PEACE, BREAD, AND LAND

Transcription

1 PEACE, BREAD, AND LAND The Russian Revolution of 1917 Author: Michelle McNally Teacher: Mr. Walker Course Code: CHY 4U Date of Submission: May 26 th, 2014

2 Actions speak louder than words: It s a common, cliché. Echoed repeatedly by our teachers, parents, and various other mentors, the saying encourages us to do more, say less, and act on our words. If we examine humanity s vast past of revolutionary events, we can identify numerous scenarios where this slogan can be applied. For instance, we can see the French peasants revolting and taking action against the aristocratic monarchy in the 1700 s 1, or Mahatma Ghandi leading the Salt March as an act of civil disobedience against British rule in India. 2 Yet, if we are to turn this phrase around, so that words can speak louder than actions, what revolutionary occurrence does it represent to us now? Whose words have the ability to cause action? To what degree? Can the ideas one individual have the capability to change the minds of the masses, to shape society, to trigger a rebellion? The answer lies with Karl Marx and the Russian Revolution. The demise of Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian monarchy at the hands of the Bolsheviks, a period known as the Russian Revolution, was solely motivated by the most prominent piece of literary work of German philosopher, Karl Marx 3. The Russian Revolution of was therefore inevitable with the existence and influence of Karl Marx s Communist Manifesto 5. In 1 The Beginning of the French Revolution, The Beginning of the French Revolution, EyeWitness to History, 1 Jan Web. 17 May < 2 Salt March. History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 17 May < 3 A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom, YouTube. Web. < 4 Causes of the February Revolution BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 17 May < 5 Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto Google Books, Web. < &hl=en&sa=x&ei=fnp3u52lhtodqgbgvilobg&ved=0cdqq6aewaq#v=onepage&q=the%20communist%20manife sto%20original&f=false>. Page 2

3 the country s grim condition and the Manifesto s stirring ideals, the Russians were pushed to a state of revolution. Marx s principles became the reasoning behind the dissolving of the monarchy and implementation of a communist regime, the disappearance of the Russian aristocracy, the changes in industry, and the abolishment of the system of serfdom. Whether Marx s intentions were to initiate a complete overhaul of society, or simply enlighten a few despots, the Revolution clearly demonstrates the depth and power of his words written in the Manifesto. The contents of the Communist Manifesto entail Marx s theory of conflict 6, the suggestion that society is experiencing strife between the rich and the poor, the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. In the boom of the Industrial Revolution 7, Marx observed the suppression and exploitation of the lower, working class by the small minority of capitalist giants. Witness to these conditions of inequality, Marx proposed that with education and personal development, the Proletariat could rise up and overthrow the Bourgeois, enacting a revolution as a means to equalize society 8. With that, civilization would become classless, with all wealth distributed evenly between everyone, ridding of private ownership and selfishness. This theory, dubbed as Communism 9, would become the principles of the Bolsheviks in their attempts to politically and socially reface Russia. The Communist Manifesto s largest concept was the overthrowing of the greedy, corrupt Bourgeois, whom would be replaced by a stronger, more directional, communist government. 6 A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom. 7 8 A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom. 9 Page 3

4 Sixty-nine years after the book s publication 10, the Russian Proletariats would extract this theory as reason to overthrow their leader, Tsar Nicholas II. The Tsar, despite being the eldest son of the preceding king, Alexander III 11, was not well-groomed for the inheritance of the throne. Having no political or leadership experience, Nicholas II struggled to rule his country. He and his aristocratic nature, encouraged by his wife, Alexandria 12, internally conflicted with his desires for control as a monarch and his lack of knowledge. Nicholas was known to have mistrusted his ministers of parliament, the Duma 13, who were hounding for more democratic ways. The Tsar, given no concept of how to govern, would keenly seize control of military and economic prospects, attempting to lead like a good absolutist, but only worsening the already fragile state of Russia. One of Nicholas s greatest failures was the Russo-Japanese War 14. Nicholas was determined to expand Russia s borders, probably with hopes of gaining strategic and commercial sea ports, and in , marched his troops to occupy South Manchuria, an area in Northeastern Asia. The Russian presence interrupted a coup by the Japanese against Korea, leading Japan to rebuttal with an attack on Russia. The ill-prepared army fought against the Japanese for a year, before returning to a now bankrupt, and frustrated homeland. Outside the palace walls, Russia was in a state of poverty. Comparable to Marx s visions, the nation was divided by a large gap between the rich and the poor. Famers and lower class citizens 10 Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto "Historic Figures: Nicholas II ( )." BBC History. Web. < 12 "Historic Figures: Nicholas II ( )." BBC History. Web. 13 Causes of the February Revolution BBC News. 14 "The Treaty of Portsmouth and the Russo-Japanese War, " Office of the Historian Bureau of Public Affairs. Web. < 15 Page 4

5 survived on low wages and dire working conditions. The economy lay shattered, drained from funding wars Russia could not win. The conditions were ripe for revolution. As Nicholas made no good attempt to crush any protests or dispersion of radical propaganda, such as the Communist Manifesto, the fantasy of communism and revolt spread. On January 22 nd, 1905, known as Bloody Sunday 16, riots broke out in St. Petersburg as protesters demanding reform fought with the imperial guard. After years of struggling with the Duma, and more military failure in World War One, Nicholas was forced to abdicate the throne in February , leaving a simple provisional government to take his place. New power houses emerged, particularity the Marxist and radical political party, The Bolsheviks 18, led by Vladimir Lenin, a primary driving force behind the Revolution. Less than a year after the king s abdication, he and the rest of the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government, and installed a new form of power, communism. From that year on, Russia would rule as a communist state until the collapse of the Soviet Union in The Bolsheviks, built solely of working class men, remained true to the ideals of Marx, and in with their new found power, vowed to the people economic revival and national stability, and to impose freedom without the dictatorship of a monarchy. Peace, Land and Bread 20, became the promise of the Bolsheviks in their quest to instill strength in Russia. Marx s vision of society became the vision of the Bolsheviks, which drove them to an inevitable revolution whereby they 16 "Historic Figures: Nicholas II ( )." BBC History Alpha History. "Bolsheviks and Mensheviks." Russian Revolution. Web. < 19 BBC. "Timeline: Soviet Union." BBC News, Web. < 20 Smele, Johnathan, Dr. "War and Revolution in Russia " BBC News. BBC, 10 Mar Web. 18 May < Page 5

6 ridded themselves of the monarch, and replaced their government with Marx s creation of Communism. Karl Marx s ideas of the demise of the Bourgeois were not exclusively linked to the government. The Manifesto envisioned a classless society, one were wealth would not be hoarded by individuals, but shared among everyone. This notion would explain the disappearance of the nobility and upper class with the onset of the Revolution. Karl Marx s Communist Manifesto influenced the Revolution to become inevitable, and its philosophies became reason for the revolutionists to drive out the aristocrats. Early statistics suggest that the nobility of Russia consisted of about two million people, less than one percent of the population 21. The nobility held high ranking positions: many had military and business relations with the monarchy. In spite of living in unparalleled luxury, however, the aristocracy saw no value in their native country. Frequent travel to Europe exposed nobles to ideals of the Enlightment and Western culture, which, coming from an impoverished state, seemed much more enjoyable and entertaining than what existed back in their own nation. In many ways, the nobles were embarrassed of Russia, and tried hard to fit in with European norms, hiding their true heritage, and only speaking English or French rather than Russian. With problems back home, it would seem expected that an upper-crust aristocrat would want to avoid angry protesters and envious Russian peasants who were starving. Their disloyalty blinded them from the poverty and social unrest, fueling much hatred towards them. 21 Desliver, Drew. "'Former People": The Decline and Fall of Russia's Glittering Aristocracy." The Seattle Times. 14 Oct Web. < Page 6

7 With the Revolution in full swing and Nicholas II dead, the Bolsheviks began to seek means of wealth in order to kick-start their utopian world. Starting over as a communist nation and the division of wealth, as the Manifesto describes, didn t sound very appetising to the well-off nobles. Seen as potential counter-revolutionists, the Bolsheviks killed off as many aristocrats as they could as they scrambled to leave the country. Mansions were burned to the ground and looted. Nobles not willing to share for the good of communism, were flushed out. The extermination of the aristocracy, on failing to become equalized with the rest of the communist nation, falls on the Marxist ideals written in the Communist Manifesto, which were adopted by the revolutionists. The existence of the Manifesto, therefore, made the Revolution and the death of aristocracy inevitable. Social politics aside, industry became a large focus of the Bolsheviks in their quest to reshape Russia. In accordance with the Communist Manifesto, private ownership was overturned for collective, communist production. The decision for change was, as expected, influenced by the poor job the Russian Bourgeois had done in managing the nation s economy. Between 1850 and the 19 th century, Russia s population doubled 22, leading to an expansion of the working force and the development of urban areas. The Bourgeois saw this as a means to get rich, now equipped with greater man-power, and pushed for industrialization so Russia could become more competitive to their western neighbors. In particular, the steel and coal industry boomed, production in the mines increasing by about 1200% "Russia: Transformation of Russia in the 19th Century." The Library of Congress, July Web. < 23 Page 7

8 As the economy grew, it became increasingly unstable. Geographic expansion did little to increase revenue, and surpluses in exports created debt. Soon, foreign trade could not be financed, with little to no profit for funding. Factories closed, and thousands were made redundant. Debt quadrupled, becoming 28% of expenditures 24. The lack of financial direction and abundance of greed left Russia no better off than before. With the Russian Bourgeois controlling the financial powers, leading the country into a poor economy, the Proletariats were warmed to the idea of a collective economy, seeing it as a preventive measure from poverty and debt. Attached to capitalist production, was the symbol of power, and with the symbol of power, came the reminder of the monarchy. As quoted by the Manifesto, to be a capitalist, is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in production. Capital is a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last resort, only by the united action of all members of society, can it be set in motion. Capital is therefore not only personal; it is a social power Chapter II. Proletarians and Communists, Page 5 The Proletariats did not want to acquire individual, personal power and capital, as the Bourgeois had, seeing the principle as greed and potential for creating dangerous debt. Therefore, industrially communist ideals springing from the Marx s Manifesto became a driving point for the Russian Revolution, as the Proletariats sought out a better structure for the economy. 24 "Russia: Transformation of Russia in the 19th Century." The Library of Congress 25 Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto , page 5 Page 8

9 Tying everything together, the one of the main causes of the Russian Revolution under influence of the Communist Manifesto, was the failure to abolish the serfdom in Russia effectively. Serfdom, peasants living on the land of their lord with payment of service, dates back to 13 th century Russia 26. Tartar devastation caused many peasants to become homeless and settle on the land of wealthy Russians, beginning the cycle of serfdom. Landowners had complete control over their peasants, whose lifetime of slavery was inescapable. With the conclusion of the Crimean War 27 in 1856, Russia was left defeated and no longer a high ranking military power. This loss resulted in economic strains, and Tsar Alexander II 28 was persuaded to end the serf based economy to increase finances and regain footing. Society had long outgrown the need for serfdom. The Proletariats were much in favour of this change, as it would bring them freedom and possible ways to earn their own living. As the Communist Manifesto quotes, when referring to serfdom, Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie, in other words, its existence is no longer compatible with society. 29 Chapter I. Bourgeois and Proletarians, page 9 26 Simkin, John. "Russian Serfs." Spartacus Educational, Web. < 27 Chapter 23: State Building and Social Change in Europe " Pearson, Web. <http%3a%2f%2fwps.ablongman.com%2flong_kishlansky_bhwc_4%2f21%2f5521%2f cw%2findex.html > Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto , page 9 Page 9

10 The nobility were outraged by this suggestion, but none the less, the Emancipation Manifesto was passed in , granting land to former peasants in exchange for payment to their landlords 31. Hopes that this policy would be successful were quickly diminished. Rather than assigning the land back to peasants as individuals, the land was given to peasant communes to insure payment. This gave no benefit to the peasants as they still could not own the land separately, and sharing it with others still forced them to be tied down. Tax on the land was also incredibly high, so many peasants could not afford to keep the land they had paid for. The serfs were not granted the liberty they wished, the reform completely inadequate. It seemed that even when the monarchy promised for change, they would always find a way to give themselves the greater benefit and the Bourgeois more profit. The serfdom betrayal softened the ground for revolution, having upset peasants who were tired of having their freedom held in the hands of others, while refusing to democratise Russia. With Marx s communist ideals supporting the notion serfdom abolishment and the discarding of the Bourgeois, the Russian people eased closer to an inevitable revolution. Having suffered years of economic turmoil, war, and poor judgment, the Russian Revolution of seems long overdue. Pushed to the edge, with the Communist Manifesto presenting itself as a massive influence, the radicalized Russian people drove out their weak king and brought Marx s vision to life: communism. As a guide, the Communist Manifesto became the foundations of the new era in Russia, revolutionizing the country like no other nation on Earth. It 30 Simkin, John. "Russian Serfs." Causes of the February Revolution BBC News. Page 10

11 is with the existence of Karl Marx s Communist Manifesto, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was inevitable. The Manifesto stood as reason to discard of the monarchy and enforce communism, drive the aristocracy from the country, form a collective economy without private ownership or capital, and the rid of the system of serfdom. Karl Marx has gone down in history as a man whose words could change the course of history. In the present day, we must be on the lookout for writers like Marx who may have the same gift, the gift to change humanity forever. Page 11

12 Bibliography 1. Alpha History. "Bolsheviks and Mensheviks." Russian Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. < 2. BBC. "Timeline: Soviet Union." BBC News, Web. < 3. A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom, YouTube. Web. < 4. "Chapter 23: State Building and Social Change in Europe " Pearson, Web. <http%3a%2f%2fwps.ablongman.com%2flong_kishlansky_bhwc_4%2f21%2f5521%2f cw%2Findex.html>. 5. Desliver, Drew. "'Former People": The Decline and Fall of Russia's Glittering Aristocracy." The Seattle Times. N.p., 14 Oct Web. < 6. "Historic Figures: Nicholas II ( )." BBC History. N.p., n.d. Web. < 7. Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. N.p.: n.p., N. pag. Google Books, Web. < +manifesto+original&hl=en&sa=x&ei=fnp3u52lhtodqgbgvilobg&ved=0cdqq6aewaq# v=onepage&q=the%20communist%20manifesto%20original&f=false>. 8. "Russia: Transformation of Russia in the 19th Century." The Library of Congress, July Web. < 9. Simkin, John. "Russian Serfs." Spartacus Educational, Web. < 10. Smele, Johnathan, Dr. "War and Revolution in Russia " BBC News. BBC, 10 Mar Web. 18 May < 11. "The Treaty of Portsmouth and the Russo-Japanese War, " Office of the Historian Bureau of Public Affairs, n.d. Web. < Page 12