Post-WWI European Borders and the Russian Revolution
New European Borders and the Fall of Empires
France regains Alsace-Lorraine, while the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish empires disappear. This leads to the creation of new countries, including Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.
Main Stages of the Russian Revolution
- Revolution of 1905: Led by workers, peasants, and soldiers protesting their living conditions. This was severely repressed by the regime ('Bloody Sunday' in St. Petersburg, the Odessa massacre, and the revolt of the Marines on the battleship Potemkin).
- General strikes in 1905 and beyond: These led to a series of reforms that failed to satisfy the population.
- Entry of Russia into World War I: Alongside Great Britain and France, this led to significant human and economic losses and the expansion of the revolutionary movement.
- February 1917: Formation of the Soviets (assemblies of workers, peasants, and soldiers) to demand an end to the war, land distribution, and factory control by workers. Tsar Nicholas II resigned, and a temporary Social Democratic government was established, controlled by the Mensheviks (the moderate faction of the revolutionaries, associated with the bourgeoisie).
- October 1917: Revolution led by the Bolsheviks (the radical faction led by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, known as Lenin), who seized power and implemented a socialist republic.
- Civil War (1918–1920): A conflict between the two revolutionary factions, where the Mensheviks were supported by Western powers.
- Triumph of the Bolsheviks and Radicalization: The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was established in 1922, encompassing all territories of the former empire. A socialist constitution was proclaimed, featuring these key points:
- Socialization of the means of production.
- Communal ownership of the land.
- Abolition of private property.
- State control of the economy (organized via five-year plans).
Interwar Europe (1919–1939)
Causes of Authoritarian Regimes and Fascism
- Expansion of Russian revolutionary ideology: Following the declaration of the Third International by Communist parties across Europe.
- The Crisis of 1929: The New York Stock Exchange crash ('Wall Street Crash'), which immediately extended to Europe.