Socialism in Europe and The

Russian
Revolution

INTRODUCTION
The Age of Social Change
After the French revolution open up the creating of a new social structure.

Before the 18th century society was divided into three estate.

It was the aristocracy and Church who control the economy – social power.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Tipu Sultan inspire from the French revolution.

After the French revolution the ideas of individual rights and democratic rights
begin to discuss and spread in Europe and Asia. These were group who
wanted to change this society according to their thoughts and vision.

Liberals –
 They tolerate all the religion.
 Oppose dynasty rulers.
 They wanted safeguard right of individual against government.
 They supported parliamentary form of Government and elected representative
 They were not democrats because they do not believe in universal adult franchise.
And do not favour equal rise to men and women.

Radicals –
 They supported government based on majority or countries population .
  They oppose the privileges given to great land owners and wealthy factory owner.
 Many of them supported women's suffragette movement.
 They supported private property but this unlike concentration of property in hand of
few .

liberals and radicals both the group wanted a quick change in the society but unlike them
there was a another group who supported monarchy and do not want any quick change
they wanted the change but in a short period of time.

Conservative –

 They oppose the view of radical and liberals.

 Earlier the opposed idea of change but by 19th century they accepted
some changes.
 They asserted that past must be respected.
 They wanted change but at a slow pace.

Industrial society and social change.

During the industrial revolution many changes came into the society and economy.

Some of them are discussed below 👇

 New cities new industrial region and new railway lines were developed.
 Men , women and children work in the factories.
 Working hour where obtain long and wages were poor.
 Unemployment was common due to low demand for industrial goods.
 Housing and sanitization were most common problem since Town were growing
rapidly .

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Checkpoint •

 Which group of people oppose the dynasty rulers?

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  Which group of people supported ‘suffragette movement ' to
support women?
 Who were the people wanted a slow change in the society ?
 Discuss the impact of industrial society and social change on
the life of workers?

Liberals and radical search for solution for these problems and issues. Many
of the factory are owners where liberals and radicals . Both liberals and radical
fell that workers effort must be encouraged. They also held its benefits would
be achieved if the work force in the economy is healthy and citizens were
educated.

Many worker woman and man who wanted to change in the world rallied
around liberal and radical group in the early 19th century.

Some nationalist liberal and radical wanted revolution to put an end to the kind
of government established in Europe in 1815.

They work to overthrow existing monarchy is in

 France – Louis bourbon XVI

 Germany – Kaiser Frederick William II
 Russia – Tsar Nicholas II
 Britain – King George V

Nationalist emphasis on revolutions that would create Nations were all citizen
would have equal right.

After 1815,Giuseppe Mazzini an, Italian nationalist conspired with other to

achieve nationalism in Italy.

The outcome of socialism to Europe

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By the mid of 19th century in Europe socialism was well known body of idea
that attracted widespread attention.

Socialism – the political idea that is based on the belief that all people are
equal and that money and property should be equally divided.

 Some of the visions of socialist are :-

Robert Owen

Robert Owen(1771-1858).He believed in establishment of cooperative

community. He established a cooperative community called new harmony in
Indiana ( USA ).

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Louis Blanc

Louis blanc (1813-1882) . He was a French politician and socialist who wanted
the government to encourage the cooperative community and replace
capitalist enterprises.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) . He believe that the industrial society was capitalist and
the profit of capitalist was produced by workers. He believe that to remove

capitalism by worker.

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) . He suggested that worker have to remove

capitalism and rule of private property or the pre- villages.

Support for socialism

The spread of socialist Idea through Europe lead to the formation of an
international body called the second international .

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The association of workers like

 Social democratic party in Germany.

 Labour party in Britain.
 Socialist Party in France.

These parties were formed because:-

 To improve the working and living condition of the workers.

 To gather fund for help member workers in difficult situation.
 They demanded reconstruction of worker house and right to
vote
 Proper sanitization of workers and cheap healthcare.

By 1905, the socialist and thread union form a Labour party in

Britain and socialist party in France.

In 1914 socialist did not succeed in farming a government in

Europe .

socialist where represented by strong figure in parliamentary politics

but government continue to be run by conservative liberal and
radicals.

Checkpoint
1. What were the living condition of the worker during industrialisation?

2. What are the measured taken by the socialist to remove capitalist?

3. Name all the three philosophers who give their idea to remove capitalism?

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4 . What are the parties form in Germany, France and England?

5. Who is Giuseppe Mazzini ? Who were nationalist?

The Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution take place in two phases the revolution of the month
February and in the month of October.

The Russian empire in 1914

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In 1914, Tsar Nicholas II rule Russia and its Empire. The Russian Empire
included the territory of Moscow present day Finland , Latvia , Lithuania,
Estonia and the parts Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.

They Empire stretch to the Pacific and comprise today Central Asia state as
well as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The majority of the population follow

the Russian orthodox Christianity along with Catholics, protestants Muslims

and Buddhists.

Economy and society

 At the beginning of 20th century about 85% of Russian Empire population

and their living from agriculture.
 Russia was higher than most European countries in terms of agriculture
production.
 Russia was a major exporter of a grain in the empire.
 Industries were few very few in number prominent industries area were
St Petersburg and Moscow.
 Factories where set up in the 1890s Russian real network was extended
and foreign investment in industries also increase.
 Coal production was double while iron in steel output increase 4 times.
 Most of the industries where privately owned by liberals radicals and
capitalist.
 Factory rule where broken in craft unit and small workshop.
 Working hours of worker were exceeds to 15 hours in factories.
 Worker were divided on the basis of skill as a social group.
 Metal worker were considered as Aristocrat because they are more
trained and skilled.
 Women made up about 31% of the factory Labour force by 1914 but they
were paid less than men.

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  Despite of the division worker where unite when they disagree with
employers about dismissal or work the condition.
 In the countryside present where another social group who cultivated
land owner by nobility and clergy .
 They were divided on religious basis but unite against the nobles.
 Noble and clergy got their power and position because of their services
to Tsar.
 Peasant community was called commune ( mir ).
 In France during French Revolution in Brittany peasants respected
nobles and fought for them.
 In peasants wanted their land back from nobility and clergy.
 Russian peasants were different from other European peasants because
they accumulated their land together and later divided it on the basis of
needs of individual families.

Socialism in Russia
All political parties where illegal in Russia before 1914.

The Russian social democratic worker party was founded in 1898 by socialist
who respected Karl Marx Idea due to government policies the party was
operated secretly as an illegal organisation.

They started their own newspaper mobilised worker and organised strikes.

Russian socialist fell that the Russian peasants custom of dividing land
periodically made them natural socialist. Socialist in the countryside from the
socialist revolutionary party in 1900.

This party struggle for peasant’s rights and demand that land belong to Nobel
would be transferred to peasants .

Social democrats disagree with socialist revolutionary about Peasants.

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Due to differences Russian social democratic worker party split into two
wings

The Bolshevik – led by Vladimir lenin . Party was well discipline with quality
members.

The Mensheviks – led by Julius Martov. The party was open for all. ( Led by
Alexander Kerenskii ) .

The 1905 Revolution

In the beginning of 20th century Russia was still in autocracy and the Tsar was
not responsible to the parliament.

During the revolution of 1905 liberal wanted to end this affairs. Liberals and
socialist people demanded a constitution.

They were supported in the Russian Empire by nationalist and in Muslim

dominated area by Jadidists.

Some of the reason where :-

 In 1904 prices of essential goods Rose so quickly that real wages the
worker could not match and declined by 20%.
 Four members of the Putilov Iron works were dismissed called for the
industrial action. Later this cause the incident of bloody Sunday.
 After this worker in st Petersburg and Moscow on strike demanding a
reduction in working hour and increase in wages.

The incident of bloody Sunday

When four metal workers of Putilov Iron factory were dismissed them . Which
became a protest against factory owners and The king Tsar.

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A Sunday of the year 1905 the procession of 110,000 workers led by father
Gapon reach the winter palace where Tsar lived . Tsar order to police and the
cossacks to attack on protesters. In which 100 worker were died and 300 were
injured. This event came to be known as bloody Sunday.

Reaction of the Tsar

Under the why this spread Revolution the Tsar allow the creation of an elected
parliament called Duma. He dismissed the first duma in 75 days. And the
second duma within 3 months. He continued with the third duma with his own
member (conservatives).

He also change the voting laws and kept the liberals radical out of the Duma.

The first WWI and the Russian Empire

In 1914, the First World War started between two European alliances that were
Germany, Austria and Turkey (the central powers) and France, Britain and
Russia, (later Italy, Romania and USA in 1918 also joined) these countries.

Initially, the war was popular in Russia and the people supported Tsar
Nicholas II. Tsar Nicholas II without consulting the Duma had become part of
the war.

Anti German feeling got stronger, e.g. St. Peterberg which was a German name
renamed as Petrograd.

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The Tsarina Alexandra’s German origin and her advisor Rasputin (a German
monk) made the autocracy unpopular.

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The armies in first world war fought from two direction i.e. Eastern and
Western. There was a difference between Eastern army and Western army of
the First World War.

The Western army fought from trenches stretched along Eastern France,
whereas the Eastern army fought battle by leaving large- casualties.

Russia suffered shocking defeats along with heavy casualties in the war.
Russian armies lost badly in Germany and Austria between 1914 and 1916.
The Russian army destroyed crops and buildings to prevent the enemy from
being able to live off the land. It led to over 3 million refugees in Russia.The
war also affected the industry. The Economy was Badly hit with cut off
supplies and breaking of industrial Equipment’s.

By 1916, railway lines began to break down. Able-bodies men were called up
to the war. This leads to shortage of Labour and shut down of small
workshops. Large supplies of grain were sent to feed the army. This leads to
scarcity of bread and flour for the people in cities.

Checkpoint

1. When The Russian social democratic workers party

formed?
2. When was socialist revolutionary party formed?
3. The Russian social democratic party split into
which group?

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 4. What are the major problem during industrialisation
in Russia?
5. Who were called Mir?
6. Russian peasants were different from other
European peasants ?
7. Who led worker crowd to winter palace?
8. What is Duma? How many time it suspended?
9. Briefly describe the impact of World war 1 in
Russia?
10. Why Tsar Nicholas II was a poor ruler?

The February revolution

In February 1917 there was a acute shortage of food in Russia which made the
life of worker very difficult.

The parliamentary member oppose the tsar’s desire to dissolve the duma.

On 22nd February, a lockout took place at a factory this lead to protest .

The protest was also supported by women this day came to be known as
international women’s day.

The demonstrating workers crossed the river Neva and came to the centre of
the capital Nevskii prospect.

By seeing the overcrowded workers Tsar import curfew and cavalry and police
were called out.
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On 25th February the government suspended the duma.

On the same day angry member of duma stormed the police headquarters.

On 26th February demonstrators return on the street of Nevskii prospect .

Worker demonstrators on the street rising the slogan about bread , wages
better hours and democracy.

An officer was shot at the barracks of regiment. The cavalry soldiers join the
worker .

The soldier regiment joined with workers to form soviet or council .

On 28th February a delegation when to see the Tsar.

On 2nd March 1917 Tsar Nicholas abdicates.

Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed a professional government to run the
countries.

After February

Army officials land owner and industrialist play and important role in the
provisional government.

Liberals as well as socialist work toward an elected government.

Restricted on public meetings and association were removed by provisional

government.

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The bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin

Return to Russia from his Exile in April 1917.

He demanded some of the right from provisional government:-

 The war should be bought to an end.

 The land must be transferred to the peasant.
 The bank and industries should be nationalized.

These three demand were known as April thesis.

Lenin wanted Bolshevik party to be rename as communist party for indication

of its radical aims.

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Worker’s movement
The worker moments spread throughout the summer. In industrial areas
factory committee where formed which begin questioning to industrialist.

The soldier committee were also formed in the army the power of provisional
government was reduced and the bolshevik influencing increase.

The provisional government decide to take a strong step against the worker
movement.

Popular demonstrators under the bolshevik in July, 1917 were strictly

repressed.

In the countryside peasant and their socialist revolutionary reader demanded

for free distribution of land for which land committee where formed.

Peasant where encouraged by the socialist revolutionaries and seized land

between July and September in 1917.

The revolution of October 1917

Intense conflict grew between the provisional Government and the bolshevik.
Due to conflict Lenin fear that provisional government would set up a
dictatorship rule.

In September hi begin discussion for an apprising against the government. On

16th October 1917 lenin United supporters from army Soviet and factory and
the Soviet appointed a military revolutionary committee under the leadership
of Leon Trotskii for power seizing .

Leon Trotskii

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Alexander kerenskii ( manshavik leader)

As the uprising begin on 24th October 1917 prime minister kerenskii left the
city to summon troops in fear. In the evening loyal military man of the
government capture the building of two bolshevik newspaper. Pro government
group were sent to capture the telephone and telegraphy officers and protect
the winter palace.

In the response the military revolutionary committee order is supported to

capture government offices and arrest minister.

The revolution and with all Congress of Soviet in Petrograd approval the
bolshevik action . By December bolshevik control the most of the path of
Moscow and Petrograd area.

Checkpoint
1. In the countryside peasant and their socialist leader what
demanded?

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 2. What committee was set up for power seizing under whose
leadership?

3. What did Lenin think about provisional government?

4. When the uprising begin in the October revolution?

5. On which year military revolutionary committee appointed?

6. Who was the leader of Mensheviks during 1917?

7. Bolshevik control the Moscow patrograd area by?

8. What were the two main reason Tsar Nicholas II autocracy

collapse?

Changes after October

The important changes that took place after the October revolution where –

The Bolshevik nationalized the bank and industries in November 1917.

The Bolshevik declared land as social property and allow peasant to capture
land of novel the church and the Tsar.

The Bolshevik band all title of aristocracy and big houses where partitioned
according to the family needs.

New uniform were designed for the army and official and the Soviet hat
budeonovka was also design.

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The Bolshevik opposed to private property and they change their party name
to Russian communist party.

In November 1917 the Bolshevik conducted the election to the constituent

assembly , but they failed to gain the majority support.

In January 1918 the assembly rejected Bolshevik measure and lenin

dismissed the assembly. He believe that all Russian Congress of Soviet was
more democratic than an assembly elected in uncertain condition.

In March 1918, the Bolshevik enter into a treaty with German at brest Litovsk
and ended the war with Germany.

The Bolsheviks become one party to participate in the election all Russian
Congress of Soviet which was the parliament of the country and they won.

Russia become one party state and trade union were kept under party control
those who criticized the Bolshevik were punished by secret police ( Cheka and
later OGPU & NKVD).

Many young writer and artist oppose the party because it is stood for
socialism and change. This lead to experiment in the field of arts and
architecture after October 1917.

After October 1917, many Bolshevik followers became disillusioned by the

way the party functioned.

The civil war

The discussion of distribution of land by bolshevik caused break up of army.

Clashes between supporters of autocracy, liberals and bolshevik soldiers

started.

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The pro-Tsarists ( the ‘whites’ ) and the socialist revolutionaries (the ‘greens’ )
what a civil war with Bolshevik ( the ‘red’ ) troops during 1918 and 1919.

The white and socialist where supported by French Americans British and
Japanese troops.

Supporter of private property among whites to harsh step with peasants who
had seized land. This made white unpopular.

The red with the supporter of non-Russian nationalist and Jadidists try to
control power by January 1920.

In khiva in Central Asia, bolsavik colonist brutally killed local nationalist in the
name of defending socialism. This made the Asian countries confused about
the bolshevik government wanted.

In 1922 most non Russian nationalist where given political autonomy in the
USSR created by the Bolshevik.

USSR as a state was created from the Russian Empire in December 1922 by
the Bolshevik.

But the Bolshevik government discouraged Nomadism and this led to partial
success to win over the different nationalities of this region.

Making a socialist society

During the civil war, the Bolshevik kept industries and Bank nationalized. The
permitted peasant to cultivate the captured land to show collective work.

Centralized planning was introduced with the introduction of five-year .

1. First five year plan (1927-32) fix all the prices to promote industrial
growth.
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 2. Second five year plan (1933-38) review the economical growth. new
factory cities came into being. Increase industrial production in the field
of oil coal and steel.

Status of worker
Rapid construction led to poor working condition for worker.

In Magnitogorsk, a Steel plant where construct in 3 years worker didn't have

even basic facilities like toilet, healthcare etc.

Measure taken to improve status of worker were –

1. An extended schooling system developed and arrangement where made

for factory worker and peasant to enter universities.
2. Creches (day boarding) were established in factories for the children of
women workers.
3. Cheap public health care were provided and model living quarters .
4. However, the effect of all these measure was uneven as government
resource were limited.

Stalinism and collectivization

Planned economy of Soviet Russia brought with it some disaster and one
such disaster was collectivisation of agriculture.

Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet communist party after the death
of Lenin in January 1924.

Buy 1927 between 1928 the towns in Soviet Russia were facing in acute
shortage problem of green supplies.

The government fixed prices at which grain must be sold, but the peasant
refused to sell their grains to the government buyers at low prices.

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Stalin believe that the rich peasant and trader in the countryside were holding
stock of grains in the hope of higher prices.

So, Stalin introduce the collectivization of Soviet agriculture.

It brought the great majority of peasant into collective and state farms.

In 1928 party member tortured the grains producing areas supervised enforce
grains collections and raid the kulaks.

After 1917 land had been hand over to the peasants. For the development of
modern farming.

It was necessary to eliminate kulaks to take away land from peasants and to
establish large state controlled farm.

Stalin’s policies
From 1929 the communist party force all peasant to cultivate in collective farm
(kolkhoz). Peasants worked on land and the profit of the collective farm was
shared among them.

Peasants who opposed collectivization destroyed their livestock. Thus

between 1928 to 1931 the number of cattle decrease by one third.

The bad harvest of 1930 to 1933 led one of the most devastating famines in
Soviet history in which over 4 million people died.

Many within the party criticize Joseph Stalin for his collectivization program.

Stalin and his sympathies charged these critics ( allegations) with conspiracy
against socialism.

Many people were force to make false confessions they faced torture and
execution.

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Checkpoint
1. What were the main changes after October ?
2. Why was the whites failed to gain popularity and which country were
supporting whites?
3. What are groups who started the civil war?
4. Which group won the civil war?
5. Why in Central Asian countries have doubt about communist
government ?
6. What are the five-year plan?
7. What measure taken to improve the status of worker?
8. What is Stalin collectivization program ?
9. What are the disadvantages of collectivisation program?
10. What Are the Stalin policies to increase collectivisation among
peasant ?

Global influence of Russian

revolution and the USSR
Although the communist government where criticize the way they worked,
till they were popular across the world.

Communist parties begin to be formed around the World like communist

party of great Britain.

The communist party encourage colonial people to follow their ideas. Many
non Russian participated in the conference of the people of East 1920.

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 By the end of the 20th century the international reputation of the USSR as a
socialist country had declined.

USSR became a great power with develop industries and agriculture but
basic freedom for its people was absent.

Influence of Russian revolution in

India

In 1930 Rabindranath Tagore wrote about Russia and and India’s wave
came into effect in 1920.

Important dates

Year Date What happened

1850-1880 Debates over socialism
in Russia
1815 Giuseppe Mazzini an
Italian nationalist.
1890’s Industrial period
1898 Formation of Russian
social democratic
worker party
1900 Formation of socialist
revolutionary party
1904-1905 Russo - Japanese war
Russia loses against

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 Japan
1905-1917 Russian explain of Tsar
Nicholas II
1905 Sunday 22nd January Incident of bloody
Sunday.
1914-1918 World war 1
1914-1916 Russian army lose
against Germany and
Austria
1916 Railway lines begin to
breakdown.
1917 22-27 February February revolution
1917 22 February Celebrated as
international women’s
day
1917 22nd February Worker protest against
the factory owners.
1917 25th February Government suspended
Duma.
1917 26-27 February Demonstrators return to
on the street of Neveskii
prospect
1917 27 February Police headquarters
where stormed by angry
member of Duma.
1917 27 February Patrograd Soviet
formed.
1917 28 February A designation went to
see Tsar and resign the
throne on the advice of
the military
commanders.
1917 2nd March T s a r Nicholas II
abdicated.
1917 Provisional government
formed under Russia.
1917 3rd – 4th April Lenin return from exile
and demanded April
thesis
1917 July Provisional government

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 repressed the worker
movement and leaders
demanded
redistribution of land in
countryside
1917 July and September Peasant where
encouraged by the
socialist revolutionary
for seized land
1917 October October revolution
1917 16th October Lenin United supporters
from army Soviet and
factories and the Soviet
appointed a military
revolutionary committee
under Leon Trotskii
leadership for seizing
power
1917 24th October Prime minister currently
left the city to someone
troops in fear.
Provisional government
capture to telephone
offices and telegraphy
officers of Bolshevik.
1917 December Bolshevik control the
Moscow Petrograd area
1917 November Bolshevik implied April
thesis.
1917 November Private property
opposed.
1918 January Assembly rejected
Bolshevik Lenin
dismiss the assembly
1918 March Bolsheviks enter into a
treaty with Germany at
brest Litovsk
1918-20 Civil war
1920 January Bolsheviks with the
supporter of non

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 Russian nationalist and
Jadidists
1922 USSR formed
1927-1932 First five year plan
1933-1938 2nd year plan
1924 January L e n I n died Joseph
Stalin became the
leader of Soviet
communist party.
1927-1928 Soviet Russia face
shortage of grains.
1930 - 1933 Devastating feminine in
Soviet history
1930 Rabindranath Tagore
write about Russia.

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