University:
University of Cambridge
Course:
0470 IGCSE | History
Academic year:

2023
Views:

22

Pages:

2
Author:

anon

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution: ● Russia was ruled prior to 1917 by an Emperor or Tsar. This was the tradition for over 301 years. (Nicholas the Second was the last of the Romanov dynasty). ● Russians lost against Japan in a war (1904-1905) this led to a defeated revolution. ● Why did the Russians want a revolution to occur: The disparity between the rich and the poor was great. Ordinary people had no power and the duma (parliament) set up after the conclusion of the revolution in 1905 had little real power. Russians did not do well in the First World War. They had suffered huge losses. Inflation and the lack of food resources. ● The Two Revolutions: ○ February revolution led to the formation of the Russian Provisional Government under Prince Georgy Lvov with the help of the duma. ○ October revolution led to the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky coming to power. ● The Soviets and Bolsheviks: ○ Workers and soldiers set up soviets (governing committees) which contested for power against the Provisional Government. ○ Both soviets and the Government claimed to be in charge. ○ Lenin returned from exile to St. Petersburg (Petrograd) in April, 1917. ○ Bolsheviks seized power in the October Revolution (6-7 Nov). ○ Soviets around Russia saw what the Bolsheviks were doing and emulated. ● What did Lenin believe? ○ That the revolutions would spread around the war. ○ There was no need for foreign policies as the communists believed in the brotherhood of mankind. ○ Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was not seen as significant as it would soon be overturned anyway by a world revolution. ● Civil War: ○ May 1918, the Whites (anti-communists) fought with the Red Guards (Bolshevik fighters). ○ The Whites were given aid by Western Nations. ○ But the Whites were divided and Trotsky organized the Red Army well. ○ The Whites were defeated soon after the foreign armies withdrew in 1919. ○ The Bolsheviks achieved complete control in 1920. ● World Revolution? ○ Lenin encouraged this by setting up the Comintern (Communist International). ○ Lenin thought that without communist revolutions elsewhere the Russians would be destroyed. ○ Many countries emulated Russia’s example but with little success. ○ Lenin died in 1924 and Stalin took power forcing Trotsky into exile in 1927. ○ Stalin took little interest in encouraging revolutions elsewhere. ○ He concentrated on making the Soviet Union stronger industrially.