Notes | The Rise of Socialism & Russian Revolution | History Notes NCERT | thecbsesolver

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                Complete Notes - The Rise of Socialism & Russian Revolution 

The age of social change

·         The French Revolution opened up the possibility of creating a dramatic change in the            society.

·         People were conservatives, radicals or liberals.

Liberals

·         They wanted a nation which tolerated all religions.

·         They were against the uncontrolled power of dynastic rulers.

·         They wanted rights for individuals.

·         They argued for an elected parliamentary government subject to laws interpreted        by well trained judiciary which was independent of rulers and officials.

·         Unlike the democrats they did not believe in universal adult franchise.

 

Radicals

·         Wanted a Nation in which the government would be e based on the majority of a                   country's population.

·         They disliked concentration of property in the hands of few and were against the                   existence of private property.

 

Conservatives

·         They resisted change.

·         Respected old Institutions and supported monarchy.

·         After the revolution they started accepting change but it should be slow and respectful to       old institutions.

 

Industries and social change

·         It was also the beginning of industrial revolution.

·         Men women and children were forced into factories for low wages.

·         Liberals and radicals who were factory owners felt that efforts must be encouraged so           that benefits of industrialization should be passed to workers.

 

Socialism in Europe

·         Socialists were against private property and saw it as the root cause of of all social evils.

·         Some believed in Cooperative and felt government must encourage cooperatives.

·         Karl Marx and Friedrich Engeles added that Industrial society was a capitalist society.

 

 Robert Owen

 

·         Socialist had different visions of the future.

·         Robert Owen sought to build a cooperative community called New Harmony in           Indiana (USA).

·         In France , Louis Blanc wanted the government to encourage cooperatives and replace           capitalist enterprises

 

Marx's purest thoughts:

·         Capitalism would be replaced by a socialistic collective where oll were equal in                     ownership and rewards of production

 

Karl Marx

·         Marx believed that a socialist society would free the workers from the evils of                       capitalism.

·         lt would be a communist society.

 

Support for socialism

·         Socialists formed an organisation called second International to spread the ideas of               socialism.

·         Workers in Germany and England began fighting for better living conditions.

·         They set up funds for members in distress, reduction of working hours and right to vote.

 

 

The Russian Revolution

 

• In 1914, Tsar Nicholas II ruled the Russian empire.

 

Economy and Society

·         Russian population was almost 85% agriculturists.

·         Industries was being set up which were mostly the private properties of industrialists.

·         Workers were divided into groups but they did unite to strike when they were                         dissatisfied. 

·         Peasants had no respect for nobility very much Unlike the French peasants.

·         Russian peasants we are the only peasant community which pooled their land and their          commune divided the earnings.

 

Socialism in Russia

·         All political parties were illegal in Russia before 1914.

·         The Russian socialist Democratic Workers party was formed in 1898 by socialists who respected Marx's ideas.

·         Socialist Revolutionary Party (1900) struggled to give peasants their rights over land that belonged to nobles.

·         As Land was divided among peasants periodically which makes them natural socialist and it was felt that it was peasants and not workers who would be the main source of revolution.

·         But Lenin did not agree with this as he felt that peasants were not one united group.

 

Socialism in Russia-2

·         The socialist Revolutionary party was divided over the strategy of organisation.

•     The party was divided into Bolsheviks  and Mensheviks.

 

         

The 1905 Revolution

·         Russia was an autocracy.

·         The Tsar was not subject to the parliament.

·         Liberals wanted to end this state of affairs.

·         They work towards demanding a constitution during the 1905 revolution.

 

Bloody Sunday

·         Prices of goods Rose so rapidly bi 1904 that the real wages decline by 20%.

·         During this time four members of the putilove iron works were dismissed.

·         The action was called for.

·         Over 110000 workers in Saint Petersburg went on strike demanding A reduction in the working day to 8 hours and increase in wages and improvement and working conditions.

·         The procession of workers was led by Father Gapon.

·         When the reach the winter Palace it was attacked by the police and the Cossacks over hundred workers were killed and about 300 wounded.

·         This incident is known as Bloddy Sunday and it led to a series of strikes.

·         During the 1905 revolution Tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma.

·         Tsar not wants any questioning of his authority.

·         He dismissed the first ,gym within 75 days and re-elected II amount within 3 months he changed the voting laws and packed the third Duna with conservative politicians liberals and revolutionaries were kept out.

 

                                        

The first world war and the Russian Empire

·         In Russia the war was initially popular and people rallied around Tsar Nicholas II as the war continued, support grew thin.

·         Anti German Sentiments were high.

·         Russian Army lost badly in Germany and Austria.

·         There were over 7 million casualties by 1917.

·         As they retreated the Russian Army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from being able to live off the land. This led to over 3 million refugees in Russia.

·         The war also had severe impact on industry.

·         There was shortage of grains and hence bread.

·         By 1916, riots at bread shops were common.

                                

 

February revolution in Petrograd

·         In the winter of 1917, situation in Petrograd was grim. Food shortages were there in the workers quarters.

·         On 22nd February a Lockout took place at a factory followed by 50 more factories joining the protest in sympathy.

·         Women also laid and participated in the movement and this day later came to be known as the international Women's Day.

 

The February revolution (CONTD.)

·         On 27th February the government suspended Duma and the politicians protested the measure.

·         The people were out with force once again.

·         On 27th February police headquarters were ransacked.

·         Cavalry was called out again but it refused to fire at demonstrators.

·         The government imposed curfew as the workers surrounded the fashionable areas and official buildings.

·         On the 24th and 25th government called out cavalry and police to keep an eye on them.

·         An officer was shot dead at the barracks of a regiment followed by mutiny. Joined the striking workers and formed a 'Soviet' or council called Petrograd Soviet.

 
Immediate results of February revolution

·         A delegation went to meet the Tsar. The military commanders have advised him to abdicate.

·         The Tsar abdicated on 2^nd of March.

·         A was formed by this Soviet and DUMA leaders to run the country.

·         The people involved were the parliamentarians, the military commanders, the workers, soldiers and women workers.

 

Effects of February Revolution

·         Restrictions on associations and public meetings were removed.

·         Soviet or councils were set up everywhere.

·         In individual areas factory committee were formed questioning the way the Industrialist ran their factories.

·         Soldier committees were formed in the army.

·         The provisional government saw its power declining and Bolshevik in-luence grow. It decided to take stern measures against the growing discontent.

·         lt restricted attempts by workers to run factories.

·         Peasants and their Revolutionary leaders pressed for redistribution of land.

·         Land committee was formed and peasants seized and between July and September in 1917.

 

October revolution

·         16th October 191 7 Lenin persuaded leaders from the Petrograd Soviet and his on bolshevik partyTo agree to a socialist seizure of power.

·         A military Revolutionary committee was formed to organise the seizure. It was kept a secret

·         Uprising begin on 24th October Prime Minister Kerenskii that the city to summon Troops.

·         Military men loyal to the government seized the buildings of 2 Bolsheviks newspapers.

·         Pro government troops were sent to take over the telegraph and telephone offices and protect the Winter Palace.

·         In response, military Revolutionary committee ordered to seize government offices and arrest Ministers.

·         The Aurora ship shelled the winter Palace. Other ships took over the strategic points.

·         All Russian Congress of soviets in Petrograd approved the Bolshevik action.

·         Heavy fighting in Moscow: By December the Bolshevik controlled the Mosco Petrograd area.

·         The people involved were Lenin, Leon Trotsky the Bolshevik leaders and troops.

 

Effects of October Revolution

• ·         Most industries and banks were nationalized in November 1917.
• ·         And was declared as social property and peasants were allowed to seize the                   lands of nobility.
• ·         Use of old aristocratic titles were banned.
• ·         New uniforms were designed for army and officials.
• ·         Russia became a one party state.
• ·         A process of centralised planning was introduced. This led to economic growth.
• ·         Industrial production increased.
• ·         An extended schooling system was developed.
• ·         Collectivisation of farms started.

 

Civil War

• ·         When the Bolsheviks ordered land distribution the Russian army began to                     break  up.
• ·         Non Bolshevik socialists, liberals and supporters of autocracy the Bolshevik                 Uprising.
• ·         They formed their troops known as 'greens which would fight against the                       Bolshevik, the reds.
• ·         The pro-Tsar Whites controlled most of the Russian Empire.
• ·         They were supported by French, Americans, British and Japanese troops.
• ·         All these fought a war with Bolsheviks.

 

Making a socialist Society

• ·         The Bolsheviks kept banks and industries nationalized during the civil war.
• ·         A process of centralized planning was introduced.
• ·         Rapid construction and industrialisation started.
• ·         An extended schooling system was developed.

 

Stalin and Collectivization

·         Stalin believed rich peasants and traders stocked supplies to create the shortage of grains thereby selling at a higher price.

·         Land holding size was small on which use of big machines could not be possible.

·         Land had to be state property and hence kulaks be removed.

·         Thus collectivization that is pooling of lands was the need of the hour

        

Stalin

·         This system of collectivization would help agriculture modernise.

·         Anybody who resisted collectivization was severely punished, deported or even murdered.

·         Though in some cases Stalin allowed independent cultivator but they were also unsympathetically treated.

 

Global influence

·         By the 1950, it was recognized that everything was not in keeping with the ideals of the Russian Revolution.

·         Though its industry and agriculture were developed and the were being fade but the essential freedom to its citizens was being denied. However, it was recognized that ideals of socialism still enjoyed respect among young students and writers.

·         But in each country, the ideas of socialism were rethought in a variety of ways.