Stalin's Russia course work What was wrong with Russia before 1917?

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Stalin’s Russia course work

What was wrong with Russia before 1917?

Over 90% of people were poor peasants who were barley able to make a living, which was rarely there own land. Agriculture was in desperate need of modernization. Russia was economically backwards. The proletariat often lived in slums or even in the factories were they worked. They earned low wages and worked long hours. The workers weren’t allowed to form trade unions to fight for better conditions. The police/army rapidly crushed any protests or strikes. Nicholas II was the only person who had the power to make laws in Russia. He appointed ministers but they were no more than advisers who were sometimes inefficient and corrupt. Nicholas’ rule was enforced by the secret police (okhrana). Critics of the tsar were arrested, imprisoned and often sent to labor camps in Siberia. Books, newspapers etc. were censored and controlled to prevent criticism. The Russian Orthodox Church also supported the tsar and preached to its congregation that it was a sin to oppose him.

Why was world war one so important for Russia?

The First World War was so important as it highlighted the weakness of tsarist Russia and led to the collapse of tsarist rule in 1917. In 1915 tsar took personal command of the armed forces even though he had little military experience.

Nicholas II was blamed for the continued defeats of the Russian army and now he wasn’t in Petrograd he therefore couldn’t rule the country so he could therefore be blamed for the suffering of the army and of the Russian people.

Provisional government and the Petrograd soviet

  • Dorma formed the provisional government until elections could be held
  • Petrograd soviet met and other soviets were set up throughout the country
  • Petrograd soviet had more power in the cities than the provisional government
  • Distributing food, housing and running the rail service and control of the armed forces of the city.

The weakness of the provisional government

  • Made up of different parties-hard to make decisions
  • Petrograd soviet was more united and had a clearer idea of what it wanted to do/
  • Government rejected the idea of peasants owning the land they worked until an elected permanent government was formed.
  • Government decided to continue fighting
  • Unpopular decision (army and people)
  • Soldiers demoralized were deserting in even greater numbers
  • Food and fuel shortages
  • Lenin and the Bolsheviks came about
  • Germany helped Lenin to get back to Russia
  • Provisional government ordered military attack on Germany
  • Massive defeat
  • Petrograd, soldiers, sailors and workers demonstrated against the government
  • Bolsheviks joined the demonstrators and their red guards joined the rioting that followed

  • Ruled by the tsar as an autocracy- Nicholas II
  • There was a lot of opposition to Tsarism including communism
  • Industrialization was limited conditions were very good in the towns.
  • Revolutions broke out 1905. Russians were given rights including a parliament the DUMA
  • Tsar shut it down after a while the revolution had failed
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Russia and world war one

  • Army badly equipped
  • Russian people were starving
  • March 1917- revolution and Tsarism ends

Provisional Government failed

  • It was weak politically. It was not elected and was made up of different parties
  • It was challenged by the Petrograd soviet
  • It was unpopular because it refused to hand over land to the peasants
  • It continued the war and was blamed for defeats of the Russian army.
  • It failed to solve food shortages and other economic problems.
  • The Bolsheviks offered alternative polices which were more popular.

Bolshevik revolution

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