead to riots, strikes and violence.
Nicholas was forced to grant the constitution and establish a parliament, the
Duma. This was no longer satisfactory to the left-wing parties that formed
a soviet of workers delegates in St.Petersburg, led by Trotsky.
Opposition to Tsar and
Dissolution of Duma
The outbreak of the
First World War had temporarily strengthened the monarchy, as Russia allied to
France and Britain. As there was the rumour of a palace revolution. Nicholas
made himself the Commander- in -Chief of the army. At the end of 1916,
Rasputin, who had a domineering influence over the Tsar and the Tsarina,was
murdered by a member of Tsar's family. The members of the St. Petersburg Soviet
were arrested. whenever the Duma opposed the Tsar's move, it was
dissolved and fresh elections held. Without change of government policy, the
fourth Duma ended with the revolution of 1917.
Failure of Provisional
Government
Lenin was in Switzerland when the revolution broke out. Lenin
wanted continued revolution. His slogan of 'All power to the Soviets' soon won
over the workers' leaders. Devastated by war time shortages, the people were
attracted by the slogan of 'Bread, Peace and Land'. But the provisional
government made to grave mistakes. First it postponed a decision on the demand
for the redistribution of land and the other was government decided to continue
with the war. Frustrated peasant soldiers deserted their posts and joined those
who had resorted to land grabbing. This intensified the rising in Petrograd led
by Bolsheviks. The government banned Pravda and arrested all Bolsheviks.
Trotsky was also arrested.
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