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Turning Points of the Russian Revolution

Was Revolution Inevitable?

Tony Brenton

was revolution inevitable?

was revolution inevitable?

TURNING POINTS OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

EDITED BY TONY BRENTON

OXFORD

UNIVERSITY PRESS

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UNIVERSITY PRESS

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries.

Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States ofAmerica.

© Tony Brenton 2017

First published in Great Britain by Profile Books.

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without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above.

You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress

ISBN 978-0-19-065891-5

135798642 Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America

Русский бунт, бессмысленный и беспощадный (Russian revolt, mindless and merciless) A. S. Pushkin

CONTENTS

A Note to the Reader ix

Chronology x

Acknowledgements xvii

Map xviii

Introduction Tony Brenton 1

1900-1920 Foreign intervention: The long view

Dominic Lieven 11

September 1911 The assassination of Stolypin

Simon Dixon 29

June 1914 Grigory Rasputin and the outbreak of the

First World War

Douglas Smith 48

March 1917 The last Tsar

Donald Crawford 66

April-July 1917 Enter Lenin

Sean McMeekin 91

August 1917 The Kornilov affair: A tragedy of errors

Richard Pipes 109

October 1917 The 'harmless drunk': Lenin and the

October insurrection

Orlando Figes 123

January 1918 The short life and early death of

Russian democracy: The Duma and the Constituent Assembly

Tony Brenton 142

July 1918 Rescuing the Tsar and his family

Edvard Radzinsky 163

August 1918 Fanny Kaplan's attempt to kill Lenin

Martin Sixsmith 178

November 1918 Sea change in the Civil War

Evan Mawdsley 200

March 1920 The fate of the Soviet countryside

Erik C. Landis 218

February 1922 The 'Bolshevik Reformation'

14 1917-1922

Catriona Kelly 244

The rise of Leninism: The death of political pluralism in the post-revolutionary Bolshevik party

Richard Sakwa 262

Afterword

284

Lenin and yesterday's utopia Tony Brenton

Notes

Dramatis Personae

Contributors

302 331

337

339

Index

A NOTE TO THE READER

Prior to February 1918 Russia still used the Julian calendar (so called Old Style, OS) which was thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar (New Style, NS) to which it then switched, bringing it in line with the West. Throughout this book dates for events in Russia are given Old Style up to February 1918 and New Style thereafter. In case of ambigu­ity we make clear whether OS or NS.

CHRONOLOGY

9 Jan: Bloody Sunday.

Jan: Major wave of strikes and disturbances (continuing through year).

May: Battle of Tsushima, culminating Russian defeat in war with Japan.

5 Sept (NS): Treaty of Portsmouth ends Russo-Japanese war.

Oct: Witte offers draft political reforms to Tsar.

17 Oct: Tsar announces package of political reforms, including creation of Duma.

16 April: Witte, having lost Tsar's confidence, resigns as Prime Minister.

April: New Fundamental laws made public; Stolypin Minister of Interior.

April: First Duma opens.

8 July: First Duma dissolved; Stolypin Prime Minister.

Aug-Nov: First round of Stolypin reforms.

20 Feb: Second Duma opens.

March: Stolypin announces further reforms.

2 June: Second Duma dissolved; new electoral law.

7 Nov: Third Duma opens, runs to 1912.

1 Sept: Stolypin shot; dies four days later.

15 Nov: Fourth Duma opens.

29 June: Assassination attempt on Rasputin.

1 Aug (NS): Germany declares war on Russia.

Late August: Major Russian defeats in Germany.

April-July: Germans invade Poland. A number of ministers, including Minister of war, replaced.

19 July: Duma reconvened for six weeks.

Aug: Unavailing demand from Ministers that Tsar let Duma form cabinet.

Aug: Tsar takes command of armed forces. Moves to HQat Mogilev. Period of 'Tsaritsa Government' begins.

3 Sept: Duma prorogued.

Jan-Nov: Empress/Rasputin oversee stream of rapid ministerial changes, including Minister of War, Interior Minister and Prime Minister (twice).

1 Nov: Duma reconvenes. Major attack by Kerensky on Rasputin and by Miliukov on top level 'stupidity or treason'.

17 Dec: Rasputin murdered.

27 Dec: Yet another new Prime Minister.

14 Feb: Duma reconvenes.

23-24 Feb: Demonstrations in Petrograd provoked by bread shortage.

Feb: Demonstrations turn violent. Tsar (in Mogilev) orders suppression by force.

Feb: Army fires on crowd, killing forty. Part of garrison mutinies in protest. Tsar dismisses as panic Rodzyanko's telegraphed demand for new government.

Feb: Most of Petrograd in hands of mutinous troops. Duma prorogued, but sets up 'Temporary Committee'. Government dissolving. Tsar orders General Ivanov to proceed to Petrograd and put mutiny down. Organising meeting for Petrograd Soviet.

Feb: Tsar sets out for Tsarskoe Selo. First meeting of Petrograd Soviet. Disturbances spread to Moscow.

March: Imperial train diverted to Pskov. Arrives in the evening. Tsar,

at urging of Alexeev, agrees to Duma based ministry and cancels Ivanov's mission. Meanwhile Duma and Soviet agree principles for establishment of Provisional Government. Formation of Moscow Soviet. 'Order No. 1' effectively strips military officers of most of their authority.

March: Provisional Government formed under Prince Lvov.