The Russian Revolution1905 - 1924

Richard MaloneStudent Lectures March 2012

Area of Study 1

January …….to October …….

Big PictureQuestion

Why did the Russian Revolution occur?

Factors:

LONG

&

SHORT

Crises:

POLITICAL,

ECONOMIC &

SOCIAL

ExamArea of Study 1: Revolutionary ideas, leaders, movements & events

Part A:two short answer questions

or

Part B:one written or visual document

BUT…

Tsarist regime

challenged by

revolutionary ……….,

……………. & ……………….

.

Key Concept:“The history of all hitherto existing society is

the history of class struggle.”

Key Argument:The rise of communism is ……………………………

Key Action:capitalism would be overthrown by the proletariat

wanting socialism

Key Ideas: Marxism

Role of Leaders

Study Design tip –

“role of leaders is debateable”

My answer –

“leaders don’t ……………… revolutions

but they do ………………… them”

William Doyle admits that ‘it would truer to say that the revolutionaries had been created by the revolution’

Lenin before the February Revolution 1917

“We older ones will not liveto see the revolution in our lifetime.”

[Lecture given by Lenin in Switzerland in January 1917]

Lenin before the October Revolution 1917

“History will not forgive usif we do not assume power.”

[Lenin in a letter to the Bolsheviks from Finland in September 1917]

Key Leaders1.Tsarist Leaders

• …

• …

• …17

2. Revolutionary Leaders

• …

• …

• …

Tsar Nicholas IIKey Mistakes:

A…………………………… belief in autocracy eg. Fundamental State Laws in 1907 eg. took command of army himself in 1915

F……………………………………….. to reform eg. lack of real support for Witte and Stolypin’s reforms eg. dismissed first & second Dumas in 1906-7

M……………………………needs of his people eg. disregarded requests of workers’ petition in Bloody Sunday protest in January 1905 eg. blamed the Duma for protests in February 1917

Al Kerensky joined …………………………………… in 1905. Elected to 4th Duma

initiated ………………………………….

made …………………………….. in July

suppressed ……………. in July Day protests but released them to defend Petrograd from ………………………. in August

inadequate defences to resist Bolshevik takeover in ………………………………….

“Lenin” P…………………………...

eg. began Bolsheviks, 1903-1917

I……………………………. eg. avid reader of Marxist writings eg. 1906-1917, exiled in European countries

P……………………………. eg. recruited Trotsky in July 1917 eg. convinced Bolshevik Central Committee of need of immediate revolution in October 1917

I……………………………. eg. What is to be Done?, 1902 eg. April Theses, 1917

N………………………………….. eg. played no role in 1905eg. played no role in Feb Rev 1917eg. only in Russia for 4 months, April to July 1917

I…………………………………….eg. impact of speech at Finland Station, April 1917eg. initiated Bolshevik defeat of the Prov. Government

U……………………………………eg. remained loyal to the cause during Stolypin’s oppression of revolutionaries 1906-11eg. escaped to Finland to continue fighting after July Days

P……………………………….......eg. head of new Bolshevik Government in Oct 1917

“Trotsky” Joined Marxists in 1897

Active in 1905 Revolution

Exiled from 1905 – 1917

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Key Movements

………………………. MovementsEg

………………………. Movementseg.

………………………. Movementseg.

Different Perspectives #1

Trotsky• “What has taken place is an uprising not a

conspiracy. An uprising of the masses of the people needs no justification. We have been strengthening the revolutionary energy of the workers and the soldiers. We have been forging, openly, the will of the masses for an uprising. Our uprising has won.”

25 October 1917

Different Perspectives #2

Richard Pipes• Just because the Oct Rev was ‘easy’ doesn’t

make it inevitable, as Lenin persuaded people to believe

• In fact, not even Lenin was sure whether the takeover would be successful or not

• If the Oct Rev was not inevitable, then the very basis of Marxist ideology is flawed

Different Perspectives #3

Edward Acton“The central drama of the revolution was precisely the attempt of the Russian masses to assert direct control over their own lives… October marked the moment at which power began to move from the hands of the mass movement, then at full tide, into the hands of an organisation determined to exercise control from above. The popular vision paled, dimmed and faded away.”

“rasputin”by BONEY M 1978

There lived a certain man in Russia long agoHe was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glowMost people looked at him with terror and with fearBut to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear

He could preach the bible like a preacherFull of ecstasy and fire

But he also was the kind of teacher

Women would desire

RA RA RASPUTINLover of the Russian queen

There was a cat that really was goneRA RA RASPUTIN

Russia's greatest love machine

It was a shame how he carried on

He ruled the Russian land and never mind the Czar

But the kasachok he danced really wunderbarIn all affairs of state he was the man to please

But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze

For the queen he was no wheeler dealerThough she'd heard the things he'd done

She believed he was a holy healer

Who would heal her son

RA RA RASPUTINLover of the Russian queen

There was a cat that really was goneRA RA RASPUTIN

Russia's greatest love machine

It was a shame how he carried on

(Spoken:)But when his drinking and lusting and

his hungerfor power became known to more and

more people,the demands to do something about

this outrageous

man became louder and louder.

"This man's just got to go!" declared his enemies

But the ladies begged"Don't you try to do it, please"

No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms

Though he was a brute they just fell into his arms

Then one night some men of higher standing

Set a trap, they're not to blame"Come to visit us" they kept

demandingAnd he really came

RA RA RASPUTINLover of the Russian queen

They put some poison into his wineRA RA RASPUTIN

Russia's greatest love machine

He drank it all and he said "I feel fine"

RA RA RASPUTINLover of the Russian queen

They didn't quit, they wanted his headRA RA RASPUTIN

Russia's greatest love machine

And so they shot him till he was dead

(Spoken:)

Oh, those Russians...