Causes and Key Events of the Russian Revolution

Why Was There a Revolution in Russia?

• Autocratic Empire: The Tsar held absolute power, supported by a loyal bureaucracy, a powerful army, and the Orthodox Church, which served as an important ideological pillar of the regime.
• Feudal Agriculture and Industry: Agriculture was controlled by a wealthy aristocracy, leaving the majority of peasants in miserable conditions with personal servitude still intact. Industry relied on foreign capital, creating a large industrial proletariat with very low wages, leading to extreme social inequality.
• Rise of Opposition: Opposition to Tsarism grew among peasants (anarchists). Marxist ideas spread among industrial workers, leading to the formation of a party led by Lenin, which eventually split into two wings: Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. Additionally, a liberal party, the Kadet, was founded.
• The 1905 Crisis: Following Bloody Sunday, a peaceful demonstration was met with brutal repression and a lack of freedoms. Workers, peasants, and soldiers organized themselves into soviets (councils). The crisis of WWI—characterized by famine, military disasters, and army revolts—made the Tsar deeply unpopular, creating a limit situation.

The Russian Revolution

1. The February Revolution (1917)

Demonstrations in Petrograd and riots in the barracks broke out. When the Tsar ordered troops to fire on the protesters, many soldiers joined the protest instead. The Tsar abdicated, and a republic was proclaimed, headed by a provisional government that promised elections and a parliamentary democracy.

2. The Provisional Government

Dominated by bourgeois parties and socialists, the government introduced political and social reforms. However, they refused to withdraw from the war, and the living conditions of the population worsened due to famine. The Soviets demanded the dismissal of the government, causing the union to break up.

3. The October Revolution

Lenin returned from exile, promising a government of workers and peasants. He advocated for signing a peace treaty with Germany, distributing land to peasants, and giving workers control of factories. In October 1917, the Red Guards (Bolshevik militia led by Trotsky) took control of Petrograd and overthrew the government. The revolution quickly spread to Moscow and industrial regions. The 2nd Congress of Soviets proclaimed a worker's government led by Lenin.

4. Consolidation of Power

In November 1917, elections were held for the Constituent Assembly. The Bolsheviks secured only 25% of the seats. Fearing that opposition groups could take over the parliament (the Duma), Lenin dissolved the Assembly, ending political pluralism in the new Soviet Russia. First Revolutionary measures included:

• Expropriation and distribution of land to peasants.
• Granting workers' committees control of factories.
• Signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) with Germany to secure peace.