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Revision as of 01:14, 16 March 2005 by JarlaxleArtemis (talk | contribs) (a lot more info; Is it really a disambiguation page?)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The phrase Russian Revolution can refer to three specific events in the history of Imperial Russia.
- The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a series of riots and anti-government violence against Tsar Nicholas II, leading to the first Russian Constitution and the creation of the Duma, but resulting in little change in relation to Nicholas' grip on power.
- The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a period of political activity in Russia between the following two revolutionary events:
- February or March Revolution, which resulted in the abdication of Nicholas II of Russia.
- October or November Revolution, which was the Bolshevik revolt.
When the year is not indicated in the reference, the term "Russian Revolution", if used as a time mark, usually refers to the October Revolution of 1917, whereas references to the revolution of 1905 always mention the year and references to the February Revolution always mention the month.
Causes and Consequences of the Russian Revolution
There were many causes to the Russian Revolution. Twentieth century Russia was undemocratic and socially fragmented. In fact, it was one of the world’s last absolute monarchies. The rulers of Russia, Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra, refused to reform and meet the needs of the people. The Romanovs also spent an enormous amount of money on themselves and their personal luxuries while the rest of Russia was extremely poor and starving. Also, a small group of nobles owned most of the land, even though peasants made up eighty percent of the population. This, of course, would lead to discontent.
In the mid to late nineteenth century, many intellectuals became unhappy with Russian’s backward and repressive government and wanted change. They were aware of the revolutions and great changes that had just swept throughout Europe, especially the French Revolution. They complained that the people did not have food or good jobs, and they were fed up with Russian’s inefficient transportation system. They wanted Russia to be industrialized.
Reformers were greatly inspired by Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. They supported the idea that the workers should govern the country. These ideas formed the Russian Social Democratic Party (RSDLP) in 1898. In 1903, the party broke into two separate groups—the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, were the majority; the Mensheviks were the minority party. Both groups felt that Russia needed immediate revolution to replace the czar.
In 1905, Russia lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, further damaging its economy, which had not yet fully recovered from the Crimean War in 1855. This helped lead to the Russian Revolution of 1905, which demonstrated that the czarist government was weak. Because of this, some early reforms were granted. The Duma, which was like Parliament or Congress, was set up in order to appease the people and to give them some voice in the government. However, the Duma had very little, if any, power.
At the beginning of World War I, there was a surge of nationalism in Russian. However, Russia had fifteen million men in the war and could not support them with enough supplies. Two and one-half million men died in battle. There was also a surge of refugees coming into Russia. In order to boost the morale of his troops, Czar Nicholas II went to the front of the war, leaving his wife, Czarina Alexandra, in charge of Russia. The czarina was greatly influenced by Grigory Rasputin, who was a very shady character. Because of the war, there were food and fuel shortages. Women marched to the capital, demanding bread and freedom. They were eventually supported by three hundred eighty thousand striking workers.
On February 28, 1917, the czar was forced to abdicate the throne. The Provisional Government was later set up, and shortly afterward, it was overthrown by Lenin and became the world’s first communist country. By November, Lenin had become the dictator of Russia.
After Lenin died, Stalin rose to power. Under Stalin, Russia modernized within just five years. The heavy metal industry and the transportation system greatly improved. People received free doctor appointments and medical care. Women’s rights also greatly improved. However, the government owned all of the businesses and resources. It was a command economy and there were low-quality goods. Stalin also forced peasants onto collectives, or state-owned farms. This angered many kulaks, or land-owning peasants. Stalin also set up the Checka, or secret police, and had anyone killed whom he thought opposed him. Many were sent to gulags, work prisons in Siberia.