The end of the Romanovs and the triumph of the Bolsheviks, 1916–18
Impact of defeat and suffering,
- The war went very badly for russia from the initial defeat at the battle of tannenberg
due to an ‘ammunition famine’
- September 1915 the tsar went to the frontlines (he had closed the duma and the
power vacuum led to rise of tsarina and rasputin)
- Brusilov had success in the ‘brusilov offensive’ on Austria but hearing of
Bezobrazov’s leadership failure he publicly acknowledged the need for a new
government system. This view began to spread through petrograd, people began to
believe there was a ‘black bloc’ of pro-german advisors in the government
sabotaging russia. This led to opposing the tsar appearing a patriotic act.
- Economically there were major supply problems, railways failed to cope. Civilians
were low down the priority list and40% of loans secured often had to go towards
covering the debt from war. Lack of skilled workers led to a shortage of maufactured
goods.
- People would queue all night for bread then be told there was none available, wages
only ose 100% while inflation hit 300%. This directly led to the international women's
day march 23rd feb 1917.
1916–17; the murder of Rasputin;
Became involved in court in 1907 but became a significant member in 1914 when the tsarina
believed he could help control Alexis haemophilia.
- A monk from Siberia infamous for drunkenness and womanising
- Held huge influence over the tsarina advising her on appointments to government
- Rasputin symbolised everything that was wrong with the government to russian
people, the germans using this in propaganda to destabilise country
- Both the tsarina and Rasputin were accused of being German spies by Khovstov
(interior minister)
- 17th December 1916: Rasputin murdered by royalists (Led by Prince Yuspov) who
claimed they did it in order to aid the tsars' weakening position yet it was too late.
(there may have also been personal motivations from the prince whom Rasputin had
supposedly attempted to seduce despite his recent marriage)
- Rasputin's death did little to aid the Tsar’s position, at least when he was alive he
could deflect blame away from the tsar on political matters.
reasons, events and significance of the February Revolution;
‘It all began with bread’ - Orlando Figes
- 14th Feb 1917: 100,000 workers went on strike against food shortages and poor
working conditions
- 19th Feb 1917: government announced plans to ration which were poorly received
- 23rd Feb 1917: international women's day march in hopes to end rationing but in the
afternoon they were joined by 50,000 workers and a few of the chants changed to
‘down with the tsar’. Local Bolshevik leaders told everyone to go home, not a political
demonstration.
- 24th Feb 1917: 150,000 armed workers took to the streets looting shops to acquire
food; some socialist speakers gave speeches still NOT POLITICAL OR
REVOLUTION.
, - 25th Feb 1917: 200,000 workers joined for a general strike that had a more political
nature, no clear leader though. Chief of police shot in the heart, and some officers
joined the protestors. Nicholas' council advised not to engage in conflict with the
crowd as the military may turn against them but Nicholas ignored this (some
ministers had downplayed the events in Petrograd yet it was Nicholas' job to know
and he was not there).
- 26th Feb 1917: Petrograd militarised and shooting began, some soldiers mutiny
killing their commanding officers. The food riots have turned into a full scale
revolution.
- Tsar abdicates
the end of Tsardom, the Provisional government and relations with the Petrograd
Soviet.
Nicholas had been removed because he lost authority and support, the provisional
government never had these in the first place!
Prov Gov led by Prince Lvov
Petrograd Soviet:
- PG took over the right wing of the Tauride palace - the petrograd soviet gathered in
the left wing desiring a workers’ dictatorship.
- Soviet made up of 2,000-3,000 members
- They had control over the workers and peasant army that the PG did not hence a
state of dual power (dvoevlastie) emerged
- However Order No.1 gave the soviet complete control of the military as the PG
orders must be fulfilled ‘except when they contradict orders and decisions of the
soviet’
April 1917 the first All-Russian Conference of Soviets
- Aimed to coordinate the actions of the soviets
- Nature of the Petrograd soviet changed significantly
- Mensheiviks split into factions
- SRs failed to gain middle class support (as they saw soviet as too radical)
- Therefore became largely Bolsheivik dominated and as a result increasingly
hostile to the PG
The reasons for the October Revolution:
the importance of the Petrograd Soviet,
Lenin and Trotsky;
- Lenin believed revolution in Russia to be unlikely within his lifetime before ww1 but
the feb rev proved him wrong.
- Lenin made it clear the Bolsheviks would not cooperate with other socialist groups
such as the mensheviks. He believed a strict marxist communism could be applied to
the unique situation of russia. Others believed a stage of capitalism must emerge
where the middle class would rise up and exploit the working class resulting in them
then revolting yet the lack of a clear middle class in Russia made Lenin believe they
could skip this stage. He also did not think the workers were strong or politically
Impact of defeat and suffering,
- The war went very badly for russia from the initial defeat at the battle of tannenberg
due to an ‘ammunition famine’
- September 1915 the tsar went to the frontlines (he had closed the duma and the
power vacuum led to rise of tsarina and rasputin)
- Brusilov had success in the ‘brusilov offensive’ on Austria but hearing of
Bezobrazov’s leadership failure he publicly acknowledged the need for a new
government system. This view began to spread through petrograd, people began to
believe there was a ‘black bloc’ of pro-german advisors in the government
sabotaging russia. This led to opposing the tsar appearing a patriotic act.
- Economically there were major supply problems, railways failed to cope. Civilians
were low down the priority list and40% of loans secured often had to go towards
covering the debt from war. Lack of skilled workers led to a shortage of maufactured
goods.
- People would queue all night for bread then be told there was none available, wages
only ose 100% while inflation hit 300%. This directly led to the international women's
day march 23rd feb 1917.
1916–17; the murder of Rasputin;
Became involved in court in 1907 but became a significant member in 1914 when the tsarina
believed he could help control Alexis haemophilia.
- A monk from Siberia infamous for drunkenness and womanising
- Held huge influence over the tsarina advising her on appointments to government
- Rasputin symbolised everything that was wrong with the government to russian
people, the germans using this in propaganda to destabilise country
- Both the tsarina and Rasputin were accused of being German spies by Khovstov
(interior minister)
- 17th December 1916: Rasputin murdered by royalists (Led by Prince Yuspov) who
claimed they did it in order to aid the tsars' weakening position yet it was too late.
(there may have also been personal motivations from the prince whom Rasputin had
supposedly attempted to seduce despite his recent marriage)
- Rasputin's death did little to aid the Tsar’s position, at least when he was alive he
could deflect blame away from the tsar on political matters.
reasons, events and significance of the February Revolution;
‘It all began with bread’ - Orlando Figes
- 14th Feb 1917: 100,000 workers went on strike against food shortages and poor
working conditions
- 19th Feb 1917: government announced plans to ration which were poorly received
- 23rd Feb 1917: international women's day march in hopes to end rationing but in the
afternoon they were joined by 50,000 workers and a few of the chants changed to
‘down with the tsar’. Local Bolshevik leaders told everyone to go home, not a political
demonstration.
- 24th Feb 1917: 150,000 armed workers took to the streets looting shops to acquire
food; some socialist speakers gave speeches still NOT POLITICAL OR
REVOLUTION.
, - 25th Feb 1917: 200,000 workers joined for a general strike that had a more political
nature, no clear leader though. Chief of police shot in the heart, and some officers
joined the protestors. Nicholas' council advised not to engage in conflict with the
crowd as the military may turn against them but Nicholas ignored this (some
ministers had downplayed the events in Petrograd yet it was Nicholas' job to know
and he was not there).
- 26th Feb 1917: Petrograd militarised and shooting began, some soldiers mutiny
killing their commanding officers. The food riots have turned into a full scale
revolution.
- Tsar abdicates
the end of Tsardom, the Provisional government and relations with the Petrograd
Soviet.
Nicholas had been removed because he lost authority and support, the provisional
government never had these in the first place!
Prov Gov led by Prince Lvov
Petrograd Soviet:
- PG took over the right wing of the Tauride palace - the petrograd soviet gathered in
the left wing desiring a workers’ dictatorship.
- Soviet made up of 2,000-3,000 members
- They had control over the workers and peasant army that the PG did not hence a
state of dual power (dvoevlastie) emerged
- However Order No.1 gave the soviet complete control of the military as the PG
orders must be fulfilled ‘except when they contradict orders and decisions of the
soviet’
April 1917 the first All-Russian Conference of Soviets
- Aimed to coordinate the actions of the soviets
- Nature of the Petrograd soviet changed significantly
- Mensheiviks split into factions
- SRs failed to gain middle class support (as they saw soviet as too radical)
- Therefore became largely Bolsheivik dominated and as a result increasingly
hostile to the PG
The reasons for the October Revolution:
the importance of the Petrograd Soviet,
Lenin and Trotsky;
- Lenin believed revolution in Russia to be unlikely within his lifetime before ww1 but
the feb rev proved him wrong.
- Lenin made it clear the Bolsheviks would not cooperate with other socialist groups
such as the mensheviks. He believed a strict marxist communism could be applied to
the unique situation of russia. Others believed a stage of capitalism must emerge
where the middle class would rise up and exploit the working class resulting in them
then revolting yet the lack of a clear middle class in Russia made Lenin believe they
could skip this stage. He also did not think the workers were strong or politically
