Russian Revolution

From Roses, Tulips, & Liberty

The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution across the territory of the Russian Empire, commencing with the abolition of the monarchy in 1925 and concluding in 1928 with the Nationalist Republican establishment of the Russian Republic at the end of the Russian civil war.

Background

In 1922 a series of crop failures along with poor financial decisions made by the Russian imperial authorities caused a financial crisis known as the Russian depression (part of the extended European Economic Crisis of 1922 - 1928). During the depression massive famines in the Ukraine and the Don Kuban region sent thousands of refugees north towards urban centers such as Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev which led to food riots, strikes and crackdowns by imperial authorities. Around every large city in Russia large shanty towns informally known as "Czartowns" started popping up; these shantytowns were overcrowded and disease outbreaks were common in them. During this time period anti-elite, anti-czar and pro-republican sentiments started to grow throughout the Russian empire. In 1923 the Russian Republican Congress (the largest republican organization in Russia at the time, also known as the R.R.C.) had over a million members in the Muscovite region alone.

Storming of the Palace

By the winter of 1925 the situation in Russia rapidly deteriorated with most citizens believing that the Czar mishandled the economic crisis and exacerbated the famines in the rural south through poor economic policy. Additionally there was an outrage at the continued opulence of the Czar, Czarina and nobilities lifestyles while so many of the lower classes starved.

On December 3rd the winter palace was surrounded by a bread riot that swept through Moscow and after 6 hours of rioting the Winter palace was stormed by the protestors. The nobility left the previous day to St. Petersburg (but after hearing of the storming of the palace left to Britain). After 2 days of further agitation and the break down of imperial civil control in Russia the Russian Republican Congress declared the first Russian Republic and the end of imperial rule. The imperial military after a week of tension with the new government reluctantly agreed to back the new government.

Russian Civil War

For the first month of it's existence the new Republic was struck in deadlock between the two major factions in government, the liberal republicans and the nationalist republicans. Additionally after the Czar fled many non Russian regions of the empire declared independence, while the Russian military acted mostly autonomously from the Republics congress. In February of 1926 after the first wave of elections was marred with controversy the Nationalist Republicans walked out of congress and started to conspire to overthrow the liberal-republican dominated congress.

The next week after a series of negotiations with the military (led by General Mikhail Orlov) and the leaders of the Cossacks, the newly reformed Nationalist Republican faction now known as the 'Russian National Congress' declared the Russian Republican Congress illegitimate. Over the next 2 years the liberal and nationalist congresses along with their respective loyalist militaries and militias would wage a brief civil war with the Nationalists eventually winning in the spring of 1928.