Europe became embroiled in the complex threads of socialism, a socio-political movement pushing for a more fair distribution of both wealth and influence, around the turn of the twentieth century. Across the continent, this zeal for change caused several countries to reevaluate their political systems. Russia, with its deeply established autocracy and glaring socioeconomic inequities, set the venue for one of history’s most transformational events—the Russian Revolution, which changed the path of Russia and influenced world politics.
This week in Classes With News18, we will help you gain a better knowledge of the Russian Revolution by going over its history and the key moments that contributed to the creation of the former USSR.
Introduction to Russian Revolution
Amid widespread dissatisfaction among the general public in the early 20th century, the Russian Revolution began. The Russian society’s discontent was initially aggravated by the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and the Bloody Sunday Massacre (1905), which kicked off a sequence of events that eventually came to be known as the 1905 Revolution.
The Bloody Sunday Massacre, one of the most significant events, was started as a peaceful workers’ demonstration headed by Father Gapon. However, it drastically turned violent when the Imperial Guard opened fire on the protestors, reinforcing resentment against Tsar Nicholas II’s autocratic rule in the society. The Bloody Sunday Massacre of 1905 ended with over 100 labourers dead and over 300 injured.
Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia and its extensive empire, which included present-day Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, portions of Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. The empire spanned the Pacific and included modern-day Central Asian nations like as Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. The Russian populace suffered further difficulties when the First World War broke out in 1914.
The February Revolution
When the European continent was engulfed in World War I in 1914, Russia had to grapple with food shortages, economic instability, and an astounding number of casualties on the Eastern Front. The war turned into the crucible for Russian dissatisfaction, escalating the unrest that would turn into a full-fledged revolution. Protests and strikes erupted in Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) in February 1917, triggering the Russian Revolution. People showed up to the streets in protest against the monarchy, notably Tsar Nicholas II, demanding “peace, land, and bread”. Most significantly, the abolition of autocracy was demanded. . Soldiers who had previously been loyal to the Tsar joined the protestors, and the ensuing conflict swiftly grew severe.
Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne on March 2, 1917 in response to growing pressure by the protestors, bringing an end to the reign of the Romanov dynasty. The liberals and moderate socialists led a provisional government that then assumed power with the goal of establishing a democratic and constitutional authority. However, its inability to deal with economic and social difficulties produced a power vacuum, laying the groundwork for more extreme upheavals.
The October Revolution
A radical organisation led by Vladimir Lenin and known as the Bolsheviks developed as a powerful force around the revolution. The Bolsheviks took advantage of the Provisional Government’s shortcomings to seize control of the state and launched the October Revolution on the night of October 25-26, 1917, according to the Julian calendar.
The Bolshevik-aligned Red Guards invaded the Winter Palace in Petrograd, where the Provisional Government was housed signifying the beginning of the revolution’s socialist phase.
The Bolsheviks Rise
By signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, the Bolsheviks hoped to establish a socialist state and put an end to Russia’s participation in World War I. Over the next few years, the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which eventually became the nation’s parliament, was elected by the Bolsheviks alone as Russia turned into a one-party state. The Council of People’s Commissars, headed by Lenin, was established by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which also approved Lenin’s proclamation of the establishment of Soviet power, as per Britannica
Russian Civil War and the Establishment of the USSR
The Russian Revolution as a whole encountered various obstacles, including internal resistance known as the White Army, which fought against the Bolsheviks. Thereafter, the Bolshevik’s Red Army and the anti-Bolshevik troops known as the White Army engaged in combat in the Russian Civil War (1918–1922).
By January 1920, the Bolsheviks had taken control of the majority of the old Russian empire. The Bolsheviks ultimately succeded, cementing their hold on power. Moving forward, a pact signed in 1922 by Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia Soviet Socialist republics, and the Trans-Caucasian Federation founded the Soviet Union. It was eventually divided into fifteen smaller states. Notwithstanding its accomplishments, Mikhael Gorbachev’s political and economic reforms, known as Perestroika and Glasnost, were largely to blame for the USSR’s tragic collapse in 1991.
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