The Russian Revolution took place in 1917,
during the final phase of World War I. It removed
Russia from the war and brought about the
transformation of the Russian Empire into the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR),
replacing Russia’s traditional monarchy with the
world’s first Communist state. The revolution
happened in stages through two separate coups,
one in February and one in October. The new
government, led by Vladimir Lenin, could solidify
its power only after three years of civil war,
which ended in 1920.
Although the events of the Russian Revolution
happened abruptly, the causes may be traced
back nearly a century. The Russian Revolution
of 1917 centers around two primary events: the
February Revolution and the October Revolution.
Conditions for Revolution
First socialist revolution was made in
'backward' Russia, a society that was capitalist
with strong remnants of feudal social and
economic power intact, a working class still linked
with land, and a peasantry that primarily aspired
to individual land ownership. Essentially, it was
the increasing contradictions of late and growing
capitalism that created the social premises for
the revolutionary outbreaks in Russia.
In Western Europe the growth of capitalism
had led to the evolution of liberalconstitutionalism
and parliamentary democracies.
The Russian autocracy oppressed all the other
nationalities of the Empire, and stood firmly
against all democratic movements in Europe,
earning for itself the label 'Policeman of Europe'.
The nature of the Russia state, therefore, became
increasingly incompatible with the new demands
that the new and changing social and economic
forces engendered.
Serfdom was abolished in 1861. Even as
peasant agriculture became commercialized and
there emerged a 'kulak' rich peasant strata, the
fundamental conflict in the countryside on the
urgent questions of land, rents, wages and rights
over commons remained that between the landed
aristocracy, which still held the major portion of
the land, and the peasantry as a whole.
Expropriation of landed estates and land for the
peasants was a demand that neither the Tsarist
autocracy nor any other political group, except
the Bolshevik, was prepared to endorse. At the
same time, timing and nature of Russian
industrialization also created scope for a workers
movement that was both very militant and
political.
Freedom from national oppression in the
Tsarist Empire coincided with the victory of the
socialist revolution. Apart from the alienation felt
by the peoples of the Baltic region, Central Asia,
Transcaucasia and other areas as a result of
political and cultural discrimination, the
economic backwardness that Tsarist economic
policies entailed for these regions ensured that
they remain predominantly agricultural with a
strong stake in the land question.
The Bolsheviks supported land for the peasant
as well as the right to secession and a voluntary
union. The peasantry in these areas, therefore,
played a crucial role in the victory of the socialist
alternative to the tsarist autocracy, completely
bypassing all liberal solutions to nationalist
aspirations.
The Russian Revolution: In Stages
Lenin was the most important leader of the
Bolshevik party. The Bolsheviks did not simply
transfer Marxism to Russia. They found viable
answers to their specific revolutionary
problematic in Russia within the framework of
Marxism. The 'hegemony of the working class'
was necessary in the first bourgeois-democratic
stage of the revolutionary, strategy was the
'alliance of the working class and the peasantry'
in the context of a two stage revolution and the
leading role of the working class, while
transforming their strategy to bring them about.
The Russian Revolution may be said to have
gone through three distinct stage and took almost
twelve years to complete. The first stage led to
the creation of a parliament, called the Duma.
The second stage, known as the February
revolution in 1917, led to the establishment of a
Provisional Government at the centre though the
rule of the tsar still prevailed. Finally, the
Revolution completed its third and final stage in
October 1917 when the rule of the tsar was
overthrown and a peoples' republic was
established.
The first major assault on the autocracy
occurred in 1905, sparked off by firing on a
peaceful demonstration of workers on 9 January
1905. This day came to be known as Bloody
Sunday. The workers and peasants began to
demand a 'democratic republic'. They also created
the first soviets, grass-root, elected political
organizations of workers, peasants and soldiers,
which Lenin later called the 'embryos of
revolutionary power' and which eventually
formed the basis of the post revolutionary state,
and from which the socialist state derived its
name USSR.
The February Revolution of 1917 began with
a demonstration of women workers over shortage
of bread in Petrograd. Later, it spread to other
cities and to the countryside. Strikes by all sections
of society, peasant uprisings, and revolutionary
action by the soldiers sealed the fate of the
autocracy. The Russian autocracy was
overthrown and replaced by a provisional
Government dominated by the liberal bourgeoisie.
The Revolution achieved political freedom for
the first time. Fundamental and civil rights were
created. New post-February revolution regime
could not continue for long. The peasants were
disappointed that they did not get any land, and
the entire working people and soldiers were
disappointed that the war still continued. The
Bolsheviks easily emerged as closest to the popular
mood with their slogans of: Land for the peasant,
immediate end to war, Workers' control over
industries, Right of nationa-lities to selfdetermination,
and above all Bread.
Early Changes
The early legislation aimed at destroying the
legal and economic bases of capitalism and in
laying the foundation for socialism. One of earliest
measures was the abolition of private resources
in industry, and the establishment of workers'
control. A second major intervention was in
agriculture. By the Land Decree of November
1917 landlordism was abolished, and the entire
land nationalized and given over to peasants for
hereditary use under individual production. The
land communities, the village gatherings and
peasant soviets acted as autonomous organs of
social and political transformation in the
countryside. Within the space of a few years
millions of acres of land changed hands and was
divided among the peasants.
On 28 December 1917 all private banks were
nationalized, and in February 1918 all
shareholders in banks expropriated and all
foreign debts repudiated. Within a few months
of the revolution the government published all
the secret treaties of the old government, and
proclaimed that all treaties and agreements
between Soviet Russia and other countries will
be open and public.
By Decree on Peace, peace was offered
without any annexations, conquests or
indemnities. Govt. withdrew claims over areas;
took a public stand against colonialism, and in
support of all national liberation struggles.
