“To understand the cataclysmic turmoil that engulfed Russia in the years of 1914-1921, historians must focus their attention not on great men or on discrete events, but rather on the interactions of war, economics, and revolution. It was these interactions that drove the masses to revolution, propelled the Bolsheviks to power in 1917, and almost caused their downfall in 1921…”
This statement requires an analysis of the development of Soviet Russia’s people and state as a whole instead of focusing on the individuals that spearheaded the movement. This statement holds much weight if you consider the fact that revolution is meaningless unless backed by the masses, so it is logical to observe the people as a group and what would have motivated them to action.
The three aspects of war, economics, and revolution are very important factors when considering what would have shaped the Russian people’s opinions. Because in any large society the power comes from the masses, a strong feeling of discontent that is spread across the majority becomes capable of creating change. Between 1914 and 1921 Russia went through so much change that impact analysis of these three aspects is made much easier by dividing the change into three time periods: 1914 through March 1917, March 1917 through October 1917, and November 1917 through February 1921.
Beginning with Tsarist Russia around 1914, the people had clearly expressed their desire for change through the organization of political parties and previous uprisings such as the revolution of 1905. Although this “revolution” didn’t actually result in a change in the quality of living for the people, it forced the Tsar to create the Duma council in the “October Manifesto” (Fitzpatrick, 33) which...
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...ely define what is now coined as “War Communism” in Russia that the observation of basic causal driving forces is the best basis for understanding.
Sources Cited
(ABC, page #)
Bukharin, N and E Preobrazhensky. The ABC of Communism. Wiltshire: The Merlin Press, 2007.
(Fitzpatrick, page #)
Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2008.
(Nov. 6th 1917 Letter)
Source: V. I. Lenin, Selected Works in Two Volumes (Moscow: Foreign Language Publishing House, 1952), Vol. 2, part 1, pp. 196-8.
(Price Index Handout)
Statistika truda, #4, Dec. 1, 1922; #14, March. 3, 1923; #8, May 5, 1923; #7, Sept. 1923; #8, Sept. 1923.
(Famine of 1921-1922)
Siegelbaum, Lewis. “1921: Famine of 1921-22.” Seventeen Moments in Soviet History (2011): N. pag. n.d. .
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how lenin played off the people's growing dislike of the provisional government to legitimize the bolshevik platform.
- Cites lenin's selected works in two volumes (moscow: foreign language publishing house, 1952).
- Cites statistika truda, #4, dec. 1, 1922; #14, march. 3, 1923; #8, may 5, 19 23 and #7, sept.
- Analyzes how lenin played off the people's growing dislike of the provisional government to legitimize the bolshevik platform.
- Cites lenin's selected works in two volumes (moscow: foreign language publishing house, 1952).
- Cites statistika truda, #4, dec. 1, 1922; #14, march. 3, 1923; #8, may 5, 19 23 and #7, sept.
- Cites siegelbaum, lewis. "1921: famine of 1921-22." seventeen moments in soviet history (2011).
- Argues that the three aspects of war, economics, and revolution are important factors when considering what would have shaped the russian people's opinions.
- Describes how the bolshevik revolution had the support of the city and the proletariat, unlike the kornilov rebellion.
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661 wordsRead More