The most important event in the history of Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century was the October Revolution. The consequences of this coup changed the country beyond recognition, redrew the political map and became the biggest nightmare for the capitalists. Ideas of V.I. Lenin, in various variations, live in different corners world to this day. Today we will get acquainted with the history and consequences October Revolution.
Name
The October Revolution, which was in effect in Russia at that time, took place on October 25-26. Despite the fact that literally at the beginning of the next year the state switched to the Gregorian calendar, according to which the events took place on November 7-8, the name of the coup remained unchanged. And this is even despite the fact that the first anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution was already celebrated on November 7. In order not to get confused, let's consider the chronology of events according to the old calendar, which at that time was considered the only correct one. The revolution took place in just two days, but public discontent had been brewing since the beginning of 1917. And it lasted at least another year. But we’ll talk about the consequences of the October Revolution later, but for now let’s get acquainted with the prerequisites.
Early 1917
First world war(1914-1918) was the main reason for the spread of protest sentiment throughout Europe. By the end of hostilities, four empires fell at once: German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and a little later - Ottoman.
In Russia, the war was not perceived by both the people and the army. Even the government could not formulate its true goals. The initial patriotic impulse, reinforced by the spread of anti-German propaganda, quickly faded away. Regular defeats at the fronts, troop retreats, enormous human losses and a growing food crisis - all this aroused popular discontent and an increase in the number of strikes.
At the beginning of 1917, the state situation was simply catastrophic. All layers of society, from peasants to ministers, were dissatisfied with the policies of Nicholas II. The tsar's political and military miscalculations only reduced his authority. The people's faith in the Tsar-Father quickly lost its steadfastness. Even remote provinces received information about the harmful influence of Rasputin on the imperial couple. Representatives of the State Duma accused the sovereign of treason, and his relatives began to seriously think about the liquidation of Alexandra Fedorovna, who continually interfered in state issues. Taking advantage of the prevailing conditions, radical left parties launched large-scale campaigning activities. Their slogans included the need to overthrow the autocracy, end the war and fraternize with the enemy.
February Revolution
In January 1917, a wave of strikes took place throughout the country. In Petrograd (from 1914 to 1924, this was the name of St. Petersburg), more than 200 thousand Russians took part in the protests. The government practically did not respond to popular discontent.
On February 17, due to constant interruptions in food supplies, a serious strike began at Petrogradsky. All enterprises were located in the capital. The government's response continued to be slow, and any measures were taken with a significant delay. It seemed that the officials deliberately left things to chance. In this situation, the king spoke with the words: “I command you to stop the riots in the capital tomorrow!” According to historians, he was poorly informed or underestimated the level of popular discontent. One way or another, such statements only made things worse.
Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks were actively campaigning for the Petrograd garrison. As a result, on February 26, the military began to go over to the rebel side, which for the government meant the loss of its main defense. It is important to note that all segments of the population took part in the February Revolution. The parties of the State Duma, industrialists, officers, and aristocrats worked for a common goal. Therefore, later the Bolsheviks would call it universal.
On February 28, the revolutionaries won complete victory. The royal power lost its strength. The Provisional Committee of the State Duma, headed by Mikhail Rodzianko, took over the leadership of the country.
Abdication of Nicholas II
The first thing the new government took care of was removing the king from power. No one had any doubts that the emperor needed to be persuaded to abdicate. On February 28, having learned about what was happening, Nikolai went to Petrograd. Echoes of the revolution, which quickly spread throughout the country, met the monarch on the way - soldiers stopped the royal train at the entrance to the capital. The emperor did not take any decisive action to save the autocracy. He thought only about reuniting with his family, which was at that time in Tsarskoe Selo.
The royal train was forced to turn to Pskov, where the State Duma deputies also headed. On March 2, Nicholas II signed a manifesto of abdication. Initially, the provisional government intended to maintain autocracy and transfer the throne to Tsarevich Alexander, but due to the likelihood of another surge of popular discontent, this idea had to be abandoned. Thus ended the history of one of the most powerful royal dynasties. Recent years The former emperor and his family spent their lives in captivity.
Simultaneously with the creation of the Provisional Government, the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (Petrosovet) was formed, which became the key body of democracy. The creation of this council was an initiative of the Social Democrats and Socialist Revolutionaries. Soon, similar self-government bodies began to appear throughout the state. Their tasks included: improving the situation of workers, regulating food supplies, repealing royal decrees, arresting police officers and officials, and other government affairs. The Bolsheviks, meanwhile, continued to remain in the shadows.
Problems of dual power
On March 2, when the emperor abdicated the throne, the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet officially began to operate in the country, that is, dual power was established.
Due to dual power, the ministers of the Provisional Government could not establish order in the state. Self-government of the Soviets in enterprises and in the army led to the erosion of discipline and rampant crime. The issue of the country's further political development remained unresolved. The new government approached this problem without much enthusiasm. The Constituent Assembly, which was supposed to determine the future fate of the country, was assembled only at the end of November 1917.
The situation at the front also deteriorated greatly. By supporting the decisions of the Soviets, the soldiers ceased to obey the officers. The level of discipline and motivation among the troops has dropped sharply. At the same time, the Provisional Government was in no hurry to end the war.
Lenin in Petrograd
A radical turning point in the life of the country and the first significant prerequisite for the October Revolution of 1917 was the arrival of V.I. Lenin in Russia (April 1917). It was then that the rapid growth of the Bolshevik Party began. Lenin's ideas quickly received the support of the people, as they were understandable to everyone.
On April 4, Lenin announced his party’s program of action. Main task The Bolsheviks consisted of overthrowing the Provisional Government and transferring power to the Soviets. In history, this program was called “ April Theses" On April 7, it was published by the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda. Lenin's program was simple and understandable. He demanded the transformation of hostilities, the confiscation and nationalization of landowners' lands and the fight for socialism. From the stands, Lenin spoke with the slogan: “Land to the peasants, factories to the workers, peace to the soldiers, power to the Bolsheviks!”
Miliukov's miscalculation
On April 18, Pavel Miliukov - the then Minister of Foreign Affairs - announced that Russia was ready to fight the war until victory, which caused an even further weakening of the reputation of the Provisional Government. Anti-war demonstrations were organized in the capital, in which more than one thousand people took part. Miliukov had to resign.
The final weakening of the reputation of the Provisional Government
To achieve their goal, the Bolsheviks willingly used the miscalculations of the authorities. On June 18, the front launched a large-scale offensive, which started successfully, but ultimately failed completely. Forced to retreat, the Russian military suffered enormous losses. In the capital, popular discontent erupted again, fully supported by the Bolsheviks. In order to restore order, the government persecuted the Bolsheviks. They had to go underground again. However, despite the apparent elimination of a political opponent, the government systematically lost the trust of citizens.
Kornilov mutiny
To stabilize the situation, the newly appointed Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky used emergency powers. The death penalty was reintroduced at the front, and the economy began its “recovery.” Kerensky's efforts did not bear fruit, but only aggravated the situation. Then, in order to strengthen the position of the government, the chairman decided to enter into an alliance with the military. At the end of July 1917, Lavr Kornilov, who enjoyed a good reputation among the soldiers, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army.
Determined to resist left-wing radical elements, Kerensky and Kornilov planned to work together to save the fatherland. However, due to the fact that they failed to share power among themselves, the goal was never achieved.
On August 26, Kornilov sent his troops to Petrograd. Then Kerensky had no choice but to turn for help to his ideological enemies - the Bolsheviks, who could influence the soldiers of the capital's garrison. The clash never happened, but this situation once again illustrated the incompetence of the Provisional Government and its inability to lead the country. This incident played into the hands of the Bolsheviks, since thanks to it the whole country saw that they were capable of leading it out of chaos.
Bolshevik triumph
In September 1917, the overthrow of the Provisional Government was only a matter of time. Kerensky's attempts to improve the situation by changing ministers were in vain. The people understood perfectly well that the government's only motive was personal gain. Regarding the events of that time, Lenin said absolutely precisely: “Power was lying under your feet, you just had to take it.”
The country's economy was on the verge of collapse, prices were rising, and food shortages were getting worse. Mass strikes of workers and peasants were accompanied by pogroms and reprisals against wealthy fellow citizens. Throughout the country, councils of workers' and military deputies went over to the Bolshevik side. Having chosen the most opportune moment, Lenin and Trotsky advocated the seizure of power. On October 12, the Petrograd Soviet created the Military Revolutionary Committee, designed to prepare a mass uprising. In a short time, 30 thousand activists received weapons.
On October 25, the revolutionaries occupied key strategic objects of the capital: train stations, telegraph and post office. On the night of October 25-26, the Provisional Government was arrested. Having seized power, the Bolsheviks immediately held a Congress, at which two decrees were adopted: “On Peace” and “On Land”. Local power was transferred to workers, peasants and soldiers' deputies. The October Revolution of 1917 was the logical conclusion of the period of total anarchy in the country, the chronology of which we examined. The new government has proven in practice that only it is capable of taking responsibility for governing the state. The superiority of the communists in the events of that year is noted even by those to whom their ideology is not close.
Consequences of the October Revolution
The government formed was headed by V.I. Lenin. The decree of January 15, 1918 marked the beginning of the creation of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and the decree of January 29 - the Workers' and Peasants' Fleet. Gradually, the country introduced free medical care and education, an eight-hour working day, and insurance for employees and workers. Estates, ranks and titles were eliminated. and the school comes from the church. It is also important to note that after the October Revolution, the government gave women and men equal rights in all areas of activity.
In January 1918, the All-Russian Congresses merged, which made it possible to unite the Soviets of Peasants' and Workers' Deputies. Soon after the October Revolution, the authorities proclaimed Russia a Republic of Soviets. Having adopted the resolution “On federal institutions Russian Republic"The congress formalized the creation of the RSFSR. The state was established on the basis of a free union of peoples. In the spring of 1918, the process of registration of the peoples inhabiting the territories of the RSFSR was launched.
On January 21, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted a decree canceling foreign and domestic loans of the two previous governments. Decrees after the October Revolution also annulled treaties concluded by previous governments.
After the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, Soviet Russia lost 780 thousand km 2 of area, where 56 million people lived. At the same time, Russia began to withdraw its troops from these territories, and the enemy, on the contrary, entered there and established control. On November 13, 1918, when Austria-Hungary and Germany lost the war, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was annulled.
Preparation of the Constitution after the October Revolution began quite quickly - in January 1918. On July 10 of the same year, the text of the document was approved by the All-Russian Congress of Soviets.
Despite the fact that the majority of the population supported the Bolsheviks, there were those who did not want another change of power. Therefore, speaking about what happened after the October Revolution, it is important to mention the Civil War. It began with and continued, according to various sources, until October 1922/July 1923. The cause of the war was a deep social, ideological and political split. As a result, the White Army, which opposed the Bolsheviks, lost. Thus, for some, November 7 is the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, and for others, the anniversary of the start of the Civil War.
The October Revolution of 1917 occurred on October 25 according to the old style or November 7 according to the new style. Initiator, ideologist and main actor revolution was the Bolshevik Party (Russian Social Democratic Bolshevik Party), led by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (party pseudonym Lenin) and Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Trotsky). As a result, power changed in Russia. Instead of a bourgeois one, the country was led by a proletarian government.Goals of the October Revolution of 1917
- Building a more just society than capitalism
- Eliminating the exploitation of man by man
- Equality of people in rights and responsibilities
The main motto of the socialist revolution of 1917 is “To each according to his needs, from each according to his work”
- Fight against wars
- World socialist revolution
Slogans of the revolution
- "Power to the Soviets"
- "Peace to the Nations"
- "Land to the peasants"
- "Factory to workers"
Objective reasons for the October Revolution of 1917
- Economic difficulties experienced by Russia due to participation in the First World War
- Huge human losses from the same
- Things going wrong at the front
- The incompetent leadership of the country, first by the tsarist, then by the bourgeois (Provisional) government
- The unresolved peasant question (the issue of allocating land to peasants)
- Difficult living conditions for workers
- Almost complete illiteracy of the people
- Unfair national policies
Subjective reasons for the October Revolution of 1917
- The presence in Russia of a small but well-organized, disciplined group - the Bolshevik Party
- The primacy in it of the great historical Personality - V. I. Lenin
- The absence of a person of the same caliber in the camp of her opponents
- Ideological vacillations of the intelligentsia: from Orthodoxy and nationalism to anarchism and support for terrorism
- The activities of German intelligence and diplomacy, which had the goal of weakening Russia as one of Germany’s opponents in the war
- Passivity of the population
Interesting: the causes of the Russian revolution according to writer Nikolai Starikov
Methods for building a new society
- Nationalization and transfer to state ownership of means of production and land
- Eradication of private property
- Physical elimination of political opposition
- Concentration of power in the hands of one party
- Atheism instead of religiosity
- Marxism-Leninism instead of Orthodoxy
Trotsky led the immediate seizure of power by the Bolsheviks
“By the night of the 24th, members of the Revolutionary Committee dispersed to different areas. I was left alone. Later Kamenev came. He was opposed to the uprising. But he came to spend this decisive night with me, and we remained alone in the small corner room third floor, which resembled the captain's bridge on the decisive night of the revolution. In the next large and deserted room there was a telephone booth. They called continuously, about important things and about trifles. The bells emphasized the guarded silence even more sharply... Detachments of workers, sailors, and soldiers were awake in the areas. Young proletarians carry rifles and machine gun belts over their shoulders. Street pickets warm themselves by the fires. The spiritual life of the capital, which on an autumn night squeezes its head from one era to another, is concentrated around two dozen telephones.
In the room on the third floor, news from all districts, suburbs and approaches to the capital converge. It’s as if everything is provided for, leaders are in place, connections are secured, it seems that nothing is forgotten. Let's check it mentally again. This night decides.
... I give the commissars the order to set up reliable military barriers on the roads to Petrograd and send agitators to meet the units called by the government...” If you can’t restrain yourself with words, use your weapons. You are responsible for this with your head." I repeat this phrase several times... The Smolny outer guard has been reinforced with a new machine gun team. Communication with all parts of the garrison remains uninterrupted. Duty companies are kept awake in all regiments. The commissioners are in place. Armed detachments move through the streets from the districts, ring the bell at the gates or open them without ringing, and occupy one institution after another.
...In the morning I attack the bourgeois and conciliatory press. Not a word about the outbreak of the uprising.
The government still met in the Winter Palace, but it had already become only a shadow of its former self. Politically it no longer existed. During October 25, the Winter Palace was gradually cordoned off by our troops from all sides. At one o'clock in the afternoon I reported to the Petrograd Soviet on the state of affairs. Here's how the newspaper report portrays it:
“On behalf of the Military Revolutionary Committee, I declare that the Provisional Government no longer exists. (Applause.) Individual ministers have been arrested. (“Bravo!”) Others will be arrested in the coming days or hours. (Applause.) The revolutionary garrison, at the disposal of the Military Revolutionary Committee, dissolved the meeting of the Pre-Parliament. (Noisy applause.) We stayed awake here at night and watched through the telephone wire as detachments of revolutionary soldiers and workers' guards silently carried out their work. The average person slept peacefully and did not know that at this time one power was being replaced by another. Stations, post office, telegraph, Petrograd Telegraph Agency, State Bank are busy. (Noisy applause.) The Winter Palace has not yet been taken, but its fate will be decided in the next few minutes. (Applause.)"
This bare report is likely to give a wrong impression of the mood of the meeting. This is what my memory tells me. When I reported on the change of power that had taken place that night, tense silence reigned for several seconds. Then came the applause, but not stormy, but thoughtful... “Can we handle it?” — many people asked themselves mentally. Hence a moment of anxious thought. We'll handle it, everyone answered. New dangers loomed in the distant future. And now there was a feeling great victory, and this feeling sang in the blood. It found its outlet in a stormy meeting arranged for Lenin, who appeared at this meeting for the first time after an absence of almost four months.”(Trotsky “My Life”).
Results of the October Revolution of 1917
- The elite in Russia has completely changed. The one that ruled the state for 1000 years, set the tone in politics, economics, public life, was an example to follow and an object of envy and hatred, gave way to others who before that really “were nothing”
- The Russian Empire fell, but its place was taken by the Soviet Empire, which for several decades became one of the two countries (together with the USA) that led the world community
- The Tsar was replaced by Stalin, who acquired significantly greater powers than any Russian emperor.
- The ideology of Orthodoxy was replaced by communist
- Russia (more precisely Soviet Union) within a few years transformed from an agricultural to a powerful industrial power
- Public literacy has become universal
- The Soviet Union achieved the withdrawal of education and medical care from the system of commodity-money relations
- There was no unemployment in the USSR
- In recent decades, the leadership of the USSR has achieved almost complete equality of the population in income and opportunities
- In the Soviet Union there was no division of people into poor and rich
- In the numerous wars that Russia waged during the years of Soviet power, as a result of terror, from various economic experiments, tens of millions of people died, the fates of probably the same number of people were broken, distorted, millions left the country, becoming emigrants
- The country's gene pool has changed catastrophically
- The lack of incentives to work, the absolute centralization of the economy, and huge military expenditures have led Russia (USSR) to a significant technological lag behind the developed countries of the world.
- In Russia (USSR), in practice, democratic freedoms were completely absent - speech, conscience, demonstrations, rallies, press (although they were declared in the Constitution).
- The Russian proletariat lived materially much worse than the workers of Europe and America
To understand when there was a revolution in Russia, it is necessary to look back at the era. It was under the last emperor from the Romanov dynasty that the country was shaken by several social crises that caused the people to rebel against the authorities. Historians distinguish the revolution of 1905-1907, the February Revolution and the October Revolution.
Prerequisites for revolutions
Until 1905, the Russian Empire lived under the laws of an absolute monarchy. The Tsar was the sole autocrat. The adoption of important government decisions depended only on him. In the 19th century, such a conservative order of things did not suit a very small stratum of society consisting of intellectuals and marginalized people. These people were oriented towards the West, where the Great French Revolution had long since taken place as an illustrative example. She destroyed the power of the Bourbons and gave the inhabitants of the country civil liberties.
Even before the first revolutions took place in Russia, society learned about what political terror is. Radical supporters of change took up arms and carried out assassinations on senior government officials in order to force the authorities to pay attention to their demands.
Tsar Alexander II ascended the throne during Crimean War, which Russia lost due to its systematic economic lag behind the West. The bitter defeat forced the young monarch to begin reforms. The main one was the abolition of serfdom in 1861. This was followed by zemstvo, judicial, administrative and other reforms.
However, radicals and terrorists were still unhappy. Many of them demanded a constitutional monarchy or the abolition of royal power altogether. The Narodnaya Volya carried out a dozen attempts on the life of Alexander II. In 1881 he was killed. Under his son, Alexander III, a reactionary campaign was launched. Terrorists and political activists were subjected to severe repression. This calmed the situation for a short time. But the first revolutions in Russia were still just around the corner.
Mistakes of Nicholas II
Alexander III died in 1894 at his Crimean residence, where he was recovering his failing health. The monarch was relatively young (he was only 49 years old), and his death came as a complete surprise to the country. Russia froze in anticipation. The eldest son of Alexander III, Nicholas II, was on the throne. His reign (when there was a revolution in Russia) was marred from the very beginning by unpleasant events.
Firstly, at one of his first public appearances, the tsar declared that the progressive public’s desire for change was “meaningless dreams.” For this phrase, Nikolai was criticized by all his opponents - from liberals to socialists. The monarch even got it from the great writer Leo Tolstoy. The count ridiculed the emperor's absurd statement in his article, written under the impression of what he heard.
Secondly, during the coronation ceremony of Nicholas II in Moscow, an accident occurred. The city authorities organized a festive event for peasants and the poor. They were promised free “gifts” from the king. So thousands of people ended up on the Khodynka field. At some point, a stampede began, due to which hundreds of passers-by died. Later, when there was a revolution in Russia, many called these events symbolic hints of a future great disaster.
U Russian revolutions There were also objective reasons. What were they? In 1904, Nicholas II became involved in the war against Japan. The conflict erupted over the influence of two rival powers in the Far East. Inept preparation, stretched communications, and a cavalier attitude towards the enemy - all this became the reason for the defeat of the Russian army in that war. In 1905, a peace treaty was signed. Russia gave Japan the southern part of Sakhalin Island, as well as lease rights to the strategically important South Manchurian railway.
At the beginning of the war, there was a surge of patriotism and hostility towards new national enemies in the country. Now, after the defeat, the revolution of 1905-1907 broke out with unprecedented force. in Russia. People wanted fundamental changes in the life of the state. Discontent was especially felt among workers and peasants, whose standard of living was extremely low.
Bloody Sunday
The main reason for the outbreak of civil confrontation was the tragic events in St. Petersburg. On January 22, 1905, a delegation of workers went to the Winter Palace with a petition to the Tsar. The proletarians asked the monarch to improve their working conditions, increase salaries, etc. Political demands were also made, the main one of which was the convening of a Constituent Assembly - a people's representative body on the Western parliamentary model.
The police dispersed the procession. Firearms were used. According to various estimates, from 140 to 200 people died. The tragedy became known as Bloody Sunday. When the event became known throughout the country, mass strikes began in Russia. The discontent of the workers was fueled by professional revolutionaries and agitators of left-wing convictions, who had previously carried out only underground work. The liberal opposition also became more active.
First Russian Revolution
Strikes and walkouts had different intensity depending on the region of the empire. Revolution 1905-1907 in Russia it raged especially strongly on the national outskirts of the state. For example, Polish socialists managed to convince about 400 thousand workers in the Kingdom of Poland not to go to work. Similar unrest took place in the Baltic states and Georgia.
Radical political parties(Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries) decided that this was their last chance to seize power in the country with the help of an uprising of the popular masses. The agitators manipulated not only peasants and workers, but also ordinary soldiers. Thus began armed uprisings in the army. The most famous episode in this series is the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin.
In October 1905, the united St. Petersburg Council of Workers' Deputies began its work, which coordinated the actions of strikers throughout the capital of the empire. The events of the revolution took on their most violent character in December. This led to battles in Presnya and other areas of the city.
Manifesto October 17
In the fall of 1905, Nicholas II realized that he had lost control of the situation. He could, with the help of the army, suppress numerous uprisings, but this would not help get rid of the deep contradictions between the government and society. The monarch began to discuss with those close to him measures to reach a compromise with the dissatisfied.
The result of his decision was the Manifesto of October 17, 1905. The development of the document was entrusted to the famous official and diplomat Sergei Witte. Before that, he went to sign peace with the Japanese. Now Witte needed to as soon as possible have time to help your king. The situation was complicated by the fact that in October two million people were already on strike. Strikes covered almost all industrial sectors. Railway transport was paralyzed.
The October 17 Manifesto made several fundamental changes to political system Russian Empire. Nicholas II previously held sole power. Now he has transferred part of his legislative powers to a new body - State Duma. It was to be elected by popular vote and become a real representative body of government.
Such social principles as freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, and personal integrity were also established. These changes became an important part of the basic state laws of the Russian Empire. This is how the first national constitution actually appeared.
Between revolutions
The publication of the Manifesto in 1905 (when there was a revolution in Russia) helped the authorities take control of the situation. Most of the rebels calmed down. A temporary compromise was reached. The echo of the revolution could still be heard in 1906, but now it was easier for the state repressive apparatus to cope with its most irreconcilable opponents, who refused to lay down their arms.
The so-called inter-revolutionary period began, when in 1906-1917. Russia was a constitutional monarchy. Now Nicholas had to take into account the opinion of the State Duma, which might not accept his laws. The last Russian monarch was a conservative by nature. He did not believe in liberal ideas and believed that his sole power was given to him by God. Nikolai made concessions only because he no longer had a choice.
The first two convocations of the State Duma never fulfilled the period assigned to them by law. A natural period of reaction began, when the monarchy took revenge. At this time, Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin became the main associate of Nicholas II. His government could not reach an agreement with the Duma on some key political issues. Because of this conflict, on June 3, 1907, Nicholas II dissolved the representative assembly and made changes to the electoral system. The III and IV convocations were already less radical in their composition than the first two. A dialogue began between the Duma and the government.
First World War
The main reasons for the revolution in Russia were the sole power of the monarch, which prevented the country from developing. When the principle of autocracy became a thing of the past, the situation stabilized. Economic growth began. Agrarian helped peasants create their own small private farms. A new social class has emerged. The country developed and grew rich before our eyes.
So why did subsequent revolutions take place in Russia? In short, Nicholas made a mistake by getting involved in the First World War in 1914. Several million men were mobilized. As with the Japanese campaign, the country initially experienced a patriotic upsurge. As the bloodshed dragged on and reports of defeats began to arrive from the front, society became worried again. No one could say for sure how long the war would drag on. The revolution in Russia was approaching again.
February Revolution
In historiography there is the term “Great Russian Revolution”. Usually, this generalized name refers to the events of 1917, when two coups d’état took place in the country at once. The First World War hit the country's economy hard. The impoverishment of the population continued. In the winter of 1917, in Petrograd (renamed due to anti-German sentiments), mass demonstrations of workers and citizens dissatisfied high prices for bread.
This is how the February Revolution took place in Russia. Events developed rapidly. Nicholas II at this time was at Headquarters in Mogilev, not far from the front. The Tsar, having learned about the unrest in the capital, took the train to return to Tsarskoe Selo. However, he was late. In Petrograd, a dissatisfied army went over to the side of the rebels. The city came under rebel control. On March 2, delegates went to the king and persuaded him to sign his abdication of the throne. Thus, the February Revolution in Russia left the monarchical system in the past.
Troubled 1917
After the revolution had begun, a Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd. It included politicians previously known from the State Duma. These were mostly liberals or moderate socialists. Alexander Kerensky became the head of the Provisional Government.
Anarchy in the country allowed other radical political forces like the Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries to become more active. A struggle for power began. Formally, it was supposed to exist until the convening of the Constituent Assembly, when the country could decide how to live further by popular vote. However, the First World War was still going on, and the ministers did not want to refuse assistance to their Entente allies. This led to a sharp drop in the popularity of the Provisional Government in the army, as well as among workers and peasants.
In August 1917, General Lavr Kornilov tried to organize a coup d'etat. He also opposed the Bolsheviks, considering them a radical leftist threat to Russia. The army was already heading towards Petrograd. At this point, the Provisional Government and Lenin's supporters briefly united. Bolshevik agitators destroyed Kornilov's army from within. The mutiny failed. The provisional government survived, but not for long.
Bolshevik coup
Of all domestic revolutions, the Great October Socialist Revolution is the most famous. This is due to the fact that its date - November 7 (new style) - was a public holiday on the territory of the former Russian Empire for more than 70 years.
The next coup was led by Vladimir Lenin and the leaders of the Bolshevik Party enlisted the support of the Petrograd garrison. On October 25, according to the old style, armed groups that supported the communists captured key communication points in Petrograd - the telegraph, post office, and railway. The provisional government found itself isolated in the Winter Palace. After a short assault on the former royal residence, the ministers were arrested. The signal for the start of the decisive operation was a blank shot fired on the cruiser Aurora. Kerensky was out of town and later managed to emigrate from Russia.
On the morning of October 26, the Bolsheviks were already masters of Petrograd. Soon the first decrees of the new government appeared - the Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land. The Provisional Government was unpopular precisely because of its desire to continue the war with Kaiser Germany, while Russian army I was tired of fighting and demoralized.
The simple and understandable slogans of the Bolsheviks were popular among the people. The peasants finally waited for the destruction of the nobility and the deprivation of their land property. The soldiers learned that the imperialist war was over. True, in Russia itself it was far from peace. The Civil War began. The Bolsheviks had to fight for another 4 years against their opponents (whites) throughout the country to establish control over the territory of the former Russian Empire. In 1922, the USSR was formed. The Great October Socialist Revolution was an event that ushered in a new era in the history of not only Russia, but the whole world.
For the first time in the history of that time, radical communists found themselves in government power. October 1917 surprised and frightened Western bourgeois society. The Bolsheviks hoped that Russia would become a springboard for the start of the world revolution and the destruction of capitalism. This didn't happen.
1917 was a year of upheaval and revolution in Russia, and its finale came on the night of October 25, when all power passed to the Soviets. What are the causes, course, results of the Great October Socialist Revolution - these and other questions of history are in the center of our attention today.
Reasons
Many historians argue that the events that occurred in October 1917 were inevitable and at the same time unexpected. Why? Inevitable, because by this time the Russian Empire had developed certain situation, which predetermined the further course of history. This was due to a number of reasons:
- Results of the February Revolution : she was greeted with unprecedented delight and enthusiasm, which soon turned into the opposite - bitter disappointment. Indeed, the performance of the revolutionary-minded “lower classes” - soldiers, workers and peasants - led to a serious shift - the overthrow of the monarchy. But this is where the achievements of the revolution ended. The expected reforms were “hanging in the air”: the longer the Provisional Government postponed consideration of pressing problems, the faster discontent in society grew;
- Overthrow of the monarchy : March 2 (15), 1917, Russian Emperor Nicholas II signed the abdication of the throne. However, the question of the form of government in Russia - a monarchy or a republic - remained open. The Provisional Government decided to consider it during the next convocation of the Constituent Assembly. Such uncertainty could only lead to one thing - anarchy, which is what happened.
- The mediocre policy of the Provisional Government : the slogans under which the February Revolution took place, its aspirations and achievements were actually buried by the actions of the Provisional Government: Russia’s participation in the First World War continued; a majority vote in the government blocked land reform and the reduction of the working day to 8 hours; autocracy was not abolished;
- Russian participation in the First World War: any war is an extremely costly undertaking. It literally “sucks” all the juice out of the country: people, production, money - everything goes to support it. The First World War was no exception, and Russia's participation in it undermined the country's economy. After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government did not retreat from its obligations to the allies. But discipline in the army had already been undermined, and widespread desertion began in the army.
- Anarchy: already in the name of the government of that period - the Provisional Government, the spirit of the times can be traced - order and stability were destroyed, and they were replaced by anarchy - anarchy, lawlessness, confusion, spontaneity. This was manifested in all spheres of the country’s life: an autonomous government was formed in Siberia, which was not subordinate to the capital; Finland and Poland declared independence; in the villages, peasants were engaged in unauthorized redistribution of land, burning landowners' estates; the government was mainly engaged in the struggle with the Soviets for power; the disintegration of the army and many other events;
- The rapid growth of influence of the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies : During the February Revolution, the Bolshevik party was not one of the most popular. But over time, this organization becomes the main political player. Their populist slogans about an immediate end to the war and implementation of reforms found great support among embittered workers, peasants, soldiers and police. Not the least was the role of Lenin as the creator and leader of the Bolshevik Party, which carried out the October Revolution of 1917.
Rice. 1. Mass strikes in 1917
Stages of the uprising
Before speaking briefly about the 1917 revolution in Russia, it is necessary to answer the question about the suddenness of the uprising itself. The fact is that the actual dual power in the country - the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks - should have ended with some kind of explosion and subsequent victory for one of the parties. Therefore, the Soviets began preparing for the seizure of power back in August, and at that time the government was preparing and taking measures to prevent it. But the events that happened on the night of October 25, 1917 came as a complete surprise to the latter. The consequences of the establishment of Soviet power also became unpredictable.
Back on October 16, 1917, the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party made a fateful decision - to prepare for an armed uprising.
On October 18, the Petrograd garrison refused to submit to the Provisional Government, and already on October 21, representatives of the garrison declared their subordination to the Petrograd Soviet, as the only representative of legitimate power in the country. Starting from October 24, key points in Petrograd - bridges, train stations, telegraphs, banks, power plants and printing houses - were captured by the Military Revolutionary Committee. On the morning of October 25, the Provisional Government held only one object - the Winter Palace. Despite this, at 10 o'clock in the morning of the same day, an appeal was issued, which announced that from now on the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was the only body of state power in Russia.
In the evening at 9 o'clock, a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace and on the night of October 26, members of the Provisional Government were arrested.
Rice. 2. The streets of Petrograd on the eve of the uprising
Results
As you know, history doesn't like subjunctive mood. It is impossible to say what would have happened if this or that event had not occurred and vice versa. Everything that happens happens as a result of not one reason, but many, which at one moment intersected at one point and showed the world an event with all its positive and negative aspects: civil war, a huge number of deaths, millions who left the country forever, terror, the construction of an industrial power , eliminating illiteracy, free education, medical care, building the world's first socialist state and much more. But, speaking about the main significance of the October Revolution of 1917, one thing should be said - it was a profound revolution in the ideology, economy and structure of the state as a whole, which influenced not only the course of history of Russia, but of the whole world.
Reasons for the October Revolution of 1917:
- war fatigue;
- industry and agriculture countries were on the verge of complete collapse;
- catastrophic financial crisis;
- the unresolved agrarian question and the impoverishment of peasants;
- delaying socio-economic reforms;
- the contradictions of dual power became a prerequisite for a change of power.
On July 3, 1917, unrest began in Petrograd demanding the overthrow of the Provisional Government. Counter-revolutionary units, by order of the government, used weapons to suppress the peaceful demonstration. Arrests began and the death penalty was reinstated.
The dual power ended in the victory of the bourgeoisie. The events of July 3-5 showed that the bourgeois Provisional Government did not intend to fulfill the demands of the working people, and it became clear to the Bolsheviks that it was no longer possible to take power peacefully.
At the VI Congress of the RSDLP(b), which took place from July 26 to August 3, 1917, the party set its sights on socialist revolution through armed uprising.
At the August State Conference in Moscow, the bourgeoisie intended to declare L.G. Kornilov as a military dictator and to coincide with this event the dispersal of the Soviets. But active revolutionary action thwarted the plans of the bourgeoisie. Then Kornilov moved troops to Petrograd on August 23.
The Bolsheviks, carrying out extensive propaganda work among the working masses and soldiers, explained the meaning of the conspiracy and created revolutionary centers to fight the Kornilov revolt. The rebellion was suppressed, and the people finally realized that the Bolshevik Party is the only party that defends the interests of the working people.
In mid-September V.I. Lenin developed a plan for an armed uprising and ways to implement it. The main goal of the October Revolution was the conquest of power by the Soviets.
On October 12, the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) was created - a center for preparing an armed uprising. Zinoviev and Kamenev, opponents of the socialist revolution, gave the terms of the uprising to the Provisional Government.
The uprising began on the night of October 24, the opening day of the Second Congress of Soviets. The government was immediately isolated from the armed units loyal to it.
October 25 V.I. Lenin arrived in Smolny and personally led the uprising in Petrograd. During the October Revolution they were captured the most important objects such as bridges, telegraph, government offices.
On the morning of October 25, 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee announced the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the transfer of power to the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. On October 26, the Winter Palace was captured and members of the Provisional Government were arrested.
The October Revolution in Russia took place with the full support of the people. The alliance of the working class and the peasantry, the transition of the armed army to the side of the revolution, and the weakness of the bourgeoisie determined the results of the October Revolution of 1917.
On October 25 and 26, 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets was held, at which the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) was elected and the first Soviet government, the Council of People's Commissars (SNK), was formed. V.I. was elected Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. Lenin. He put forward two Decrees: the “Decree on Peace,” which called on the warring countries to stop hostilities, and the “Decree on Land,” which expressed the interests of the peasants.
The adopted Decrees contributed to the victory of Soviet power in the regions of the country.
On November 3, 1917, with the capture of the Kremlin, Soviet power won in Moscow. Further, Soviet power was proclaimed in Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Crimea, the North Caucasus, and Central Asia. The revolutionary struggle in Transcaucasia dragged on to the end civil war(1920-1921), which was a consequence of the October Revolution of 1917.
The Great October Socialist Revolution divided the world into two camps - capitalist and socialist.
