February Revolution 1917
• Long-standing causes - peasants anger about land,
• Population explosion 1860-1914, Workers' discontent
• Workers Revolt - Feb 23 1917
• Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers set up
• A Provisional Government set up by the Duma
• Problems: Continuation of the War, Return of Lenin and other Bolsheviks, Continuing Unrest in the cities.
• Alexander Kerensky (1881-1970) - chief minister from July 1917. Kornilov Plot shows his weakness.
October Revolution 1917
• Bolshevik Slogans: "Peace, Bread and Land", "All power to the Soviets"
• Attack on Winter Palace October 1917 (November 6-7-8 new Calendar)
Bolsheviks Actions in Power
• Aim is to secure power
• -Constituent Assembly dissolved December 1918
• -Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 3 1918 ends war with Germany
• -Nationalization of all factories - June 1918
• -Execution of the Tsar and his Family 1918
Civil War 1917-1921
• Red Army, led by Trotsky, vs. the "Whites".
• War Communism - a collection of emergency measures:-
• -The Cheka - secret police from December 1917
• -Communist Party control of the State
• -Nationalization of production
• -Opposition suppressed Kronstadt Rebellion March 1921
The Third International (Cominintern)
• 1919 split European socialists into "Communists" and "Social Democrats".
New Economic Policy March 1921
• Aim -increased food production. Incentives were allowed.
• Peasants allowed to farm for profit and small businesses with up to 12 workers allowed.
• Economy recovered by 1927.
• Kulaks -rich peasants become important.
Stalin Takes Over
• Struggle between Leon Trotsky, who wanted rapid industrialization, and Nicolai Bukharin, the editor of Pravda, who was pro-peasant.
• Josef Djugushvili "Stalin" (1879-1953). An ally of Bukharin.
By 1912 on Central Committee. Succeeds by controlling party organization.
Stalin in power
• A revolution from above - Doctrine of "socialism in one country"
1. Agriculture - collectivization of land: perhaps 10 Million people died in forced collectivization.
2. Rapid Industrialization:
Five Year Plans Began in 1928-1940, 400% increase in production
3. Purges and Personality Cult: Show Trials 1936-38
