Russian Revolution

Introduction

One of the 20th century's most important political events was the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was a series of political events that saw first the February revolution of 1917 that overthrew the autocratic government led by Tsar Nicholas II, followed by the October Revolution which overthrew the liberal Provisional Government (Duma) under the leadership of Marxist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. As a result, the Soviet Union came into existence under the rule of the Bolshevik party.

In this tutorial, we will be briefing about major parts of history regarding the Russian Revolution, the factors and causes, the role of the world war in fueling the revolution, and much more.

Factors Responsible for Russian Revolution

The main factors for the Russian Revolution are –

• Widespread corruption and inefficiency of the imperial government,

• Rising discontent among peasants, workers, and soldiers, and

• Dissolution of the Imperial Russian Army during World War I.

Apart from these prominent factors, other factors leading to revolution can be categorized into three major categories - Economic, Political, and Social.

Economic

One of the main economic drivers of the Russian Revolution was the country's slightly outdated economic system. The Tyrant’s rule impacted Russia’s economy deeply where people had fewer options for earning money and lesser options for survival.

Political

Many regions of Russia had grown weary of the despotic rule of Czar Nicholas II, who famously proclaimed, "One Czar, One Church, One Russia". Nicholas II, a very conservative emperor, imposed severe authoritarian governance. Individual residents were expected to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to their neighborhood, compliance with the required Russian social system, and a sense of responsibility for the nation.

Nicholas II was blind to how his nation was deteriorating. Nicholas believed that his position of authority had been bestowed upon him by Divine Right and that the populace would be completely faithful to him. This conviction prevented him from approving social and political changes that may have lessened the suffering of the Russian people, brought on by his ineffective management of the war effort.

Even after Nicholas II decided to provide the populace with some limited civilian rights in response to the failed Russian Revolution of 1905, he went on to restrict these freedoms in order to uphold the supreme power of the Tsarist Monarchy. After the Bloody Sunday massacre in January 1905, public anger with the despotic Russian government reached its zenith. And resulted in a political overturn of the Monarchy.

Social

The underlying sociological causes of the Russian Revolution were Nicholas' failures in World War I and the centuries-long oppression of the lower classes under the Tsarist state. Rapid industrialization in Russia had resulted in overcrowding of cities and working conditions for those employed in the industries were terrible. The government's minimum wages and limited hours of work rule for the factory workers were often broken and the workers had to live in dormitories while working 15 plus hours instead of set 12 hours a day. Additionally, there was no running water for drinking and cleaning purposes, and the untreated quantity of human waste put the health of the workers in peril.

On the other hand, the situation of peasants was another sociological cause. Independent peasants who rarely owned modern equipment were the mainstay of Russia's agriculture. Although they farmed the majority of the land, the nobility and the crown possessed huge and expansive lands. Peasants had no respect for nobles because they had no local appeal and had only achieved position and power via their services to the Tsar. As a result, farmers desired to inherit Noble's land. They regularly skipped rent payments and even killed Nobles. This took place broadly across south Russia and later similar instances occurred all around Russia.

The Revolution of 1905

Liberals in Russia fought for a constitution during the 1905 revolution with the Socialist- Revolutionaries and Social Democrats, together with workers and peasants.

The police and the Cossacks attacked the procession of 11,000 workers as it approached the Winter Palace and demanded an eight-hour workday, higher wages, and better working conditions. 300 workers were injured and almost 100 workers were killed. This tragedy, known as Bloody Sunday, marked the start of a series of events that came to be known as the 1905 Revolution. Universities closed down due to nationwide strikes and walkouts by student bodies protesting the absence of civil liberties.

During the 1905 Revolution, the Tsar approved the creation of a Duma (elected consultative Parliament). Most committees and unions operated informally after 1905 since they had been deemed unlawful. Political action was subject to stringent limitations. Within 75 days, the Tsar disbanded the first Duma, and three months later, the second Duma was reelected. He didn't want his authority or power to be questioned or undermined so he altered the voting regulations and crammed the third Duma with republican representatives. Revolutionaries and liberals were excluded.

World War I and Russian Revolution

At first, the war in Russia was well liked, and the populace supported Tsar Nicholas II. The Tsar, however, declined to consult the major Duma parties as the war continued on. Support became stale and the first key battle of the conflict was lost by Russia. During the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914, more than 120,000 Russian soldiers were wounded, perished, or captured, compared to only 20,000 German casualties, and whatever support the Russian leadership may have had at the beginning of the conflict for the reasons of nationalism or patriotism was lost.

In both Germany and Austria, between 1914 and 1916, Russia's armies suffered heavy defeats. By 1917, there had been almost 7 million casualties. To stop the enemy from subsisting off the land, the Russian army burned dwellings and fields as they withdrew. Over 3 million became refugees as a result of the damage of crops and dwellings. The war incidents damaged the reputation of the Tsar and the government. Even soldiers had no desire to engage in such conflict.

World War I had a severe impact on the Russian industrial sector as well. The Baltic Sea controlled by Germany isolated Russia from suppliers of industrial commodities, and its own industries were few in number which Germany held sovereignty over. Railway lines started to deteriorate in 1916. Men who could fight were called up for the conflict. Due to a lack of labor, tiny workshops that produced necessities had to close. Grain in large quantities was sent to feed the army. Flour and bread became scarce for the population living in the cities. Bread shop riots had become widespread by the winter of 1916.

The massive need for manufacturing output of war materials and labor led to further labor unrest and strikes. Because of conscription, trained city workers had to be replaced with uneducated peasants. Workers also started to leave the cities in great numbers in search of food when the famine hit.

Conclusion

After two revolutions in less than a year, Russia had gone from being an authoritarian empire to a Bolshevik state that purported to be socialist. In 1917, the Bolsheviks had a tenuous hold on power, controlling the soviets only somewhat outside of big cities, and it is debatable to what extent their actions were truly socialist.

While many of the world watched Russia with a mixture of worry and trepidation, socialist revolutionaries across the globe would take heart from its seeming success and agitate even more.

FAQs

Qns 1. Who was the last Tsar of Russia?

Ans. Nicholas II was the last Russian ruler with whom the autocratic government ended in Russia.

Qns 2. Describe Bloody Sunday?

Ans. Before the Russian Revolution of 1905, there was an occurrence known as Bloody Sunday. This Sunday saw a string of brutal assaults. The Czarist government in Russia at the time gave the command to fire on unarmed civilians. The tragedy led to several fatalities and ignited the 1905 Russian revolution.

Qns 3. Mentions main reason that fueled the Russian Revolution?

Ans. The main reasons that fueled the Russian Revolution are −

• Widespread corruption and inefficiency of the imperial government,

• Rising discontent among peasants, workers, and soldiers, and

• Dissolution of the Imperial Russian Army during World War I.

Qns 4. How Baltic Sea was used to curb supplies of goods to Russia?

Ans. Russia's economy was severely impacted by the German blockade of the Baltic Sea because Russia's own industries were few in number and under German control. The Russian sector suffered as a result of the country's isolation from suppliers of industrial goods.

Qns 5. Who were the Bolsheviks?

Ans. The Russian communist party known as the Bolsheviks was established in 1917. Vladimir Lenin was the man who founded the Bolshevik Party. After the Monarchy was over, Bolsheviks ruled Russia.