Russian Revolutions: 1905, February 1917, October 1917

The Revolutions

The Revolution of 1905

The social and political turmoil increased as a result of poor living conditions and the rise of corruption in court (Rasputin). This was aggravated by the military defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. The 1905 Revolution broke out, strong in St. Petersburg with a demonstration to the Winter Palace, which was suppressed by the army resulting in the so-called Bloody Sunday and the mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin. After the Revolution, timid economic and political reforms were undertaken, and the Duma was convened, proposing a land reform.

The February Revolution of 1917

The movement began with a demonstration in Petrograd which culminated on the 27th of February with a general strike followed by mutiny of the military garrison. Throughout the country, soviets were formed to channel the subversive movement. The Tsar and his government refused to abandon the war and decided to abdicate, forming a provisional government. The new government promised political reforms but kept Russia in the war.

Between the February and October Revolutions

The government of Lvov, liberal in character and led by the KDT party, was overwhelmed by the popular movement, liberated by the Soviets that called for the deepening of reforms and the end of the war. Lenin, who had defended the revolution, was to overcome his liberal-bourgeois stage to become a proletarian revolution. The government promised reforms that did not move forward and was replaced by Alexander Kerensky. The difficulties increased in August by the attempted coup by Tsarist military forces.

The October Revolution of 1917

The Bolshevik party had been banned, and Lenin had been exiled. Due to a popular insurrection, the insurrection was planned, which had the support of the Red Guard. The chosen day coincided with the celebration in Petrograd of the 2nd Congress of Soviets across Russia and the assault on the Winter Palace, where the provisional government resided. The government resigned after the flight of Kerensky, and the revolution quickly spread to Moscow and the industrial cores of Russia.

Measures Taken After the Revolution

• A board of people's commissioners was formed, led by Lenin, who put in place the following measures:
• The transition of land to peasants
• Workers' control of enterprises
• Nationalization of banking
• The abolition of the Tsarist army

A new decree established peace with Germany with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, accepting all the demands of the German army.

The Russian Civil War

The revolution had triumphed in many parts of the empire, but the domain was uncertain. The Bolshevik Red Army was based on classic military discipline and ranks, starting a civil war that plunged millions of people into misery and hunger. The Tsar and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks in the first months. The White Army won some victories, but from late 1918 the Red Army's success grew, and in 1921 they won the war.