Russian Revolution- Main Causes, Notable Personalities, World War I

What Was The Russian Revolution?

The Russian Revolution happened when the peasants and middle-class people of Russia rebelled against Tsar Nicholas II. It is also known as Bolshevik Revolution. Previously, Russia was ruled by a powerful emperor called the Tsar. The Tsar has full power in Russia, and he commanded the army, gained much of the land, and also controlled the church. During this time, the life of the peasants and the middle-class people was terrible. They worked for less pay, no food for them, and were also introduced to hazardous working conditions. The lords treated peasants like slaves, permitted them only a few rights under the law, and served them almost like animals. A group of people was walking towards the Tsar’s palace to request greater working conditions on Sunday, January 22, 1905. The soldiers fired on them and many of them were killed or injured. This day is called Bloody Sunday and led to Russian Revolution in 1917.

It was a time of political and social revolution that happened in the former Russian Empire and started during the First World War I. It was a series of two revolutions i.e. the first one is brought down the imperial government, also known as the February Revolution of 1917, and the second one placed the Bolsheviks in power, also called as October Revolution of 1917. It started with the fall of the House of Romanov in 1917 and ended in 1923 with the Bolshevik Government of the Soviet Union.      

The Russian Revolution was one of the most important events of the twentieth that ended centuries of kingship in Russia and brought the first constitutional communist state in the world. It was aimed at the formation of a socialist society in Russia. Actually, it was brought about by the working people of Russia and the leadership was provided by the Russian Social Democratic Labour party, namely the Bolsheviks.

Revolutionary Russia changed the policies of Tsarist Russia and also did many things that were found in capitalist countries of Europe. Its policies set up the foundations of socialism in Russia.

Main Causes Of The Russian Revolution

The main causes of the Russian Revolution are

• The dictatorial rule of Tsars: In 1914, the Russian emperor Tsar Nicholas II fought a number of wars to expand his empire and collect the expenditure of the war as tax by the common people.
• The situation of the peasants: The Peasants were worked as farmers on daily wages. They paid less and worked more and sometimes, they were not even offered wages.
• Status of industries: They were found in pockets and owned by private.
• Treatment of the workers in the industries: They worked more time with very less pay.
• Formation of socialist parties: All parties in Russia were illegal before 1914. The Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was established in 1898 by socialists, who give respect to Marxist ideas. Due to government policies, it had to work secretly as an illegal organization and start a newspaper, organize workers, and strikes.

Father Of The Russian Revolution

Vladimir Lenin, also known as Vladimir Ilich Lenin was considered the Father of the Russian Revolution. He was the founder of the communist party, inspirer, architect, builder, and first headman of the Soviet State. He was also the founder of an organization known as Comintern (Communist International).

Notable Personalities Of The Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution is considered the turning point in the history of the world. During the reign of the Tsar of Romanov, the social, economic, and political situations deteriorated and the people faced major inequalities. The life of ordinary people became so miserable due to slavery and colonialism. The industrial development was not as good as they were under the control of capitalists and they took advantage of workers. In the mid of 19^th century, revolutionary thoughts developed in Russia, and the notable personalities of this revolution are listed below.

Vladimir Lenin

• He established the communist party in Russia.
• He led the October Revolution in 1917.
• In this revolution, the communists (Bolsheviks) take over the power in Russia.
• He is the one who initiated the world’s first Communist Party dictatorship.
• Later, he led the country till his death in 1924.

Joseph Stalin

• He directed the communist party after the death of Lenin.
• He superseded Lenin.
• He built a totalitarian state by abolishing all opposition.

Marx

• He was considered the Father of Communism.
• He wrote the communist declaration.
• He was a Prussian-born philosopher, revolutionary socialist, economist, and socialist.

Nicholas II

• He was the last Tsar of Russia.
• He had been to the front lines in World War I to try to reorganize the troops but was forced to give up the throne because of his incompetence and poor administration during the war.

Grigori Rasputin

• He was a Russian spiritual and an acknowledged holy man.
• He was a friend to Tsar Nicholas II’s family and got considerable influence in late Imperial Russia.
• His participation in Russian politics makes sure that Bolsheviks would gain popular support.

World War I And The Russian Revolution

World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917 were the results of the development and the chain of events in the early twentieth century. Both were very important events including millions of people and they influenced and shaped the entire twentieth century.  

In 1914, World War I started and Russia fought with Germany in this war. A large Russian army was formed by forcefully joined working-class people and peasant men. They were not trained and equipped to fight. Many of them were sent into battle forcefully without weapons, shoes, and even food. In the duration of three years, nearly two million Russian soldiers were killed in a war and another five million people were wounded. The Russian people blamed Tsar for entering into the war without any preparation and these consequences gave rise to Russian Revolution during the final phase of World War I.

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