Russia 1917-41

Revision Notes(GCSE)

Contents

Causes of the revolution March Revolution 1917 November Revolution 1917 Civil Wars 1918-21 Economy 1918-29 Collectivisation of Agriculture Industrialisation Purges N.B.

Causes of the Revolution Summary

Russia was a police state

Widespread poverty

Russia was unfit for war in

1914

Army was badly led

Millions of peasant soldier deaths on the Eastern Front

Tsarina Alexandra

Inflation and food shortages causing more

strikes

Failure of Tsar Nicholas II

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Causes of the Revolution

1. Russia was a police state Dumas (Parliament) was ignored Attempted reform by Witte and Stolypin failed

2. Widespread poverty Strikes increased after 1912

3. Russia was unfit for war in 1914 Army was badly equipped Industry unable to produce enough arms Inadequate transportation

4. Army was badly led Tsar took over and blamed for military defeats and

domestic problems

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Causes of the Revolution (2)5. Millions of peasant soldier deaths on the Eastern

Front Peasants more angry at giving grain and horses to

army6. Tsarina Alexandra

Hated for being German Taking advice of Rasputin and influencing the Tsar

7. Inflation and food shortages causing more strikes8. Failure of Tsar Nicholas II

Ignored or did not understand the situation Indecisive and seemingly easily led by the Tsarina and

advisors

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March Revolution 1917 Summary

Food riots and strikes were

crushed by the army

Troops refused to fire on people

and allowed food to be given

to people

Petrograd in hands of armed revolutionaries

Provisional Government and

the Petrograd Soviet were

formed

Provisional Government made Tsar abdicate

Government was unpopular with continued

war

Lenin and Trotsky returned

to Petrograd

Bolsheviks attempted and failed to take

power

“Bread, Peace and Land”

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March Revolution 1917

1. Food riots and strikes were crushed by the army Petrograd in February / March

2. Troops refused to fire on people and allowed food to be given to people

12 March3. Petrograd in hands of armed revolutionaries

Within 4 days4. Provisional Government and the Petrograd

Soviet were formed Prince Lvov led the government, full of middle class

liberals not representing the people Lenin led the Soviet and representative of the people

5. Provisional Government made Tsar abdicate 15 March

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March Revolution 1917 (2)6. Government was unpopular with continued war

Revolutionary workers took over factories Peasants seized land Law and order broke out Troops deserted in their thousands

7. Lenin and Trotsky returned to Petrograd Lenin helped by Germans into Russia from

Switzerland▪ Hope to cause revolution to end war on the Eastern Front

8. Bolsheviks attempted and failed to take power Kerensky formed a new government which continued

the war9. “Bread, Peace and Land”

Trotsky planned the seizure of power

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November Revolution 1917 Summary

Bolsheviks seized Petrograd’s key buildings including the Winter Palace

Soon controlled major cities

2 decrees issued

Lenin dismissed the elected Duma

Treaty of Brest Litovsk

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November Revolution 19171. Bolsheviks seize power

6-7 November – Bolsheviks seized Petrograd’s key buildings including the Winter Palace

▪ Signal for uprising from naval cruiser (Aurora) Soon controlled major cities▪ Little fighting and few casualties▪ Ministers of the Provisional Government arrested

2 decrees issued▪ Peace Decree – immediate armistice▪ Land Decree – abolished private estates and created

25 million small holdings January 1918 – Lenin dismissed the elected

Duma

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November Revolution 1917 (2)

Treaty of Brest Litovsk – March 1918 Trotsky negotiated with German and

Austria-Hungary representatives Terms were very harsh▪ Loss of Poland and Baltic states▪ Independence of Finland and Ukraine▪ Loss of ¼ of Russia’s coal and iron▪ 75% of population was lost

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Civil Wars 1918-21Summary

Bolsheviks organised a secret police and Red ArmyUS/ British/ French/ Japanese forces invadedWar fought by the Red Army and the WhitesWhite armies were armed by the Allies but disunited

Russia lost millions of people

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Civil Wars 1918-21

1. Bolsheviks (now Communists) organised a secret police (Cheka) and Red Army

2. US/British/French/Japanese forces invaded Russia 1918-19

3. War fought by the Red Army (led by Trotsky) and the Whites

4. White armies in Ukraine, Baltic and Siberia were armed by the Allies

Disunited and defeated in 19205. Russia lost (approx) 2 million troops in

WW1 and maybe even more millions in civil war

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Economy 1918-29 Summary

War Communism 1918-21

• Nationalisation• Government

control of grain and wages

• Fall in output• Famine

New Economic Policy 1921-7

• Small private enterprise permitted

• Rents and charges reintroduced on all services

• Peasants could sell surplus produce

Lenin’s Death 1924

• No obvious successor but warned Party about Stalin

• Main contenders were Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev and Stalin

• Stalin’s policy of ‘socialism in one country’

• Stalin outmanoeuvred rivals

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Economy 1918-29

1. War Communism 1918-21 Introduce Marxist theory and rebuild Russia but failedAims/ Introductions: Disadvantages:

A. Nationalised banks and factories, and banned private trade

B. Rents, railway fares, electricity and gas were free

C. Government seized grain to feed urban populous

D. Rationing introduced and wages paid in kind

E. Aimed to remove use of money

a) Industrial output fell to 15% of 1913 level

b) Urban workers returned to farm work

c) Peasants produced for themselves reducing output to 50.5% of 1913

d) Famine led to deaths of 5 million

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Economy 1918-29 (2)

1. New Economic Policy 1921-7 Economy deteriorating rapidly, unrest in

the countryside, riots in Petrograd, mutiny in Kronstadt

Lenin began NEP March 1921a) Small private enterprise permittedb) Rents and charges reintroduced on all

servicesc) Peasants could sell surplus produced) NEP only abandoned with the first 5 Year Plan

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Economy 1918-29 (3)

Lenin’s Death 1924 No obvious successor but warned Party

about Stalin▪ Main contenders were Trotsky, Kamenev,

Zinoviev and Stalin▪ Stalin held two important posts and many

owed their jobs to him▪ Policy of ‘socialism in one country’▪ Stalin outmanoeuvred rivals by expelling them,

firing them or having them in exile to ensure his own succession

▪ By late 1927, Stalin was sole leader and Trotsky was exiled

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Collectivisation of Agriculture Summary

Why Collectivise

?

•Larger farming units are more efficient

•Increased output

•Cheaper food

•Transferral of work from agriculture to industrial

Organisatio

n

•Assets amalgamated to form a Kolkhoz

•Collective in theory under control of the workers but in practice run by a member of the Party

•Produce bought very cheaply by the State

Consequences of Collectivisation

•Kulaks opposed collectivisation

•Thousand of Kulaks killed or deported

•Massive drop in output

•Up 50% of livestock was slaughtered

•Famine in the early 1930’s

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Collectivisation of Agriculture1. Why Collectivise?

Larger farming units are more efficient▪ Less workers required and more machinery

used Increased output▪ Allowing for exportation to raise money to buy

machinery Cheaper food▪ Less need to raise wages of industrial workers▪ More money to buy key items from abroad

Transferral of work from agriculture to industrial

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Collectivisation of Agriculture (2)2. Organisation

Assets from a number of small farms amalgamated to form a collective (Kolkhoz)

Collective in theory under control of the workers but in practice run by a member of the Party

Produce bought very cheaply by the State

Process began in 1928, by 1937 most arable land in collectives

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Collectivisation of Agriculture (3)3. Consequences of Collectivisation

Wealthy peasants (Kulaks) opposed collectivisation

▪ Destroyed assets to prevent State getting them Thousand of Kulaks killed or deported to labour

camps Massive drop in output because reorganisation

disrupted sowing and harvesting Kulaks removed but they were the best, most

efficient and successful farmers Up 50% of livestock was slaughtered Famine in the early 1930’s leading to deaths of

(approx.) 10 million peasants

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Industrialisation Summary

Stalin believed in State Planning

5 Year Plans were introduced in 1928, 1932 and 1937

Aims:• Industrialise• Plans were under control of the State planning agency Gosplan• Emphasis was on heavy industry, coal, oil and steel• Consumer products were in the 3rd plan but war interrupted schemes

• Industrial production and production of electricity increased• Most new industrial areas were away from possible threat if there was war

Results:• By 1941 industrial production was 4 times that of 1914• Many factories were inefficient with unrealistic targets• By 1941, many millions were better housed, better educated, better health care and (just) better fed

• State propaganda made all successes attributed to Stalin

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Industrialisation

1. Stalin believed in State Planning2. 5 Year Plans were introduced in 1928, 1932 and 19373. Aims:

Industrialise the USSR but not under capitalism Plans were under control of the State planning agency

Gosplan Emphasis was on heavy industry, coal, oil and steel▪ Consumer products were in the 3rd plan but war interrupted

schemes Industrial production and production of electricity increased

with some workers becoming national heros▪ E.g. Stakhanov

Prestige projects were built with slave labour and high cost of life

Most new industrial areas were away from possible threat if there was war (Central Russia or Siberia)

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Industrialisation (2)

4. Results By 1941 industrial production was 4 times that of

1914▪ High cost to life

Many factories were inefficient with unrealistic targets▪ Targets that weren’t met led to deaths of

By 1941, many millions were better housed, better educated, better health care and (just) better fed

State propaganda made all successes attributed to Stalin

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Purges Summary

Stalin was determined to prevent any opposition

He purged many hundreds of thousands

It aimed to create terror so prevent

criticising Stalin or the State and make people work harder

1934 saw the assassination of

Kirov, popular head of the Communist Party in Leningrad

1936-38 show trials were held

Many of Lenin’s colleagues were condemned as enemies of the

people

1937 saw a severe purge of leading Army officers

Stalin used the purges to

consolidate his leadership

Trotsky was assassinated in

Mexico City in 1941 after he was exiled

in 1928

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Purges

1. Stalin was determined to prevent any opposition

2. He purged many hundreds of thousands, either sent to Gulags (camps) or killed

3. It aimed to create terror so prevent criticising Stalin or the State and make people work harder

4. 1934 saw the assassination of Kirov, popular head of the Communist Party in Leningrad

Stalin probably ordered it though other rivals were made scapegoats

5. 1936-38 show trials were held

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Purges (2)

6. Many of Lenin’s colleagues were condemned as enemies of the people

Millions were convicted and sent to Gulags or executed7. 1937 saw a severe purge of leading Army officers

Severe consequences for WW28. Stalin used the purges to consolidate his leadership

Collectivisation and industrialisation gained him many enemies

9. Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico City in 1941 after he was exiled in 1928

Pursued for his important role in the Revolution and Civil War

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N.B.

• Use the term Bolsheviks then Communists

1917-19

• Use the terms Soviet Union or USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

1918-90

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