RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

POLITICAL TRADITIONS
1. LIBERALS
- wanted a nation that tolerated all religions.
 Wanted elected parliamentary govt.
 No universal adult franchise
2. RADICALS
 Wanted a govt. based on the majority of the country’s population
 Disliked the concentration of property and privileges in the hands of
a few.
3. CONSERVATIVES
- wanted slow changes.
 Accepted that some changes were inevitable but the past is to be
respected.

A time of changes in society and the economy and industrialisation

THE MID 19th CENTURY

 Socialism was growing
 Attention to collective interest
 Private property

-Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles were industrial socialist, were

capitalists. Workers had to overthrow capitalism and rule of private
property.
- Workers had to create a social society where all property was
socially controlled.
- Workers in England, Germany, France formed associations to fight
for such a society,
 1917 FEBRUARY- Fall of monarchy in Russia + October events are
together called Russian Revolution.
 Russia was major exporter of grain.
 Prominent industrial area St. Petersburg at Moscow. Working days-
15 days * small units. Private property of industrialist workers divided
by skill. Frequent strikes in textile industry and metal land mainly
with nobility and often refused to pay rents and murdered
landlords.
 MIR- Russian peasants pooled their lands together periodically and
their commune (mir) divide it according to the needs of individual
families.
 All political parties were illegal in Russia before 1914,
 Vladimir led the Bolshevik should be disciplined and should control
number and quality of its members.
 Mensheviks thought party should be open for all.
 1905 REVOLUTION- Russia was an autocracy- Tsar not subject to the
parliament.
 1904 very hard for workers. Essentials rose quickly and real wages
declined by 20%.
 1,10,00 workers in St. Petersburg went on strike and demanded a
reduction in working hours to 8 hours and increase wages and
working bonds.
 BLOODY SUNDAY- workers attack Winter Palace and attacked by
police, 100 workers killed and 300 wounded
 Strikes, Universities closed, professional and middle class estates.
Union of unions and demanded a constituent assembly.
 During 1905 revolution for a while Duma was allowed, trade unions
excited. After 1905 Duma dismissed, unions became illegal. Changed
voting laws and filled Duma with conservatives.
 1914- first World War, central Powers( Germany, Austria, Turkey)
against France, Britain and Russia.
 Initially people rallied around Tsar Nicholas 2, as war continued Tsar
did not consult Duma and support wore thin. Anti german sentiments
rose and St. Petersburg was renamed as Petrograd.
 Tsarina Alexander had german origins and advisers like Rasputin
made autocracy unpopular.

IMPACTS OF WAR
1. On eastern front Russian army destroyed crops and buildings to
prevent enemies from being able to live off the land i.e. Germany and
Austria who had won discrete the govt. 3 million rupees. Also the
soldiers did not wish to fight such a war.
2. Industry cut off from suppliers side
3. Railway lines broke down. Labour shortages. Small workshops closed
down, shortage of bread in cities and riots at bread shops in 1916.
Winters were very cold followed by dairy strikes.