Russian Revolution and Stalin's USSR

• The notes cover the major events that led to the Russian Revolution, the civil war, and Stalin's rise to power.
• They also cover the changes that Stalin imposed on the Soviet Union.

Before the Revolutions

• Karl Marx, a German philosopher, wrote The Communist Manifesto in 1848; in it, he argued that economic changes shape society and that capitalism would fail due to inequality.
• Marx believed that a violent revolution by the proletariat (working class) was necessary to establish socialism.
• 19th-century industrialization led to a large working class (proletariat) dissatisfied with poor working conditions imposed by the bourgeoisie, which led to social unrest.
• Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917) faced significant issues, including the Russo-Japanese War (1904), Bloody Sunday (1905), and growing discontent with his leadership.

Key Events Leading to Revolution

• In 1905, Russia lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, which humiliated the country and exposed the weaknesses of Tsar Nicholas II.
• In 1905, peaceful protests in St. Petersburg were met with violence by the Tsar's troops, killing hundreds and sparking more unrest known as Bloody Sunday.
• From 1914-1917, Russia's involvement in World War I exacerbated issues, including food shortages, poor morale, and a lack of military victories.
• Grigori Rasputin, a mystic with close ties to the royal family, became a controversial figure and contributed to the declining trust in Tsar Nicholas II.
• In the wake of the 1905 Revolution and growing unrest, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to acknowledge the need for reforms to appease protesters and avoid uprisings.
• One of the key reforms was the creation of a parliamentary body called the Duma.

The 1917 Revolutions

• In Feb/Mar 1917, the February Revolution occurred due to worsening conditions in Russia.
• There were strikes, food shortages, and desertions.
• Tsar Nicholas II's troops joined the protests, leading to his abdication.
• A Provisional Government led by Alexander Kerensky (Menshevik) took over.
• In April 1917, Lenin returned to Russia and presented his "April Thesis," which called for "Peace, Bread, and Land" and promised to end the war and give land to peasants.
• In August 1917, General Kornilov attempted to overthrow the Provisional Government but failed.
• The Bolsheviks (led by Lenin and Trotsky) defended the government, and gained more support and weapons.
• In Oct/Nov 1917, the October Revolution occurred, in which Lenin and the armed Bolsheviks took control of key government buildings in Moscow and Petrograd.
• The Provisional Government collapsed, and Lenin's Bolsheviks took power.
• In March 1918, Lenin negotiated the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany to withdraw Russia from World War I, despite the West's disapproval.

Russian Civil War (1917-1922)

• The Bolshevik Red Army fought against the White Army (anti-Bolshevik forces) in a brutal civil war.
• The Reds were supported by the Cheka (secret police) and used "War Communism" to supply their army.
• The Whites were supported by foreign powers like the USA, Japan, Britain, and France.
• The Bolsheviks defeated the Whites in 1922, and Russia became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) with Lenin as the leader.

Stalinization of the USSR

• Lenin died in January 1924, which led to a power struggle between Leon Trotsky (Lenin's right-hand man) and Joseph Stalin.
• Stalin outmaneuvered Trotsky and consolidated power and became the leader of the USSR; Trotsky. was exiled
• In 1928, Stalin introduced a series of Five-Year Plans aimed at rapidly industrializing the Soviet Union, focusing on heavy industry, while sacrificing consumer goods.
• These plans involved the forced collectivization of agriculture.
• In the late 1920s-1930s, Stalin forced small farms to merge into large collective farms to increase agricultural production, which resulted in widespread famine and suffering, particularly in Ukraine.
• In the 1930s, Stalin became paranoid and conducted purges, executing thousands to eliminate perceived threats.
• The Great Purge resulted in the creation of the Gulags (forced labor camps).
• Under Stalin, the USSR became a totalitarian state, with centralized control over the economy and strict political repression.
• Stalin's regime solidified the principles of socialism but at the cost of millions of lives.

Key Terms and Concepts

• War Communism refers to economic policies during the Civil War that centralized control, banned private trade, and requisitioned food for the army, which caused widespread hardship.
• New Economic Policy (NEP) was Lenin's compromise with capitalism, which allowed some private trade and land ownership in the 1920s to stabilize the economy.
• Stalin's "Socialism in One Country" was his focus on strengthening the Soviet Union rather than seeking worldwide revolution, which contrasted with Trotsky's vision.
• The Great Purge was Stalin's campaign to eliminate political rivals and perceived threats, which resulted in the execution of thousands and the imprisonment of many more.

Notes covering the events that led to the Russian Revolution, the civil war, and Stalin's rise to power. It includes the influence of Karl Marx, the socio-economic conditions, and Tsar Nicholas II's reign. The notes also cover the changes that Stalin imposed on the Soviet Union.