The Russian Revolution Historical Context.

The movie begins in the late 1930s or early 1940s but, in flashback, most of the story takes place between 1912 and 1925, set against the backdrop of WWI (1914-1918), the Russian Revolution (1917), and the Russian Civil War (1917-1923).

Two revolutions swept through Russia, ending centuries of imperial rule and setting in motion political and social changes that would lead to the formation of the Soviet Union. In February, growing civil unrest, coupled with chronic food shortages, erupted into open revolt, forcing the abdication of Nicholas II , the last Russian tzar. Just months later, the newly installed provisional government was itself demolish by the more radical Bolsheviks, led by Lenin.

Tsar's family.

Tsar's family.

 Now we are going to explain in details these revolutions:

Russia was an absolute monarchy. The Tsar ran the country with the help of a few Ministers and the parliament, also called Duma. The Tsar was supported by the army, the church, the nobles, the civil service and the secret police (Okhrana). Many  Russians wanted a more democratic form of government.                         .

Badge of the Okhrana

Duma

The economy was especially agricultural and there were big differences between rich and poor people. Peasants in the countryside and workers in the towns suffered from low wages, long hours and terrible living conditions. The poor wanted to improve their standard of living. The industrialization led to the worker population grows.

In 1898, the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) was formed. Its aim was to establish a Socialist state based on the principles of Marxist ideology. Later, in 1903, the RSDLP divided into two separate factions: the Mensheviks (moderates), led by Martov and the Bolsheviks (radicals), led by Lenin.There were others political parties like: the bourgeoisies’ parties and the peasants’ parties with Kerensky ahead.

The Russian Social Democratic Labous Party.

Lenin.

Martov.

Kerensky.

Winter Palace.

The revolution of 1905 was spread the 9 of January, when some peasants and workers went to the Winter Palace (Tsar’s house) to submit some request. These demonstrations were peaceful but the Tsar’s Guard answer by a violent repulsion. Many of these demonstrators were murdered by the Tsar’s Guard and this night is known as Bloody Sunday.

Bloody Sunday.

The peasants and workers organized itself in soviets (popular assemblies).

In 1914 was the First World War and the Russian economy collapsed. . Factories closed, transport was disrupted and prices rose faster than wages. There was terrible famine. Strikes and demonstrations grew. The Russian army also suffered badly in the First World War due to a lack of equipment, inadequate training and poor leadership.

During World War I Lenin went into exile, taking up residence in Switzerland. As always, his mind stayed focus on revolutionary politics. During this period he wrote and published Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916), a defining work for the future leader, in which he argued that war was the natural result of international capitalism.

The February Revolution began on February 23, when demonstrators clamoring for bread took to the streets in the Russian capital of Petrograd (now called St. Petersburg). Supported by huge crowds of striking industrial workers, the protesters clashed with police but refused to leave the streets. On March 10, the strike spread among all of Petrograd's workers, and irate mobs destroyed police stations. Several factories elected deputies to the Petrograd Soviet, of workers' committees, following the model devised during the 1905 revolution.

Demonstrations.

The imperial government was forced to resign, and the Duma formed a provisional government that peacefully competed with the Petrograd Soviet for control of the revolution. Finally, the provisional government was formed by the peasants’ party led by Kerensky.

Lenin calling for a Soviet government.

Lenin quickly returned home and, perhaps sensing his own path to power, quickly denounced the country’s newly formed Provisional Government. Lenin instead called for a Soviet government, one that would be ruled directly by soldiers, peasants and workers.

The Provisional Government was very unpopular. It had failed to end the war. It was blamed for food shortages and rising prices. It had failed to give land to peasants. It had not held elections to allow the Russian people to choose their own government. The Bolsheviks took advantage of the unpopularity of the Provisional Government and increased its support.

The Bolsheviks made preparations to take control of the government of Russia. A Military Revolutionary Committee was set up to plan the revolution. Trotsky was put in charge of organising the Bolshevik seizure of power. Workers were given weapons. Many soldiers supported the Bolsheviks. Other soldiers refused to fight to defend the Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks took control of important points around Petrograd. Most of the leaders of the Provisional Government were arrested. By the 26th of October the Bolsheviks were in control of Petrograd and later took control of Moscow.

Trotsky.

So, the Bolsheviks seized control of the government and Lenin became the new leader of Russia. One of his first actions was to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the German Empire. This allowed Russia to withdraw from an unpopular war.

The country was divided in two blocs: the counter-revolutionaries, who created the White Army and the Bolsheviks, who created the Red Army. Determined to win at any cost, Lenin showed himself to be ruthless in his push to secure power. He launched what came to be known as the Red Terror, a vicious campaign Lenin used to eliminate the opposition within the civilian population. In July 1918, they killed the tsar and his family.

The Red Army eventually won the civil war that had lasted three years. Lenin became the virtual dictator of the first Marxist state in the world. In 1922, Lenin established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,                                                                known as the USSR. He also approved a new constitution based on                                                            Communist principles:

• Republics had autonomy in domestic policy, in areas such as judicial system, education, health and use of languages and customs. The republics could leave the union.
• The supreme legislative body was the Supreme Soviet. Appointed to the Supreme Soviet Presidium, whose president was the Head of State and the Council of People's Commissars, a sort of council of ministers. 

Embalm's body of Lenin.

On March 10, 1923, Lenin’s health was dealt another severe blow when he suffered an additional stroke, this one taking away his ability to speak and concluding his political work. Nearly 10 months later, on January 21, 1924, another stroke hit him, and he passed away that evening in the village now known as Gorki Leninskiye. In a testament to his standing in Russian society, his corpse was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum on Moscow’s Red Square.  

Fuentes de información:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk
• http://www.history.com
• Libro de texto: Historia 4ESO Santillana
• Libro de texto: History ESO 4 Oxford