The Russian revolution

Nota:

• The Russian Revolution is one of the most important events of the 20th century. It supposed that the Russian Empire happened to be the USSR and also gave rise to the first socialist government in the world.

1. MAIN CAUSES
   1. First World War

      Nota:

      • The constant defeats suffered by the Russian armies and the numerous casualties led to the discredit of the last Tsarist dynasty.
   2. War Russian-Japanese

      Nota:

      • The Tsarist army was defeated by the Japanese.
   3. Economic crisis

      Nota:

      • This was due to the little development of the industrial sector and economic dependence on the foreigner.
   4. Emptiness Alejandra's unpopularity

      Nota:

      • The wife of Tsar Nicholas II was against any reform favorable to the people, so he won the hatred of this.
2. 2 revolutions
   1. 1905
      1. Objectives of this revolution
         1. The bad government was denounced, without wanting to overthrow the Tsar in the beginning
         2. They wanted the incorporation of reforms
      2. Duma

         Nota:

         • With the aim of wanting to solve the strikes and revolts, Nicholas II undertook to endow the Duma (assembly) with legislative powers. However, it proved ineffective.
      3. Soviets

         Nota:

         • Groups or assemblies of workers, soldiers and Russian peasants. They emerged at this time in order to try to change the situation of the country.
      4. Bloody Sunday

         Nota:

         • The so-called Bloody Sunday was the trigger for this revolution. This name is given to the massacre at the hands of the Russian army in a demonstration of workers (due to lack of food) before the Tsarist government.
      5. Political Parties

         Nota:

         • During these years a series of parties were created which aspired to reach power to reassure the people and establish a new form of government
         1. Russian Social Democratic political party

            Nota:

            • They defended the principles of Marxism imposed by Marx and Engels.
            1. Mensheviks

               Nota:

               • Minority faction of the Russian Social Democratic Party, formed by moderate socialists, its leaders were Plekhanov and Martov. They were in favor of the search for a period of transition that could transform Russia into an industrialized country.
            2. Bolsheviks

               Nota:

               • Major fraction of the Russian Social Democratic Party, formed by radical socialists, its leader was Lennin. They were supporters of the seizure of power.
         2. Democratic Constitutional Political Party

            Nota:

            • Formed by an urban bourgeois minority seeking a liberal ideology.
         3. Revolutionary Socialist political party

            Nota:

            • Mostly formed by discontented peasants in the semifeudal situation in which they were.
   2. 1917
      1. February revolution
         1. Daily manifestations

            Nota:

            • Due to the First World War, the number of deaths, the economic collapse and the shortage of cities produced a great social unrest that led to revolts and general and daily demonstrations.
         2. Abdication of Nicolás II

            Nota:

            • The Russian army did not have the means to suppress the revolution, so the Tsar was forced to abdicate on March 2, 1917.
         3. Lenin returns from exile

            Nota:

            • Vladimir Lenin, who had been exiled for being a revolutionary, returns and with Leon Trotski begins to convince the people and defend the postulates of Karl Marx.
         4. Provisional government

            Nota:

            • This government would end up heading Aleksandr Kérenski and would be supported by the Mensheviks.
      2. October revolution
         1. power takeover of the Bolsheviks

            Nota:

            • Lenin had convinced the people, and therefore, controlled the soviets. Thanks to this, he achieved control of the government with the Bolsheviks, and imposed himself as president.
         2. Council of Commissioners of the Village

            Nota:

            • Under Lenin's presidency, this Council was created to be a government institution.
            1. Constituent Assembly

               Nota:

               • In November of 1917 elections would be held to elect a Constituent Assembly. However, contrary to what Lenin thought, his party was not a winner, so he dissolved the Assembly and Russia came under the control of the Communist Party.
               1. Civil War

                  Nota:

                  • This resulted in a civil war between two sides. Finally the conflict culminated with the victory of the Red Army.
                  1. Red Russia

                     Nota:

                     • Formed by the Bolsheviks.
                  2. White Russia

                     Nota:

                     • Formed by people who defended the Tsarist autocracy
         3. Marxism-Leninism

            Nota:

            • Vladimir Lenin created a new model called Marxism-Leninism, very similar to Marxism and imposed the dictatorship of the proletariat of which Marx and Engels spoke
3. USSR

   Nota:

   • Finally the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed in 1922, and after the death of Lenin, Stalin prevailed before Trotsky.