Russian Revolution of 1917
\nThe
Russian Revolution of 1917 was a
political movement in
Russia that climaxed in
1917 with the overthrow of the provisional government that had replaced the Russian
Tsar system and led to the establishment of the
Soviet Union, which lasted until its
collapse in
1991. The Revolution can be viewed in two distinct phases. The first one was that of the
February Revolution of 1917, which displaced the autocracy of Tsar
Nicholas II of Russia and sought to establish in its place a democratic regime. The second phase was the
October Revolution, in which the
Sovietss, inspired and increasingly controlled by Lenin's
Bolshevik party, seized power from the
Provisional Government.
The February Revolution came about almost sporadically when people protested against the Tsarist regime as they lacked enough food to eat. There was also great dissatisfaction with Russia's continued involvement in the
First World War. As the protests grew various political reformists (both liberal and radical left) started to co-ordinate some activity. In early February the protests turned violent as large numbers of city residents rioted and clashed with police and soldiers. When the bulk of the soldiers garrisoned in the Russian capital
Petrograd joined the protests they turned to revolution ultimately leading to the abdication of Tsar
Nicholas II.
Between February and October numerous
anarchist and Bolshevik revolutionists attempted to foment further revolution. In July the St. Petersburg Military section of the Bolshevik Party in combination with a major working class Bolshevik Party branch and the Petrograd anarchists fomented a civil revolt. This revolt failed.
The October Revolution was led by Lenin based upon the ideas of
Karl Marx and marked the beginning of the spread of
communism in the twentieth century. It was far less sporadic than the revolution of February and came about as the result of deliberate planning and co-ordinated activity to that end. On
November 7,
1917,
Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin led his leftist revolutionaries in a nearly bloodless
coup d'état against the ineffective
Kerensky Provisional Government (Russia was still using the
Julian Calendar at the time, so period references show an
October 25 date). The October Revolution ended the phase of the revolution instigated in February and moved the Russian Revolution from being largely a liberal-democratic to a communist one.
\nDuring the Civil War
Nestor Makhno lead a Ukrainian
anarchist movement which generally cooperated with the Bolsheviks. A Bolshevik force under
Mikhail Frunze destroyed the
Makhnovist movement, when the Makhnovists refused to merge into the
Red Army.
After October 1917 many esers and Russian Anarchists opposed the Bolsheviks through the Soviets. When this failed, they revolted in a series of events calling for "a third revolution." The most notable instances were
Tambov rebellion, 1919 - 1921 and
Kronstadt rebellion in March 1921. These movements, which called for increased democracy of soviets, an end to the single-party Bolshevik control, and economic liberalisation, were crushed.
The
Russian Civil War, that broke out in 1918 shortly after the revolution, brought deaths and suffering to millions of people regardless their political orientation. The war was fought between the communist Red Army and former members of the Russian capitalist class White Army who had backing from nations such as the UK and USA. The war left urban industrialised centres destroyed which were the basis of soviet power. The end result was that the workers of Russia no longer had the ability to effectively intervene in Soviets and they became run by party members and bureacrats.
The Russian revolution was intended to spread across the world. Without the success of the
German Revolution Lenin and
Trotsky said that the goal of socialism in Russia would not be realised.
Stalin rejected this stating that
socialism was possible in one country. Many leftists claim that Stalin's model of socialism was closer to
capitalism than actual Marxian communism.
Brief Chronology leading to Revolution of 1917
Dates are correct for the Julian calendar, which was used in Russia until 1918. It was twelve days behind the Gregorian calendar during the 19th century and thirteen days behind during the 20th century.
More detailed but still brief chronology of Revolution of 1917
\n\n
\nVladimir Lenin, leader of the October Bolshevik Revolution\n
- Strikes and unrest in Petrograd
February
- February Revolution\n:26th -- 50 demonstrators killed in Znamenskaya Square\n:27th -- Troops refuse to fire on demonstrators, desertions. Prison, courts, and police stations attacked and looted by angry crowds. \n::Okhranka buildings set on fire. Garrison joins revolutionaries.\n::Petrograd Soviet formed.
March
- 1st -- Order No.1 of the Petrograd Soviet\n:2nd -- Nicholas II abdicates. Provisional Government formed under Prime Minister Prince Lvov\nApril
- 3rd -- Return of Lenin to Russia. He publishes his April Theses.\n:20th -- Miliukov's note published. Provisional Government falls
May
- 5th -- New Provisional Government formed. Kerensky made minister of war and navy
June
- 3rd -- First All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd. Closed on 24th\n:16th -- Kerensky orders offensive against Austro-Hungarian forces. Initial success
July
- 2nd -- Russian offensive ends. Trotsky joins Bolsheviks\n:4th -- Anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd\n:6th -- German and Austro-Hungarian counter-attack. Russians retreat in panic, sacking the town of Tarnopol. Arrest of Bolshevik leaders ordered\n:7th -- Lvov resigns. Kerensky is new PM\n:22nd -- Trotsky and Lunacharskii arrested
August
- 26th -- Second coalition government ends\n:27th -- General Lavr Kornilov failed coup. Kornilov arrested and imprisoned
September
- 1st -- Russia declared a republic\n:4th -- Trotsky and others freed. Trotsky becomes head of Petrograd Soviet\n:25th -- Third coalition government formed
October
- 10th -- Bolshevik Central Committee meeting approves armed uprising\n:11th -- Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, until 13th\n:20th -- First meeting of the Military Revolutionary Committee of Petrograd\n:25th -- October Revolution is launched as MRC directs armed workers and soldiers to capture key buildings in Petrograd. Winter Palace attacked at 9.40pm. Kerensky flees Petrograd.\n:26th -- Second Congress of Soviets. Mensheviks and right SR delegates walk-out in protest at coup. Decrees on peace and land reform. Soviet government declared - the Council of People's Commissars; Bolshevik dominated with Lenin as chairman
Bibliography
- Ten Days that Shook the World, by John Reed: ISBN 0140182934\n* A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1924, by Orlando Figes: ISBN 014024364X (trade paperback) ISBN 0670859168 (hardcover)
External link
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Category:Russian history
