Causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917 - Term Paper Example

The Revolution was initiated by the bread riots of February 23 and was later followed by massive industrial strikes and military strikes. The negative effects of World War 1 were responsible for sparking the russian Revolution in 1917 since the government was experiencing a shortage in food reserves, ammunition, factories, and low morale among the soldiers. The Corrupt Czarist government and massive treason among the top military ranks created a crisis that paralyzed normal national life. The peasants and workers in factories experienced poverty and denounced the war and killed the rich peasants to seize control of productive agricultural land (Wade, 5). russia was predominantly an agricultural economy and the clergy, nobility, and royal families owned much of the agricultural land and controlled much of the agricultural production. The Czarist government did little to improve the economic system and a majority of the peasants in the villages suffered from diseases and extreme poverty. The economic system had created an imbalance in the social structure thus hindering education, public health, and medical relief thus occasioning discontent among the masses that were addicted to vodka due to misery and poverty (Wade, 6). Workers' strikes were considered as the only option for the ruthless and repressive Czarist government in dealing with protesting workers and russian soldiers fired at the protestors. Subsequently, the heavy losses suffered during the World War 1 undermine the strength and morale of russian soldiers and many of them deserted their battle fronts to join the factory workers and peasants in the ongoing revolution (Wade, 7).

Other attributable causes of the Revolution include the increase in the politicized urban workforce especially ironworks and factories that associated themselves with industrial society. Although the Czarist government had tried to entrench socialist trade unions, such unions remained neutral during workers' protests. The expanding population in Russian cities caused social problems like poor housing, bad wages, and disregard for employment rights. The censuring of books, and newspapers, and unwarranted police swoops on dissenting citizens created mass discontent among the middle class and ultimately led to the demand for freedom of expression (D’Agostino, 27).

By the end of February 1917, two organizations that include the Provisional Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and the Provisional Committee of the Duma had emerged. The first one represented the social revolutionaries, factory workers, Bolsheviks, and Mensheviks. The Czarist ministers were held under house arrest, and Czar Nicholas II abdicated on at the beginning of March. A provisional coalition government was entrenched and was soon recognized by the allied powers as the legitimate successor of the Czarist government (D’Agostino, 28).

However, a civil war broke out in June 1918 with the Whites including the liberals, monarchists, and socialists rebelling against the Reds who included the Bolshevik regime. The Bolshevik regime was worried that Whites would eventually free Czar and the royal family members thus ultimately leading to the restoration of the previous monarchy. However, Czar and his immediate family members were shot dead in July 1918 thus demoralizing the efforts of the Whites. Bolsheviks considered themselves a revolutionary working class that was determined at addressing the needs of the peasants and factory workers by establishing the party in all towns, cities, and districts. Bolsheviks also benefited from the brilliance of lenin who criticized the shortcomings of the provisional government in Petrograd thus leading to the unpopularity of the coalition government. In addition, Bolsheviks created a Revolutionary Military Committee and organized the Red Guards to take over the Petrograd Army thus leading to the complete allegiance of the Petrograd troops to the Bolsheviks’ ideology. lenin also came up with the New Economic Policy (N.E.P) that consisted of both state socialism and capitalism ideas thus attracting more workers and soldiers to the Bolsheviks' plans. In addition, Bolsheviks introduced industrialization plans that would take control of the agrarian economy from the Kulaks to the state and ensure higher crop production (D’Agostino, 35).

The Russian Revolution of 1917 can be attributed to the economic and social hardships that were facing factory workers and the demoralization of the russian soldiers due to the losses incurred during World War 1. Bolsheviks prevailed during the civil war due to clear economic policies, the confidence of the Red Guards, and the shooting of Czar Nicholas 11. Although Bolsheviks eventually prevailed, the civil war dramatically changed the social life of russia since millions of people were killed, and the Soviet Union regime was entrenched until its fall in 1991.