What caused the February 1917 revolution?
Shifting demographics:
• New literate working class
Tsar's mistakes:
→ class consciousness
• 1906 - Stolypin
• Overcrowded factories
→ October manifesto already betrayed
→ 1914 - 2/5 in over 1000 workers
people
• Opposition parties
→ Repression - Stolypin's necktie
→ propaganda
• 1915 - Army control
• Size - war tensions worsen
→ leaves Rasputin & Alexandra
→ trans-siberian railway takes 25
→ Rasputin murder = warning → upset
years - low supplies & soldiers
nobles (money) and peasants (mass)
Not entirely Tsar's fault -
Link - not equipped for SD
destabilising effect
→ Autocratic father (divine right) -
Romanov dynasty
→ Alexander II (progressive)
→ Never modernised fully before
Economic impact of WWI:
• 1917 Moscow grain wagons
→ 2200 to 700 = price of food
quadrupled (bread rumour)
Military/social impact of WWI:
• Taxes rise
• Nepotism
→ 1.5 billion roubles on weaponry
→ wealthy not experienced officers
• No foreign trade
(suicide orders)
→ not modernised enough
• Battle of Tannenburg
Link - foreign powers coped
→ 30,000 casualties = social uproar
→ Britain - constitutional monarchy
• Feb 1917 mutinies
→ War proved inherent inefficiencies Link - not so bad
of new Russia → German schlieffen plan (10 days
not 6 weeks)
→ Morale booster/helped allies
→ Starvation more important!
, What caused the October 1917revolution?
Mistakes of provisional government:
• Summer offensive
→ Milyukov (wants Constantinople + Black
Sea)
→ agreed defensive war only = lack of legion Doomed from the start:
support • Dual authority
→ high desertion - just like Tsar! → soviets had real power
• Proletariat treatment (80% pop represented)
• Different ideologies
→ punishment brigades
→ Soviet wanted defensive
→ no strike action- scared of wealthy land
war but PG wanted offensive
owners
• Prince Lvov
• April thesis points out mistakes
→ betrayal of Feb 1917
Link - temporary until CA
→ left reparation to kerensky
Kerensky's mistakes:
• Kornilov affair (August 1917)
→ Knew he was power hungry and Role of Lenin + Bolsheviks:
wanted MD • July days
→ 3 cavalry divisions support → Lenin wanted a coup d'etat
→ Freed & armed Bolsheviks (40,000 (overthrown by small group)
Red Guard) → Supported February but
However - Recognised who could help pushed rebels out of P&P fortress
Link - PG left Kerensky no choice (helped PG)
→ messed up summer offensive But - destroyed Bolshevik
→ fueled outrage for July days reputation
→ kerensky had to enlist kornilov → Lenin = coward → fled
→ Bolsheviks used as propaganda for → Pravda shut = no propaganda
Oct → Only 24% of votes in CA
Link - PG hate stronger than
Bolshevik love
→ Lenin provided solution
→ Oct an inevitability = Lenin set
the date
Shifting demographics:
• New literate working class
Tsar's mistakes:
→ class consciousness
• 1906 - Stolypin
• Overcrowded factories
→ October manifesto already betrayed
→ 1914 - 2/5 in over 1000 workers
people
• Opposition parties
→ Repression - Stolypin's necktie
→ propaganda
• 1915 - Army control
• Size - war tensions worsen
→ leaves Rasputin & Alexandra
→ trans-siberian railway takes 25
→ Rasputin murder = warning → upset
years - low supplies & soldiers
nobles (money) and peasants (mass)
Not entirely Tsar's fault -
Link - not equipped for SD
destabilising effect
→ Autocratic father (divine right) -
Romanov dynasty
→ Alexander II (progressive)
→ Never modernised fully before
Economic impact of WWI:
• 1917 Moscow grain wagons
→ 2200 to 700 = price of food
quadrupled (bread rumour)
Military/social impact of WWI:
• Taxes rise
• Nepotism
→ 1.5 billion roubles on weaponry
→ wealthy not experienced officers
• No foreign trade
(suicide orders)
→ not modernised enough
• Battle of Tannenburg
Link - foreign powers coped
→ 30,000 casualties = social uproar
→ Britain - constitutional monarchy
• Feb 1917 mutinies
→ War proved inherent inefficiencies Link - not so bad
of new Russia → German schlieffen plan (10 days
not 6 weeks)
→ Morale booster/helped allies
→ Starvation more important!
, What caused the October 1917revolution?
Mistakes of provisional government:
• Summer offensive
→ Milyukov (wants Constantinople + Black
Sea)
→ agreed defensive war only = lack of legion Doomed from the start:
support • Dual authority
→ high desertion - just like Tsar! → soviets had real power
• Proletariat treatment (80% pop represented)
• Different ideologies
→ punishment brigades
→ Soviet wanted defensive
→ no strike action- scared of wealthy land
war but PG wanted offensive
owners
• Prince Lvov
• April thesis points out mistakes
→ betrayal of Feb 1917
Link - temporary until CA
→ left reparation to kerensky
Kerensky's mistakes:
• Kornilov affair (August 1917)
→ Knew he was power hungry and Role of Lenin + Bolsheviks:
wanted MD • July days
→ 3 cavalry divisions support → Lenin wanted a coup d'etat
→ Freed & armed Bolsheviks (40,000 (overthrown by small group)
Red Guard) → Supported February but
However - Recognised who could help pushed rebels out of P&P fortress
Link - PG left Kerensky no choice (helped PG)
→ messed up summer offensive But - destroyed Bolshevik
→ fueled outrage for July days reputation
→ kerensky had to enlist kornilov → Lenin = coward → fled
→ Bolsheviks used as propaganda for → Pravda shut = no propaganda
Oct → Only 24% of votes in CA
Link - PG hate stronger than
Bolshevik love
→ Lenin provided solution
→ Oct an inevitability = Lenin set
the date
