Russian Revolution: From Tsarist Fall to Soviet Union
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Item 8: The February Revolution and the Fall of the Tsarist Regime
On February 23, 1917, a strike at the Putilov arms factory spontaneously ignited a revolution in Petrograd. On February 26, there was a bloody crackdown by the army, just one day after troops of the Petrograd garrison, sent to quell demonstrations, joined the strikers. On March 2, Nicholas II abdicated, and the next day a provisional government was formed, chaired by Prince Lvov, whose members came mostly from the party of cadets. Kerensky, a socialist revolutionary, also participated.
From March to October: The Provisional Government
Between March and October, two parallel powers existed in Russia: the interim government and the Soviets. The interim government implemented a series of reforms:
- It declared amnesty.
- It recognized civil liberties and disbanded the Tsarist police.
- It promised to deliver land from landowners to peasants.
- It began preparations for elections to a constituent assembly as a step toward a parliamentary republic.
- It recognized the right to independence of Finland and Poland.
The interim government stood by its commitments in the war and postponed basic reforms.
The Crises of the Bolsheviks
This occurred during the April crisis, when Lenin outlined in the April Theses the political line of his party, the most radical of the revolutionaries. He argued that power should rest with the Soviets. In July 1917, after a failed Russian offensive on the front, the Bolsheviks' opposition to the war intensified. The Bolshevik party was outlawed, Lenin fled, while Trotsky was incarcerated.
The Kornilov Coup
General Kornilov, commander of the army, revolted and marched on Petrograd to establish a military dictatorship. Kerensky had no choice but to seek help from the Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries to confront Kornilov.
The Political Offensive: Creation of the Soviet Union
The New Economic Policy (NEP) did not halt the introduction of a one-party dictatorship. Between 1921 and 1922, policies were tightened:
- Internal factions were banned within the Communist Party.
- Uprisings were crushed by the army.
- There was a harsh crackdown on political opposition.
- Civil rights were curtailed, and critical intellectuals were imprisoned.
- The church was also persecuted.
In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or Soviet Union, was created, forming a federation on an equal theoretical basis between the republics of Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. In 1924, a new state constitution was established. However, it was the Communist Party that wielded all the power.