Communism in Russia has a long history. It started after Tsar Nicholas II lost his power during the February Revolution. Both Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks were taken by surprise. The Provisional Government was established under Prince Lvov, but the Bolsheviks refused to accept the provisional government. The Bolsheviks revolted in October 1917 taking control of Russia. The Bolsheviks were in power with Vladimir Lenin being the leader, between 1917 and 1927.[1] The Bolsheviks formed the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. This started the Russian Civil War between the revolutionary Reds and the counter-revolutionary Whites. In 1922 the Reds (Communist) were victorious, forming the Soviet Union. In 1924 Lenin died, there was a brief power struggle, which Joseph Stalin won. Stalin gained power in 1924 and was the leader until 1953. Stalin encouraged political paranoia and conducted the Great Purge to remove opponents of his dominance.
Stalin died in 1953, and the Soviet Union when through “de-Stalinization” under the new leader Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev’s attempts to improve the lives of ordinary citizens were often ineffective. Khrushchev ruled through the years of the Cold War.[2] Leonid Brezhnev was appointed leader in 1964. Brezhnev governed the era without economic reforms, which led to a national economic decline by the mid-1970s.[3]Yuri Andropov gained power in 1982 and tried to improve the economy by increasing management effectiveness but without making changes to the principles of a socialist economy. Andropov later died in 1984, fifteen months after gaining power.[4]
Konstantin Chernenko led the Soviet Union from 1984 until his death thirteen months later in 1985. Chernenko was unable to consolidate power and effective control of the Communist party. Chernenko did little to prevent the escalation of the cold war with the United States and Western Europe.[5] Mikhail Gorbachev became the last leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 and led until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Gorbachev improved relations and trade with the West, and reduced the Cold War tensions. He implemented the Glasnost, which meant that Soviet people had the freedom that they never previously had; this included greater freedom of speech. The press was less controlled and many thousands of political prisoners and dissidents were released. Gorbachev removed the constitution role of the Communist party. This led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991.[6]
Contents
Russian Revolution
February Revolution
The First World War placed an unbearable strain on Russia's weak government and economy, resulting in mass shortages and hunger. In the meantime, the mismanagement and failures of the war turned the people - and importantly the soldiers - against the Tsar, whose decision to take personal command of the army seemed to make him personally responsible for the defeats. In February 1917, the Tsar lost control first of the streets, then of the soldiers, and finally of the Duma, resulting in his forced abdication on 2 March 1917[7]
25 February 1917, Citywide strikes spreads throughout Petrograd. Dozens of demonstrators were killed by troops. The crowds grow hostile so the soldiers had to decide which side they were on, as the situation became critical soldiers refused to work of Tsar [7]
26 February 1917, The Army abandoned the Tsar; the soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots. The government lost control of the country[7]
27 February 1917, The workers are in control the entire city now. Things were getting out of control so somebody had to take control [7]
October Revolution
On October 24–25, 1917, the Bolsheviks and Left Socialist Revolutionaries organized a coup d’état; occupying government buildings, telegraph stations, and other strategic points.[8]
On October 24, 1917, the Red Guards took over bridges and telephone exchange[8]
On October 25 and 26, 1917, the Red Guards took over Banks, Government building and railways stations. Cruiser Aurora fires blank shots at the winter place signaling the start of the revolution. That night (9:40PM) the Red Guards took over the winter place and arrested the Provisional Government.[8]
On October 27, 1917, Lenin announced the new Communist Government[8]
Organizations
- All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (1995)
- All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (1991)
- All-Union Young Guard Bolsheviks
- Alliance of the Revolutionary Socialists
- Communist Party of the Russian Federation
- Communist Party of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
- Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1992)
- Communist Party of the Soviet Union (2001)
- Communist Party of Social Justice
- Communists of Russia
- Essence of Time
- Labour Russia
- League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class
- Left Front
- Leninist Komsomol of the Russian Federation
- Party of Narodnik Communists
- Party of Revolutionary Communism
- Party of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat
- Revolutionary Communist Youth League (Bolshevik)
- Revolutionary Workers' Party
- Russian Communist Workers Party
- Russian Communist Workers' Party of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Russian Maoist Party
- Russian Socialist Movement
- Russian United Labour Front
- Socialist Alternative
- Socialist League Vpered
- Stalin Bloc – For the USSR
- Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Vanguard of Red Youth
See also
- Ideology of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Leninism
- New Soviet man
- Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
- Soviet Union
- Sovietization
References
- ^ Daniels, R (2001) [1993]. "A documentary history of communism in Russia: From Lenin to Gorbachev". University of Vermont.
- ^ Taubman ,Khrushchev & Gleason ((2000; 2013;)). "Nikita Khrushchev". Yale University Press. Check date values in:
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(help) - ^ Dönninghaus & Savin (2014). "Leonid brezhnev. Russian Studies in History".
- ^ Nelson, G (2005). Encyclopedia of Intelligence & Counterintelligence. Routledge.
- ^ "Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- ^ "The University of Notre Dame Australia :: EzProxy Login". academic.eb.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- ^ a b c d Smithsonian Channel (2012-09-10), Russian Revolution in Color - Mutiny in Petrograd, retrieved 2016-05-16
- ^ a b c d "Russian Revolution of 1917". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2016-05-16.