Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

The social, economic and political conditions in Russia were very dishonourable before 1905 revolution. At the starting of the 20th century about 85% of the Russia population was agriculturists. Russia was a major exporter of grains and this industry was found in pocket only. Most of the industries were run by the private industrialists. Because of wide spread corruption and exploitations, sometimes workers didn't get even the minimum wages with no limit of working hours. Russia was an autocracy and was ruled by the tsar. The tsar especially tsar Nicholas II was a self willed corrupt oppressive ruler. He ignored the public welfare in which the conditions of the peasants and workers had also become very dishonourable. The workers and peasants both were divided. Peasants frequently refused to pay rent and even murdered the landlords. Being influenced by the democratic experiments by the western European countries the Russian also demanded for a responsible government but all their demands were turned down.

Compared to the other parts of Europe, a larger part of the Russian population was busy in farming. Workers in the industry had already started to organize themselves to stop work in the factories. Farmers had a long rituals of working collectively on farms. The working population of Russia was very different from the other countries in Europe before 1971 because not all Russian workers migrated from the villages to work in the industrialization sectors. Some of them continued to live in villages and went daily to the towns for work. They were a socially and professionally divided groups and this showed in their dress and manners too.

The tsar first dimissed the primary two Dumas and then packed the parliament with the conservatives. During the first world war, the tsar took decision without the consultation of duma. Large scale causualties of Russian soldiers in the war further set apart the people from the tsar. Burning of crops and building by the retreating Russian armies created the huge shortage of food in Russia. All of these arose to the collapse of the tsarist autocracy in 1997.

February revolution:
. 22 nd February: factory lockout on the right bank too places,
. 25 th February: duma was dissolved
. 27 th February: police headquarters ransacked. Regiments support the workers. Formation of soviet.

. 2 nd march: the tsar abdicated his power. The soviet and duma leaders made a provisional government for Russia. The February revolution do not have any political party at its forefront. It was conducted by the people themselves. Petrograd had brought down the monarchy and thus, gained a significant place in the history of soviet.

October revolution:
. 16 th October: a military revolutionary committee was appointed by the soviets.
. 24 th October: the uprising against provisional government. Military revolutionary committee dominates the city by night and ministers surrender. The Bolshevik gained power. The October revolution was primarily conduct by lemin and his sub-ordinate trotskill and involved the masses who supported all these leaders. It marked the initiation of lenin rule over the soviet, with the Bolsheviks under his guidance.

The main changes that were brought about the Bolsheviks immediately after the October revolutions are as follows:
. banks and industries were nationalized.
. land was declared social property, thereby allowing peasants to seize it from the nobility.
. in urban areas houses were partitioned according to family requirements .
. old artisocratic titles were banned, and new uniforms were designed for the army and the officials.
. uniforms were introduced for the army and the officials.

(i) Kulaks: It is the Russian term used for the wealthy peasants who stalin believed were hoarding grains to gain more profit by 1972-78. The towns of soviet Russia were facing an severe problem of grain supplies. Kulkas were thought to be responsible for these problems.

(ii) The Duma during 1905 revolution the tsar allowed the creation of an elected consultative parliament in the Russia. And, this elected consultative parliament in Russia was known as duma.

(iii) Women workers between 1900 and 1930s, made up 31% of the factory labour force in 1941 but were paid almost half and three-quarters of the wages than much given to men. However, interestingly, it were the women workers who led the way to strikes during the February revolution.

(iv) The liberals: They espoused a nation that was tolerant towards all the religions; one that would protect individual rights against the government. Although the liberals wanted an elected parliamentary form of governance. They believed that the right to vote must only belong to men not to the women and that too the ones who were the property holders.

(v) Stalin collectivization program Stalin believed that collectivization of agriculture would help in the improving grains supplies in Russia . He began collectivization in 1929. All peasants protested such type of attempts and destroyed live stock to show their anger. Collectivization do not bring the desire result in the food supply situation turned even more worse in the later years.