FREE THE HISTORY OF RUSSIA: TO 1917 PDF

Walter G. Moss | 654 pages | 01 Sep 2003 | Anthem Press | 9781843310235 | English | London, United Kingdom What Happened During the Russian Revolution of

The Russian Revolution of was one of the most explosive political events of the twentieth century. The violent revolution marked the end of the Romanov dynasty and centuries of Russian Imperial rule. During the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks, led by leftist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, seized power and destroyed the tradition of csarist rule. Intwo revolutions swept through Russia, ending centuries of imperial rule and setting into motion political and social changes that would lead to the formation of the Soviet Union. While the two revolutionary events took place within a few short months, social unrest in Russia had been simmering for decades. In the early s, Russia was one of the most impoverished countries in Europe with an enormous peasantry and a growing minority of poor industrial workers. The History of Russia: To 1917 of Western Europe viewed Russia as an undeveloped, backwards society. The Russian Empire practiced serfdom—a form of feudalism in which landless peasants were forced to serve the land-owning nobility—well into the nineteenth century. In contrast, the practice had disappeared in most of Western Europe by the end of the Middle Ages. Inthe Russian Empire finally abolished serfdom. The emancipation of serfs would influence the events leading up to the Russian Revolution by giving peasants more freedom to organize. Russia industrialized much later than Western Europe and the United States. When it finally did, around the turn of the 20th century, it brought with it immense social and political changes. Between andfor example, the population of major Russian cities such as St. Petersburg and Moscow nearly doubled, resulting in overcrowding and destitute living conditions for a new class of Russian industrial workers. Large protests by Russian workers against the monarchy led to the Bloody Sunday massacre of The massacre sparked the Russian revolution ofduring which angry workers responded with a series of crippling strikes throughout the country. After the bloodshed ofCzar Nicholas II promised the formation of a series of representative assemblies, or Dumas, to work toward reform. Their involvement in the war would soon prove disastrous for the Russian Empire. Militarily, imperial Russia was no match for industrialized Germany, and Russian casualties were greater than those sustained by any nation in any previous war. Food and fuel shortages plagued Russia as inflation mounted. The The History of Russia: To 1917 was hopelessly disrupted by the costly war effort. Czar Nicholas left the Russian capital of Petrograd St. Petersburg in to take command of the Russian Army front. During this time, her controversial advisor, Grigory Rasputinincreased his influence over Russian politics and the royal Romanov family. By then, most Russians had lost faith in the failed leadership of the czar. Government corruption was rampant, the Russian economy remained backward and Nicholas repeatedly dissolved the Dumathe toothless Russian parliament established after the revolution, when it opposed his will. Demonstrators clamoring for bread took to the streets of Petrograd. Supported by huge crowds of striking industrial workers, the protesters clashed with police but refused to leave the streets. On March 11, the troops of the Petrograd army garrison were called out to quell the uprising. In some encounters, the regiments opened fire, killing demonstrators, but the protesters kept to the streets and the troops began to waver. The Duma formed a provisional government on March A few days later, Czar Nicholas abdicated the throne, ending centuries of Russian Romanov rule. The leaders of the provisional government, including young Russian lawyer Alexander Kerensky, established a liberal program of rights such as freedom of speech, equality before the law, and the right of unions to organize and strike. They opposed violent social revolution. As minister of war, Kerensky continued the Russian war effort, even though Russian involvement in World War I was enormously unpopular. Unrest continued to grow as peasants looted farms and food riots erupted in the cities. Lenin instead called for a Soviet government that would be ruled directly by councils of soldiers, peasants and workers. The Bolsheviks and their allies occupied government buildings and other strategic locations in Petrograd, and soon formed a new government with Lenin as its head. Civil War broke out in Russia in late after the Bolshevik Revolution. The warring factions The History of Russia: To 1917 the Red and White Armies. The White Army represented a large group of loosely The History of Russia: To 1917 forces, including monarchists, capitalists and supporters of democratic socialism. On July 16,the Romanovs were executed by the Bolsheviks. The Russian Revolution paved the way for the rise of communism as an influential political belief system around the world. It set the stage for the rise of the Soviet Union as a world power that would go head-to-head with the United States during the Cold War. The Russian Revolutions of Anna M. Cienciala, University of Kansas. The Russian Revolution of Daniel J. Meissner, Marquette University. Russian Revolution of McGill University. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The Romanov family was the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia. During the Russian Revolution After overthrowing the centuries-old Romanov monarchy, Russia emerged from a civil war in as the newly formed Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin served as the president The History of Russia: To 1917 Russia from until Though a Communist Party member for The History of Russia: To 1917 of his life, he eventually came to believe in both democratic and free market reforms, and played an instrumental role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Cultural Revolution The History of Russia: To 1917 launched in China in by Communist leader Mao Zedong in order to reassert his authority over the Chinese government. Believing that current Communist leaders were taking the party, and China itself, in the wrong direction, Mao called on the Inan American scrap-metal dealer visited an antiques stall somewhere in the United States and purchased a golden egg sitting on a three- legged stand. The egg was adorned with diamonds and sapphires, and it opened to reveal a clock. Intending to sell the object to a buyer The French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history that began in and ended in the late s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. Live TV. This Day In History. History at Home. When Was the Russian Revolution? Nicholas II After the bloodshed ofCzar Nicholas II promised the formation of a series of representative assemblies, or Dumas, to work toward reform. Russian Leaders. Sinking of Russian Sub Kursk. Really a Revolution? Russian Capitalism After Communism. Lessons of the Revolution. Romanov Family The Romanov family was the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia. Soviet Union After overthrowing the centuries-old Romanov monarchy, Russia emerged from a civil war in as the newly formed Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin Boris Yeltsin served as the president of Russia from until Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution was launched in China in by Communist leader Mao Zedong in order to reassert his authority over the Chinese government. The Mysterious Fate of the Romanov Family's Prized Easter Egg Collection Inan American scrap-metal dealer visited an antiques The History of Russia: To 1917 somewhere in the United The History of Russia: To 1917 and purchased a golden egg sitting on a three-legged stand. French Revolution The French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history that began in and ended in the late s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. A History of Russia: To - Walter Moss - Google книги

Intwo revolutions completely changed the fabric of Russia. Then in October, a second Russian Revolution placed the Bolsheviks as the leaders of Russia, resulting in the creation of the world's first communist country. Although many wanted a revolutionno one expected it to happen when it did The History of Russia: To 1917 how it did. On Thursday, February 23,women workers in Petrograd left their factories and entered the streets to protest. It was International Women's Day and the women of Russia were ready to be heard. An estimated 90, women marched through the streets, shouting "Bread" and "Down With the Autocracy! They worked long hours in miserable conditions in order to feed their families because their husbands and fathers were at the front, fighting in World War I. They wanted change. They weren't the only ones. The following day, more thanmen and women took to the streets The History of Russia: To 1917 protest. Soon more people joined them and by Saturday, February 25, the city of Petrograd was basically shut down -- no one was working. Although there were a few incidents of police and soldiers firing into the crowds, those groups soon mutinied and joined the protesters. Czar Nicholas IIwho was not in Petrograd during the revolution, heard reports of the protests but did not take them seriously. By March 1, it was obvious to everyone except the czar himself that the czar's rule was over. Without a monarchy, the question remained as to who would next lead the country. Two contending groups emerged out of the chaos to claim leadership of Russia. The first was made up of former Duma members and the second was the Petrograd The History of Russia: To 1917. The former Duma members represented the middle and upper classes while the Soviet represented workers and soldiers. In the end, the former Duma members formed a Provisional Government which officially ran the country. The Petrograd Soviet allowed this because they felt that Russia was not economically advanced enough to undergo a true socialist revolution. Within the first few weeks after the February Revolution, the Provisional Government abolished the death penalty, granted amnesty for The History of Russia: To 1917 political prisoners and The History of Russia: To 1917 in exile, ended religious and ethnic discrimination, and granted civil liberties. What they did not deal with was an end to the war, land reform, or better quality of life for the Russian people. The Provisional Government believed Russia should honor its The History of Russia: To 1917 to its allies in World War I and continue fighting. Lenin did not agree. Vladimir Ilyich Leninleader of the Bolsheviks, was living in exile when the February Revolution transformed Russia. Once the Provisional Government allowed back political exiles, Lenin boarded a The History of Russia: To 1917 in Zurich, Switzerland and headed home. Tens of thousands of workers and soldiers had come to the station to greet Lenin. There were cheers and a sea of red, waving flags. Not able to get through, Lenin jumped on top of a car and gave a speech. Lenin at first congratulated the Russian people for their successful revolution. However, Lenin had more to say. In a speech made just hours later, Lenin shocked everyone by denouncing the Provisional Government and calling for a new revolution. He reminded the people that the country The History of Russia: To 1917 still at war and that the Provisional Government had done nothing to give the people bread and land. At first, Lenin was a lone voice in his condemnation of the Provisional Government. But Lenin worked ceaselessly over the following few months and eventually, people began to really listen. Soon many wanted "Peace, Land, Bread! By SeptemberLenin believed the Russian people were ready for another revolution. However, other Bolshevik leaders were not yet quite convinced. On October 10, a secret meeting of the Bolshevik party leaders was held. Lenin used all his powers of persuasion to convince the others that it was time for an armed insurrection. Having debated through the night, a vote was taken the following morning -- it was ten to two in favor of a revolution. The people themselves were ready. In the very early hours of October 25,the revolution began. Troops loyal to the Bolsheviks took control of the telegraph, power station, strategic bridges, post office, The History of Russia: To 1917 stations, and state bank. Control of these and other posts within the city were handed over to the Bolsheviks with barely a shot fired. By late that morning, Petrograd was in the hands of the Bolsheviks -- all except the Winter Palace where the leaders of the Provisional Government remained. Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky successfully fled but by the following day, troops loyal to the Bolsheviks infiltrated the Winter Palace. After nearly a bloodless coup, the Bolsheviks were the new leaders of Russia. Nearly immediately, The History of Russia: To 1917 announced that the new regime would end the war, abolish all private land ownership, and would create a system for workers' control of factories. Unfortunately, as well intended as Lenin's promises might have been, they proved disastrous. They were hungry, tired, and wanted their jobs back. Yet there was no extra food. Without private land ownership, farmers began to grow just enough produce for The History of Russia: To 1917 there was no incentive to grow more. There were also no jobs to be had. Without a war to support, factories no longer had vast orders to fill. None of the people's real problems were fixed; instead, their lives became much worse. In JuneRussia broke out in civil war. It was the Whites those against the Soviets, which included monarchists, liberals, and other socialists against the Reds the Bolshevik regime. Near the beginning of the Russian Civil War, the Reds were worried that the Whites would free the czar and his family, which would not only have given the Whites a psychological boost but might have led to the restoration of the monarchy in Russia. The Reds were not going to let that happen. On the night of July, Czar Nicholas, his wife, their children, the family dog, three servants, and the family doctor were all woken up, taken to the basement, and shot. The Civil War lasted over two years and was bloody, brutal, and cruel. The Reds won but at the expense of millions of people killed. The Russian Civil War dramatically changed the fabric of Russia. The moderates were gone. What was The History of Russia: To 1917 was an extreme, vicious regime that was to rule Russia until the fall of the Soviet Union in Share Flipboard Email. Jennifer Rosenberg. History Expert. Jennifer Rosenberg is a historian and writer who specializes in 20th-century history. Updated April 19, ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Russian Revolution - Wikipedia

The history of Russia begins with the histories of the East Slavs. In Prince Oleg of Novgorod seized Kievthereby uniting the northern and southern lands of the Eastern Slavs under one authority. The state adopted Christianity from the Byzantine Empire inbeginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Orthodox Slavic culture for the next millennium. Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state due to the Mongol invasions in — along with the resulting deaths of significant number of population. After the 13th century, Moscow became a political and cultural center. Moscow has become a center for the unification of Russian lands. By the end of the 15th century, Moscow united the northeastern and northwestern Russian principalities, in finally overthrew the Mongol yoke. In Tsar Peter the Great renamed his state as the Russian Empirehoping to associate it with historical and cultural achievements of ancient Rus' — in contrast to his policies The History of Russia: To 1917 towards Western Europe. The state now extended from the eastern borders of the Polish—Lithuanian Commonwealth to the Pacific Ocean. Russia was a great power and dominated Europe after the victory over Napoleon. Peasant revolts were common, and all were fiercely suppressed. The Emperor Alexander II abolished Russian serfdom in The History of Russia: To 1917, but the peasants fared poorly and revolutionary pressures grew. In the following decades, reform efforts such as the Stolypin reforms of —, the constitution ofand the State Duma — attempted to open and liberalize the economy and political system, but the Emperors refused to relinquish autocratic rule and resisted sharing their power. A combination of economic breakdown, war-wearinessand discontent with the autocratic system of government triggered revolution in Russia in The overthrow of the monarchy initially brought into office a coalition of liberals and moderate socialists, but their failed policies led to seizure of power by the communist Bolsheviks on 25 October 7 November New Style. Between and the history of Russia became essentially the history of the Soviet Unioneffectively an ideologically-based state roughly conterminous with the Russian Empire before the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. From its first years, government in the Soviet Union-based itself on the one-party rule of the Communists, as the Bolsheviks called themselves, beginning in March The approach to the building of socialism, however, varied over different periods in Soviet history: from the mixed economy and diverse society and culture of the s through the command economy and repressions of the Joseph Stalin era to the "era of stagnation" from the s to the s. The USSR was successful in the space programlaunching the first man into space. By the mids, with the weaknesses of Soviet economic and political structures becoming acute, Mikhail Gorbachev embarked on major reforms, which eventually led to the overthrow of the communist party and the breakup of the USSRleaving Russia again on its own and marking the start of the history of post-Soviet Russia. Russia retained its nuclear arsenal but lost its superpower status. Scrapping the socialist central planning and state-ownership of property of the socialist era, new leaders, led by President Vladimir Putin who first became President intook political and economic power after and engaged in an energetic foreign policy. Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula has led to economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. In1. That Russia was also home to some of the last surviving Neanderthals was revealed by the discovery of the partial skeleton of a Neanderthal infant in Mezmaiskaya cave in Adygeawhich was carbon dated to only 29, years ago. During the prehistoric eras the vast steppes of Southern Russia were home to tribes of nomadic pastoralists. In classical antiquity, the Pontic Steppe The History of Russia: To 1917 known as Scythia. In the later part of the 8th century BCE, Greek merchants brought classical civilization to the trade emporiums in Tanais The History of Russia: To 1917 Phanagoria. Between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD, the Bosporan Kingdoma Hellenistic polity which succeeded the Greek colonies, [15] was also overwhelmed by successive waves of nomadic invasions, [16] led by warlike tribes which would often move on to Europe, as was the The History of Russia: To 1917 with the Huns and Turkish Avars. A Turkic people, The History of Russia: To 1917 Khazarsruled the lower Volga basin steppes between the Caspian and Black Seas through to the 8th century. Some of the ancestors of the modern Russians were the Slavic tribeswhose original home is thought by some scholars to have been the wooded areas of the Pripet Marshes. From the 7th century onwards, East Slavs constituted the bulk of the population in Western Russia [23] and slowly but peacefully assimilated the native Finno-Ugric tribes, such as the Merya[24] the Muromians[25] and the Meshchera. In the mid-9th century, they began to venture along the waterways from the eastern Baltic to the Black and Caspian Seas. By the end of the 10th century, the minority Norse military aristocracy had merged with the native Slavic population, [32] which also absorbed Greek Christian influences in the course of the multiple campaigns to loot Tsargrador Constantinople. Kievan Rus' is important for its introduction of a Slavic variant of the Eastern Orthodox religion, [29] dramatically deepening a synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next thousand years. The region adopted Christianity in by the official act of public baptism of Kiev inhabitants by Prince Vladimir Iwho followed the private conversion of his grandmother. By the 11th century, particularly during the reign of Yaroslav the WiseKievan Rus' displayed an economy and achievements in architecture and literature superior to those that then existed in the western part of the continent. A nomadic Turkic people, the Kipchaks also known as the Cumansreplaced the earlier Pechenegs as the dominant force in the south steppe regions neighbouring to Rus' at the end of the 11th century and founded a nomadic state in the steppes along the Black Sea Desht-e-Kipchak. The History of Russia: To 1917 their regular attacks, especially in Kiev, which was just one day's ride from the steppe, was a heavy burden for the southern areas of Rus'. The nomadic incursions caused a massive influx of Slavs to the safer, heavily forested regions of the north, particularly to the area known as Zalesye. Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state because of in-fighting between members of the princely family that ruled it collectively. Kiev's dominance waned, to the benefit of Vladimir-Suzdal in the north-east, Novgorod in the north, and Halych-Volhynia in the south-west. Conquest by the Mongol Golden Horde in the 13th century was the final blow. Kiev was destroyed. The invading Mongols accelerated the fragmentation of the Rus '. Inthe disunited southern princes faced a Mongol raiding party at the Kalka River and were soundly defeated. By then they had conquered most of the Russian principalities. The impact of the Mongol invasion on the territories of Kievan Rus' was uneven. The History of Russia: To 1917 advanced city culture was almost completely destroyed. As older centers such as Kiev and Vladimir never recovered from the devastation of the initial attack, [40] the new cities of Moscow, [46] Tver [46] and Nizhny Novgorod [47] began to compete for hegemony in the Mongol-dominated Russia. Although a Russian army defeated the Golden Horde at Kulikovo in[48] Mongol domination of the Russian-inhabited territories, along with demands of tribute from Russian princes, continued until about The Mongols held Russia and Volga Bulgaria in sway from their western capital at Sarai[49] one of the largest cities of the medieval world. The princes of southern and eastern Russia had to pay tribute to the Mongols of the Golden Horde, commonly called Tatars ; [49] but in return they received charters authorizing them to act as deputies to the khans. In general, the princes were allowed considerable freedom to rule as they wished, [49] while the Russian Orthodox Church even experienced a spiritual revival under the guidance of Metropolitan Alexis and Sergius of Radonezh. The Mongols left their impact on the Russians in such areas as military tactics and transportation. Under Mongol occupation, Russia also developed its postal road network, The History of Russia: To 1917, fiscal system, and military organization. Despite this, becoming the Grand prince, Alexander declared himself a vassal to the Golden Horde, not having the strength to resist its power. Daniil Aleksandrovichthe youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, founded the principality of Moscow known as Muscovy in English[46] which first cooperated with and ultimately expelled the Tatars from Russia. Well-situated in the central river system of Russia and surrounded by protective forests and marshes, Moscow was at first only a vassal of Vladimir, but soon it absorbed its parent state. A major factor The History of Russia: To 1917 the ascendancy of Moscow was the cooperation of its rulers with the The History of Russia: To 1917 overlords, who granted them the title of Grand Prince of Moscow and made them agents for collecting the Tatar tribute from the Russian principalities. The principality's prestige was further enhanced when it became the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its head, the Metropolitanfled from Kiev to Vladimir in and a few years later established the permanent headquarters of the Church in Moscow under the original title of Kiev Metropolitan. By the middle of the The History of Russia: To 1917 century, the power of the Mongols was declining, and the Grand Princes felt able to openly oppose the Mongol yoke. Inat Battle of Kulikovo on the Don Riverthe Mongols were defeated, [48] and although this hard-fought victory did not end Tatar rule of Russia, it did bring great fame to the The History of Russia: To 1917 Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Moscow's leadership in Russia was now firmly based and by the middle of the 14th century its territory had greatly expanded through purchase, war, and marriage. In the 15th century, the grand princes of Moscow continued to consolidate Russian land to increase their population and wealth. The most successful practitioner of this process was Ivan III[46] who laid the foundations for a Russian national state. Ivan competed with his powerful northwestern rival, the Grand Duchy of LithuaniaThe History of Russia: To 1917 control over some of the semi- independent Upper Principalities in the upper Dnieper and Oka River basins. The Sudebnik was adopted, the first set of laws since the 11th century. The The History of Russia: To 1917 eagle was adopted as the coat of arms of Russiaas a symbol of the continuity of the power of Byzantium by Russia. A contemporary of the Tudors and other "new monarchs" in Western Europe, Ivan proclaimed his absolute sovereignty over all Russian princes and nobles. Refusing further tribute to the Tatars, Ivan initiated a series of attacks that opened the way for The History of Russia: To 1917 complete defeat of the declining Golden Hordenow divided into several Khanates and hordes. Ivan and his successors sought to protect the southern boundaries of their domain against attacks of the Crimean The History of Russia: To 1917 and other hordes. The manor system provided a basis for an emerging cavalry based army. In this way, internal consolidation accompanied outward The History of Russia: To 1917 of the state. By the 16th century, the rulers of Moscow considered the entire Russian territory their collective property. Various semi-independent princes The History of Russia: To 1917 claimed specific territories, [51] but Ivan III forced the lesser princes to acknowledge the grand prince of Moscow and his descendants as unquestioned rulers with control over military, judicial, The History of Russia: To 1917 foreign affairs. Gradually, the Russian ruler emerged as a powerful, autocratic ruler, a tsar. Ivan III tripled the territory of his state, ended the dominance of the Golden Horde over the Rus', renovated the Moscow Kremlinand laid the foundations of the Russian state. Biographer Fennell concludes that his reign was "militarily glorious and economically sound," and especially points to his territorial annexations and his centralized control over local rulers. However, Fennell, the leading British specialist on Ivan III, argues that his reign was also "a period of cultural depression and spiritual barrenness. Freedom was stamped out within the Russian lands. By his bigoted anti-Catholicism Ivan brought down the curtain between Russia and the west. For the sake of territorial aggrandizement he deprived his country of the fruits of Western learning and civilization. The development of the Tsar's autocratic powers reached a peak during the reign of Ivan IV —known as "Ivan the Terrible". Although his long Livonian War for control of the Baltic coast and access to the The History of Russia: To 1917 trade ultimately proved a costly failure, [61] Ivan managed to annex the Khanates of KazanAstrakhanand Siberia. Through these conquests, Russia acquired a significant Muslim Tatar population and emerged as a multiethnic and multiconfessional state. Also around this period, the mercantile Stroganov family established a firm foothold in the Urals and recruited Russian Cossacks to colonise Siberia. In the later part of his reign, Ivan divided his realm in two. In the zone known The History of Russia: To 1917 the oprichninaIvan's followers carried out a series of bloody purges of the feudal aristocracy whom he suspected of treachery after the betrayal of prince Kurbskyculminating in the Massacre of Novgorod in This combined with the military losses, epidemics, and poor harvests so weakened Russia that the Crimean Tatars were able to sack central Russian regions and burn down Moscow in [64]. In Ivan abandoned the oprichnina. At the end of Ivan IV's reign the Polish—Lithuanian and Swedish armies carried out a powerful intervention in Russia, devastating its northern and northwest regions. The death of Ivan's childless son Feodor was followed by a period of civil wars and foreign intervention known as the " Time of Troubles " — The country rocked by internal chaos also attracted several waves of interventions by the Polish —Lithuanian Commonwealth. Moscow revolted but riots there were brutally suppressed and the city was set on fire. The crisis provoked a patriotic national uprising against the invasionboth in and The Russian statehood survived the "Time of Troubles" and the rule of weak or corrupt Tsars because of the strength of the government's central bureaucracy. Government functionaries continued to serve, regardless of the ruler's legitimacy or the faction controlling the throne.