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Key Events of the Russian Revolution

Mar 20, 2025

Crash Course European History: Russian Revolution and Civil War

Introduction

  • Presenter: John Green
  • Focus: The impact of World War I on Europe, with emphasis on the Russian Revolution and Civil War.

Background: Russian Government During WWI

  • Tsar Nicholas II failed to manage Russia's war effort effectively.
    • Lack of administration for weaponry, transportation, food, and medical care.
    • Russian soldiers were loyal but lacked basic supplies.
    • Poor leadership with some generals focusing on internal pogroms.
  • Civilian organizations (zemstvos) filled governmental gaps, undermining support for the Tsar.
  • Nicholas took personal command of the battlefront, appearing incompetent and uninterested in ordinary Russian lives.

The Russian Revolution

  • International Women's Day (Russian February 23, 1917): Working women protested war mismanagement.
    • Protests led to Nicholas's abdication.
    • The Duma formed a Provisional Government with various political factions.
  • Disorder and new organizational forms emerged.
    • Workers and soldiers revived "soviets" from the 1905 revolution.
    • The Provisional Government and soviets competed for power.
  • Bolsheviks, led by Lenin and Trotsky, gained prominence with populist slogans and grassroots organizing.
    • Lenin's platform: "Peace, Bread, Land."

Bolshevik Revolution

  • April 1917: Lenin returned to Russia, aided by Germany.
  • Bolsheviks aimed for revolutionary change led by an elite cadre.
  • Summer 1917: Alexander Kerensky led the Provisional Government, failing to revive the war effort.
  • October 1917: Bolsheviks staged a coup, overtaking the Provisional Government.
    • Called for violence over negotiation.
    • Seized control of government infrastructure.

Establishment of Bolshevik Rule

  • Bolsheviks endorsed elections for a Constituent Assembly, which they dismissed after losing the majority.
  • Instituted measures to destroy "constitutional illusions."
    • Imprisoned/murdered advocates for democracy.
    • Nationalized industries and banks.
    • Negotiated withdrawal from WWI via the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918).
  • Relocation of the capital to Moscow.

Civil War and Aftermath

  • 1918-1922: Civil War between Bolsheviks (Reds) and diverse opposition groups (Whites).
    • Whites were united mainly by opposition to Bolsheviks.
  • Bolsheviks established a centralized Communist state.
    • Used "Red Terror" and secret police to maintain power.
    • Suppressed opposition from peasants and sailors.
  • 1922: Formation of the USSR, promising cultural freedoms not always kept.
  • Bolsheviks faced challenges with low industrial production and high death tolls from war and famine.

Postwar Bolshevik Society

  • Propaganda promoted a workers' paradise.
  • Government initiatives included health clinics and literacy programs.
  • The New Economic Policy (1921): Allowed some capitalist elements to boost the economy.
  • Lenin's death in 1924 led to Stalin's rise.
    • Stalin sidelined rivals and orchestrated Trotsky's murder.

Conclusion

  • The course will return to discuss further developments in Soviet Russia.

Note: This lecture provides an overview of the Russian Revolution, the establishment of Bolshevik rule, and the resulting civil war, highlighting key events and figures in the transition from Tsarist to Communist Russia.

Full transcript