Russian Revolution (1917) - Background, Events, and Effects

Russian Revolution is the string of events that changed the Russian political system from monarchy to communism in 1917. During World War 1, the trembling military and economic situation of the Russian Empire paved the way for the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II by the Russian imperial parliament Duma in March 1917. But the Provisional Government continued Russian participation in World War 1, which was unacceptable to Bolsheviks (radical socialists). The Bolsheviks formed their military wing, Red Guards, and overthrew the Provisional Government in November 1917. Soon after the empowerment of the Bolsheviks, the Russian Civil War started, which lasted till 1922. It ended with victory for the Bolsheviks, and they transformed Russia into the Soviet Union.

Events Leading to the Russian Revolution

·         The economic condition of Russia was not stable since the beginning of the 20^th Century. This situation, along with Russia’s humiliating defeat in Russo-Japanese War, was used by socialists very effectively. The declining economic condition suffered the factory workers and peasants alike. The general strikes of factory workers increased many times at the start of the 20^th Century, and the Russian Revolution of 1905 forced Tsar Nicholas II to establish Duma (parliament). It was a big achievement for socialists and also provided them with valuable experience for a revolution of a larger scale in 1917.

·   World War 1 started in 1914 when Russia took part as one of the Allied Powers, opposing Central Powers. But the Russian Army suffered several defeats at the hands of Germany on the eastern front of the war, and the causality rate was climbing with time. The losses in the war also brought economic instability and a shortage of necessities of life (especially food shortage). It gave rise to protests by workers and mutinies by the soldiers (there were many conscripted soldiers in the Russian military in 1917). February Revolution was the result of this situation. 

February Revolution

In February 1917, the situation became uncontrollable for the administration due to widespread strikes by workers (including women), students, and teachers demanding bread and other necessities. Tsar was on the battlefront and he ordered the army on 11^th March to suppress the riots by force. But due to mutiny among the soldiers, the orders could not be followed. Tsar reached the capital Petrograd on 14^th March and decided to abdicate the throne to his brother Michael Alexandrovich on 15^th March over advice from Army Chiefs and other ministers. But Michael refused to take the position without a consensus. After his refusal, a Provisional Government was announced on 16^th March 1917 by Duma, which placed Tsar Nicholas II under house arrest with his family at the Alexander Palace. 

Protest in February 1917

Provisional Government

The Provisional Government was made up of center-left members that were in majority in Duma. Georgy Lvov became the first Russian Prime Minister of the post-monarchy era. He belonged to a liberal Constitutional Democratic Party. The socialists formed their bloc in Duma, known as the Petrograd Soviet (workers’ council).

Although the liberals were in control of the provisional government, the socialists also had a strong influence on workers and soldiers. Therefore, the Provisional Government was like a dual power where liberals were in charge and socialists were a pressure group. On seeing the greater role of socialists, they were offered by the Provisional Government to take part in the government. Most of the socialist parties declined the offer but a moderate faction, Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRP), joined the government and its member Alexander Kerensky became the second Prime Minister of non-Imperial Russia on 17^th July 1917.

The new government continued the participation of Russia in World War 1 while it was opposed by the more radical faction of the socialists, the Bolsheviks.

The continuous participation of Russia in World War 1 was bringing more defeats, deaths, and shortages of food supplies and other necessities of life. Germans were aware that Bolsheviks are against the war. The Bolsheviks’ leader Vladimir Lenin was in Switzerland. Germany brought him by train from Switzerland to Russia to strengthen the Bolsheviks so that pressure could be increased on the Provisional Government to end its participation in the war against Germany. Lenin returned to Russia in April 1917.

In June 1917, the Russian army opened an unsuccessful offensive against the Central Powers and the counterattack of the opponents proved disastrous for the Russian military. The Bolsheviks and their supporters started demonstrations in Petrograd (known as July Days) demanding all power for the soviets but these demonstrations were suppressed by the Russian government. The government was aided by the moderate socialists (SR, Mensheviks) and the monarchy-supportive organization, the Black Hundreds. All the important leaders of the Bolsheviks were arrested while Lenin fled to Finland.

But Bolsheviks were able to restore their influence in August 1917 after the Kornilov Affair. In August, Russian Supreme Commander Lavr Kornilov ordered his troops to pacify the city from radicals which was a coup attempt against the Russian Government. PM Karenski sought help from Bolsheviks and Red Guards and the coup failed due to the Bolsheviks' influence over workers and soldiers which halted the mobilization of Kornilov’s troops. Later, Kornilov was dismissed from his position. For their support, all the jailed Bolsheviks were freed by the government. 

October Revolution

After seeing favorable conditions, Lenin returned from Finland to Russia in October 1917. Lenin pressed on overthrowing the Provisional Government. The Bolshevik Central Committee passed the resolution of armed resistance against the Provisional Government on 2^nd November (20^th October according to Julian calendar) 1917. The Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) of the Bolshevik party started taking action on 7^th November (25^th October) 1917 and soon captured the important buildings including Winter Palace in Petrograd. 

Russian Civil War

Soon after the October Revolution, the Russian Civil War started between the Bolshevik's Red Army and the anti-communist forces known as the White Army. Russian nationalists, monarchists, and moderate socialists were part of the White Army. During the Russian Civil War, several separatist movements also started in the Baltic, Eastern & Central Europe, North Caucasus, and other areas. The White Army received military support from several foreign powers, including the UK, USA, Japan, France, etc. The Civil War lasted from November 1917 to October 1922. White Army gained few successes at the beginning of the war. However, the Bolsheviks, supported by masses of the Russian population, decisively defeated the White Army in the Russian Civil War. The Red Terror by Cheka (Bolsheviks secret police) also played a vital role in the victory of the Red Army, while Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Poland gained independence. 

Assassination of Nicholas II

Emperor Nicholas II and his family were under house arrest since his abdication in March 1917. After October Revolution, the imperial family came under the arrest of the ruling Bolsheviks. After the start of the full-scale Russian Civil War, the Imperial family was placed in the Bolshevik stronghold of Yekaterinburg in April/ May 1918. The White Army was gaining victories in the war, and there was a danger that they could reach close to the imperial family. In this situation, Nicholas II was assassinated along with his family members and servants on 16^th July 1918 by their Bolshevik captors. 

Effects of the Russian Revolution

After French Revolution, the Russian Revolution was the second most significant internal political event in Europe. It created several major immediate and long-lasting effects in Russia and the whole world.

·         Soon after the Russian Revolution in 1917, several other areas in Europe, Asia, and America took effect from this revolution. However, most of these efforts failed in other parts of the world till the end of World War 2. The victory of Soviet Russia in WW2 against Germany assisted the Soviet Union in spreading its influence and communist ideology in other parts of the world, which initiated the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the USA (the two new world powers).

·         The Russian Revolution changed the whole society, culture, and governmental system of Russia. All the large industries and agricultural farms came under the direct control of the government. In the long term, this policy proved disastrous for the economy.

·         The new regime suppressed any opposition very brutally. Joseph Stalin established several detention camps (Gulag) in various parts of Russia where the opponents were put in large numbers and many among them died there due to cruel treatment by authorities and unbearable living conditions. The Russian authorities exiled the entire population of some areas to other parts of the country. A prominent example is the people of the North Caucasus and Crimea, who were exiled to Siberia and Central Asia.