Russian Revolution Quiz: Questions About the Uprising

The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire, beginning during World War I, which saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government following two successive revolutions and a bloody civil war. The revolution can also be seen as the precursor for the other European revolutions that occurred during or in the aftermath of WWI, such as the German Revolution of 1918. The February Revolution in 1917 saw Tsar Nicholas II abdicate, ushering in a new government led by the Russian Duma (parliament) which became the Russian Provisional Government. In response, grassroots community assemblies (called Soviets) were formed. The Soviets initially permitted the new Provisional Government to rule, however the Soviets did insist on a prerogative (privilege) in order to influence the government and to control various militias. During this chaotic period, there were frequent mutinies, protests and strikes. Many socialist and other leftist political organizations were engaged in daily struggle and vied for influence within the Provisional Government and the Soviets. Notable factions include the Social-Democrats or Mensheviks, the Social Revolutionaries, and the Anarchists. The Bolsheviks, a far-left party led by Vladimir Lenin, were initially a marginalized faction, however that changed following a series of developments including the use of their slogan, peace, land, and bread which promised to cease war with Germany, give land to the peasantry, and end the famine caused by Russia's involvement in WWI. These slogans had a direct effect on the growing Bolshevik popularity. The volatile situation in Russia reached its climax with the October Revolution, which was a Bolshevik armed insurrection by workers and soldiers in Petrograd that successfully overthrew the Provisional Government, transferring all its authority to the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks established their own government, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), and began the process of reorganizing the former empire into the world's first socialist state, to practice soviet democracy on a national and international scale. The Bolsheviks established the Cheka, a secret police that functioned as a revolutionary security service to weed out, execute, or punish those considered to be "enemies of the people" in campaigns called the Red Terror, consciously modeled on those of the French Revolution. Russia erupted into a bloody civil war, which pitted the Reds (Bolsheviks), against the enemies of the Bolshevik regime collectively called the White Army. The White Army consisted of independence movements, monarchists, liberals, and anti-Bolshevik socialist parties. As the war progressed, the RSFSR began establishing Soviet power in the newly independent republics that seceded from the Russian Empire. The RSFSR initially focused its efforts on the newly independent republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. Wartime cohesion and intervention from foreign powers prompted the RSFSR to begin unifying these nations under one flag and created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The victorious Bolshevik Party reconstituted itself into the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and would remain in power for over six decades. The social causes of the Russian Revolution can be derived from centuries of oppression of the lower classes by the Tsarist regime and Nicholas's failures in World War I. The rapid industrialization of Russia also resulted in urban overcrowding and poor conditions for urban industrial workers. World WarCauses and Consequences of the Russian Revolution

Dissatisfaction with the existing autocracy and the lack of progressive reforms led to opposition movements and challenges to the Romanov monarchy.
The outbreak of World War I initially united the country against a common enemy, but the war dragged on inconclusively, leading to war-weariness and discontent.
Russia suffered massive losses in the war, with casualty rates and shortages of equipment and supplies leading to mutinies and revolts.
The economy suffered from food shortages, rising prices, inflation, and shortages of goods, leading to strikes, crime, and widespread suffering.
The February Revolution of 1917 began with strikes and demonstrations in Petrograd, demanding bread and political reforms.
The Tsar looked to the army to quell the riots, but troops began to revolt, and symbols of the Tsarist regime were torn down around the city.
The Duma established a Temporary Committee to restore law and order, and the socialist parties established the Petrograd Soviet to represent workers and soldiers.
The Tsar abdicated the throne on 15 March 1917, and a provisional government was established, competing for power with the Petrograd Soviet.
The Petrograd Soviet believed they represented particular classes of the population and pressured the government to introduce extensive democratic reforms.
The relationship between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet was complex and shaped the politics of 1917.
The Russian Revolution had far-reaching consequences, leading to the collapse of the Romanov dynasty, the establishment of the Soviet Union, and major changes in global politics and society.
The revolution also had significant social, economic, and cultural impacts, including the promotion of Marxist ideology, the rise of socialism, and the emergence of new artistic and literary movements.The Russian Revolution: A Summary
The February Revolution of 1917 led to the establishment of a Provisional Government and a Soviet of Workers' Deputies, creating a situation of dual power.
The All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets (VTsIK) undermined the authority of the Provisional Government but also of the moderate socialist leaders of the Soviets.
Alexander Kerensky, a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRP), became an increasingly central figure in the government, eventually taking leadership of the Provisional Government.
The Bolshevik Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, had been living in exile in neutral Switzerland and returned to Russia after the democratization of politics in Russia.
Lenin prepared the April Theses, which outlined central Bolshevik policies, including that the Soviets take power and denouncing the liberals and social revolutionaries in the Provisional Government.
The popularity of the Bolsheviks increased steadily over the spring of 1917, with growing public dissatisfaction with the Provisional Government and the war.
In the July Days, soldiers, urban workers, and peasants took to the streets in violent protest, calling for "all power to the Soviets". The revolt was disowned by Lenin and the Bolshevik leaders and dissipated within a few days.
The Bolsheviks had undergone a spectacular growth in membership, with 200,000 members by September 1917, and were in the majority in both St. Petersburg and Moscow.
The Kornilov Affair failed largely due to the efforts of the Bolsheviks, whose influence over railroad and telegraph workers proved vital in stopping the movement of troops, further strengthening their position.
In early September, the Petrograd Soviet freed all jailed Bolsheviks, and Trotsky became chairman of the Petrograd Soviet.
The October Revolution, organized by the Bolshevik Party, led to the dissolution of the Provisional Government in favor of the Petrograd Soviet.
The Russian Civil War, which broke out in 1918 shortly after the October Revolution, resulted in the deaths and suffering of millions of people regardless of their political orientation.
Revolutionary tribunals were present during both the Revolution and the Civil War, intended for the purpose of combatting forces of counter-revolution.The Russian Revolution: Execution of the Imperial Family, Symbolism, Impact on the World, Historiography, and Cultural Portrayal
The Bolsheviks executed Tsar Nicholas II and his family in July 1918 after they were moved to Yekaterinburg due to the looming civil war and stricter imprisonment conditions.
Communist symbolism emerged as a significant aspect of the Russian Revolution, with the hammer and sickle becoming the official symbol of the USSR and Communism as a whole.
The establishment of the future Soviet Union through the revolution came as an ideological paradox, as Marx's ideals for creating a socialist state were based on a natural formation rather than an artificially incited one.
The historiography of the Revolution divides into three schools of thought: the Soviet-Marxist view, the Western Totalitarian view, and the Revisionist (Trotskyist) view.
The Soviet-Marxist view interprets the Revolution as a proud and glorious effort of the working class, while the Western Totalitarian view sees it as replacing one form of tyranny with another.
The Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War influenced the Soviet Union's interpretation of its ideology and the October Revolution, with the Soviets commemorating it with a military parade and a public holiday.
The Russian Revolution has been the subject of many films, including Battleship Potemkin, Reds, and Doctor Zhivago.
Leon Trotsky's opposition to Stalin's doctrine of Socialism in One Country led to the creation of the Revisionist view, which denounces Stalin and his leadership for subverting and debasing the 1917 revolution.
The Russian Revolution became the site of many instances of symbolism, both physical and non-physical, that portrayed it as both a political and symbolic order, resulting in communism's portrayal as a messianic faith.
The establishment of revolutionary tribunals demonstrated that a form of justice was still prevalent in Russian society where the Russian Provisional Government failed, ultimately triggering the political transition of the October Revolution and the Civil War that followed in its aftermath.
The confusion regarding Stalin's position on socialism's success in one country stems from his successful use of Lenin's argument after Lenin's death to defeat his competitors within the party by accusing them of betraying Lenin and the ideals of the October Revolution.
The Russian Revolution was a significant event in literature, serving as the backdrop for many works such as Doctor Zhivago, as well as in film, with many movies portraying the Revolution or using it as a backdrop.