Compare and contrast the causes and nature of the two 1917 Russian Revolutions

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

01/15/2009

Category :

History & geography

Sub category :

Modern history

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Summary :

Introduction.
The two revolutions of radically different nature.
1. Role of Bolsheviks: From a surprise to full implication.
2. Scale and spontaneity: From overthrow of a government to people's revolutions.
Casuality.
1. Power vacuum: Collapse of inner authority.
2. The role of the war: humiliating defeats and alienation of the army.
3. The situation of socio-economic decline: inability to solve the internal problems.
Major difference: An ever-growing discontent that Lenin was able to exploit.
1. An ever-growing discontent of the masses: workers' and peasants' distress.
2. Lenin's impact: the influence of a strong and charismatic leader.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.

Abstract

"Every social group, every nationality, every region, every town, every village, had its own revolution", wrote Christopher Read and indeed, 1917 proved to be for Russia a year of turmoil and change. Traditionally, however, 1917 is known as a year of two revolutions, February Revolution and October Revolution . Yet, how different were they, in their nature and in their causes? On the surface two 1917 revolutions divided by eight months had nothing in common: the first was a rather spontaneous collapse of the tsardom from within, while the second was a seizure of power by the Bolsheviks from Provisional Government which had replaced the Tsar. The nature of two revolutions does seem rather dissimilar, especially in terms of preparation and scale; however the causation appears to be analogous at many points: many reasons that led to collapse of the tsardom, such as social and economic discontent, war, attitude of the armed forces and incompetence of the government, resemble reasons that led to destruction of the Provisional government. Yet, unlike rather spontaneous February revolution, October revolution was planned and carried out by a particular group - Bolsheviks, without participation of which the revolution would have not been possible.