The Russian Bolshevik Revolution

. T ir«a_sO cr <: so =? O u_ t/AHvaaii:m <Q133NVS01^'' 13V\V ^(Âbvaaii-^^ vin<;AwrF[rf ^.l!RRA^>^ '^/".j. 1^1 o %ojnv3jo'^ in<;AHr.Ffr' uf-; M''r:]'. i I C3 xlOS.WCfl.' ANillBRAR- ..^MJNIVF'i :^ %L ,^\\El'NIVERy//> ^lOSAN o y o u- mw , ^/saaMNnmv '^(?Aavaaii#' ^ÂHvaan-i^ \WEUNIVER% ^lOSANCElfj;> ^1 o ^<i/0JllV3J0^ ÂOillVJJO"^ '-I lajin jui %ji3AiNnmv ^.OFCAUFO/?^ ÔFCAIIFO%^ s>:lOSANCElfj> 4? iin '^^c'AiivjiaiH'^ "ÔAavaan-iV ^WEUNIVER^//;, ^vNlOS-MCElfj;^ ^^NStUBRARYCk ^< 13 <riijoNVSOi^' ^^\Ê•UNIVER5•/^ ^WSANCELf;^^ .AOPCAllfOff^. ,-;.OF-CAlIF0% 'A- <ril]ONV v/5a3AiNn3Wv ^^ÛIBRARYQ^ ^tllBRARYA'. ^WEUNIVFR,V//, .KimAr.firr: '^(tfOJIlVDJO'^^ ^<!/0JnV3JO>^ ÔFCALIFOfiV ÔF-CAIIFO/?^ ^WEUÎIVER% A^lOSANCElfj^ r< ^(ÂavaaiH^"^ ^<9Aavaaii#' <ril3DNV-S01^ ^/5a3AlNn-3UV'' THE RUSSIAN BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION THE RUSSIAN BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION BY EDWARD ALSWORTH ROSS, Ph.D., LL.D. Pbopessoe op Sociology, Uxivebsity of Wisconsin. Author of "Social Control," "Social Psychologj'," "Foundations of Sociology," "Principles of Sociology," "The Changing Chinese," "Changing America," "South of Panama," "Russia in Upheaval," etc. ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER THIRTY PHOTOGRAPHS NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1921 Copyright, 1921, by The Ckntubt Co. PREFACE This book is not written to make out a case, but to set forth what appear to be the significant facts. It is offered on the theory that intelhgent people are tired of being victims of propaganda about Russia and will welcome a book that is not trying to give their minds a certain twist. I can truthfully aver that when I set pen to paper I had no rigid mental attitudes toward the phases of the Russian revolution, so that such interpretations as I venture on have come out of my study of the facts themselves. The current notion of the second or Bolshevik revolution is that it was the work of a handful of ex- tremists who captivated the Russian masses ^vith their ideas. Under the pitiless pelting of facts I have been driven to the conclusion that this is untrue. As I now see it, most of the developments of the eight months between the March Revolution and the November Revolution were not caused by leaders but were inevitable, given the background of experience of the Russian common people. If the train bearing Lenin and eighteen other Bolsheviks across Germany to Russia had fallen through a bridge on its way and all had perished, events in Russia would have taken much the same course. The peasants would have seized the estates and the soldiers would have quit fighting. The robbed and oppressed masses—a hun- dred millions of men and women—amoved toward the goal of their long unfulfilled desires like a flow 350412 vi PEEFACE of molten lava that no human force can dam or turn aside. It was a majestic and appalHng social phenomenon —as elemental almost as an earthquake or a tidal wave. Edwabd Alsworth Ross Madison, Wisconsin. —— CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE The Revolutionary Honeymoon 3 Moral exaltation of the Russian people after the fall of the tsardom—Fellowship in happiness—The spirit of mutual aid—Symptoms of unselfishness and good will Treatment of prisoners—Hopes for a new Russia—Wrong- doers dealt with summarily—Why the ecstatic fraternal mood could not last. CHAPTER II The Background of the Toiling ]\Iasses .... 10 The peasant's background of experience—Life in the — peasants villages—Chronic undernourishment ^How the were "done" at the time of emancipation—Low wages of the farm laborer—Sickness and infant mortality—Theories as to the cause of the peasant's wretchedness—The noblesse —^How the peasant feels about the estates. The worker's background of experience—Gigantic fac- on tories—Outrageously low wages—Long hours—Tolstoi Russian freight handlers—Abuse and fines—Housing of the workers—Repression of strikes and labor unions. Tlie soldier's background of experience—Harsh discipline the —Brutality of officers^—Betrayal—Mismanagement of war—Lack of rifles—Shell—shortage—Horrible losses of life —^Prostration of industry "War-weariness." CHAPTER III The Provisional Government . 39 Anarchy and revolutionary disorder—Cautious steps by Rodzianko and the Duma—Regiments come to the Tauride The Provisional Committee—Triumph of the revolutionists —Formation of a government—Miliukov's speech—The Min- Michael's isters—The "program"—Nicholas's abdication— "Declaration from the Throne." vii — viii CONTENTS CHAPTER IV PA6B The Soviets 53 Tlie workingmen organize in support of the revolution Creation of the Petrograd Soviet—Soviets spring up all over Russia—A typical city Soviet—Activities of the "sections" Early control of the — Soviets by the moderates—Arrival . of ninety thousand exiles—They swing proletarian opinion to the Left. CHAPTER V Opposite Conceptions of the Revolution .... 60 Deep disillusionment of the people with the masters of the old order—Different ideas as to what the revolution is to bring—The Intelligentia expect it to mean freedom—The business men expect it to mean efficiency—The toilers expect to live better—Excessive concentration of wealth—Impossi- bility of fulfilling the expectations of the people without dis- turbing property rights. CHAPTER VI Agitation 66 Sudden release of ideas—A whirlwind of public discussion —Wonderful opportunities for the agitator—Prompt seizure of leadership by the radicals—Getting the start of the bourgeoisie—Eecklesa agitation—Secret German influence on behalf of extremism—The Kaiser plays both endt against the middle. CHAPTER VII Political Groupings and Progr^vms 71 Embryonic stage of political opinion—The bulk of the masses destitute of political ideas—The People-ists—The Social Revolutionaries—The Social-Democrats—Origin of the terms Bolsheviki and Mensheviki—The "cadets"—Tlieir abrupt change of character—Competition of the parties to \Tln the support of the millions who have not yet made up their mind. CHAPTER VIII The Flood of Political Reforms 76 Honesty of the Provisional Government—Its free hand Clearing away the old system—The new justice—Liberation —— CONTENTS ix — PAGB of the oppressed nationalities—Religious freedom "Militia" substituted for "police"—Mild-mannered commissaries Local self-government—But the rights of property remain undisturbed. CHAPTER IX Army Order Number One 82 An incident at Sebastopol—OrderNo. 1—Why it was issued —Who was responsible for it—How it was distributed to the army—Soviets and committees spring up among the soldiers. CHAPTER X The Cloud no Bigger than a Man's Hand ... 88 The Soviet begins at the same time as the Provisional Gov- ernment and has power, altho no legal authority—Tlie Soviet fomes to the help of the Government—Why the revolutionists do not wish to take over political power—The question as for to the future of Nicholas—Tenderness of the Government The tsarist officers—Popular dread of a counter-revolution— Soviet press censorship—The Problem of co-operation—"Dual authority"—A portent. CHAPTER XI Lenin and his Slogan 88 Lenin's great reception at Petrograd—The transit across Germany—Sketch of Lenin's life—T^nin as defeatist A» Marxian—As internationalist—As advocate of the dictator- ship of the proletariat—As opponent of anarchism. CHAPTER XII The May Crisis H'^ Contradictory theories of the war—The Soviet's appeal to proletarians—Miliukov wants the Dardanelles—His note of the May 1 —Linde stirs up trouble—The demonstration of regiments—The Cadet demonstration of May 4—Clashes and bloodshed—A dangerous rift—The Government recedes— Guchkov and Miliukov out—Five Soviet leaders Join the Ministry. — X CONTENTS CHAPTER XIII PAGE The Revolution and Labor 135 Labor forces up wages—Capital's scandalous profits—De- mand for back pay—Story of the thirteen sacks—Breakdown of factory discipline—Great falling-off in productivity—Who is to blame?—The eight-hour day—Hire and fire—Dismissal pay—Medical benefits. CHAPTER XIV The Decomposition of the Army 145 The making of the Tsar's ofiicers—The deep gulf between ofiicers and men—The officers line up against the revolution —Defeatism—The Soldiers' Charter—The committee nuis- ance—Bolshevik propaganda in the army—Factors of de- moralization—Fraternization—Commissaries—The "women's battalion"—The soldiers simply quit and go home. CHAPTER XV The July Riots . 161 Demonstrations by the regiments in Petrograd—"Joy-rid- ing" on a "white night"—Who is responsible?—Shooting and bloodshed—Trotsky saves Tchernov—Did the Bolsheviks clutch at power ?—What the leaders declare—The actual factors of the July troubles. CHAPTER XVI "German Agents" 174 Suppression of the Bolsheviks—Their arrest and indict- ment—Bourtsev's charges—Alexinsky prints Bolshevik tele- grams—Pereverzev blackens the Bolshevik leaders with the soldiers—He is forced out—Failure to incriminate the Bol- sheviks—Bursting of the "German agent" bubble. CHAPTER XVII Kerensky 182 Forming of the Save-the-Revolution Government Kerensky's origin and education—His record in the Duma —— CONTENTS xi PAGB —^His role in the March revolution—Minister of Justice War Minister Marvellous effect of his oratory—^The Galician debacle—He loses the proletariat and the propertied—Calumnies—His real character. CHAPTER XVIII Growing Anarchy 194 Disregard of the rights of the propertied—Agrarian dis- orders—Labor takes the upper hand—Seizure of estates Were agitators responsible?—Looting of grain shipments The Provisional Government is powerless as against the Soviet—Experiences of the American Red Cross. CHAPTER XIX City Elections 204 Election of city diunas—Formlessness of political opinion —Queer groupings of voters—Tickets put up by those of the same nationality, faith, or economic interest—Growth of the parties of the Left. CHAPTER XX The Moscow Conference 208 Removal of Nicholas to Tobolsk—Convening of the Na- tional Conference—Its make-up and purposes—Statements of Kerensky, Nekrassov, Kornilov, Kaledin, Tcheidze, Tseretelli and Rodzienko.—Protests by Breshkovskaya and Kropotken —Competitive demonstrations between opposing groups The Conference reveals the class antagonism developing in society.

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