“PEACE, BREAD, AND LAND”
The Russian Revolution of 1917
Author: Michelle McNally
Teacher: Mr. Walker
Course Code: CHY 4U
Date of Submission: May 26th, 2014
Actions speak louder than words: It’s a common, cliché. Echoed repeatedly by our teachers,
parents, and various other mentors, the saying encourages us to do more, say less, and act on our
words. If we examine humanity’s vast past of revolutionary events, we can identify numerous
scenarios where this slogan can be applied. For instance, we can see the French peasants
revolting and taking action against the aristocratic monarchy in the 1700’s1, or Mahatma Ghandi
leading the Salt March as an act of civil disobedience against British rule in India.2 Yet, if we are
to turn this phrase around, so that words can speak louder than actions, what revolutionary
occurrence does it represent to us now? Whose words have the ability to cause action? To what
degree? Can the ideas one individual have the capability to change the minds of the masses, to
shape society, to trigger a rebellion? The answer lies with Karl Marx and the Russian
Revolution.
The demise of Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian monarchy at the hands of the Bolsheviks, a
period known as the Russian Revolution, was solely motivated by the most prominent piece of
literary work of German philosopher, Karl Marx3. The Russian Revolution of 19174 was
therefore inevitable with the existence and influence of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto5. In
1
The Beginning of the French Revolution, 1789. The Beginning of the French Revolution, 1789. EyeWitness to
History, 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/frenchrevolution.htm>.
2
Salt March. History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 17 May 2014.
<http://www.history.com/topics/salt-march>.
3
A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom, 2013. YouTube. Web.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0GFSUu5UzA>.
4
Causes of the February Revolution 1917. BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 17 May 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/history/russia_1914_1941/february_revolution_causes/revision/1/>.
5
Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. 1848. Google Books, 2001. Web.
<http://books.google.ca/books?id=u6VEAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+communist+manifesto+original
&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fNp3U52LHtODqgbGvILoBg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20communist%20manife
sto%20original&f=false>.
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the country’s grim condition and the Manifesto’s stirring ideals, the Russians were pushed to a
state of revolution. Marx’s principles became the reasoning behind the dissolving of the
monarchy and implementation of a communist regime, the disappearance of the Russian
aristocracy, the changes in industry, and the abolishment of the system of serfdom. Whether
Marx’s intentions were to initiate a complete overhaul of society, or simply enlighten a few
despots, the Revolution clearly demonstrates the depth and power of his words written in the
Manifesto.
The contents of the Communist Manifesto entail Marx’s theory of conflict6, the suggestion that
society is experiencing strife between the rich and the poor, the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat.
In the boom of the Industrial Revolution7, Marx observed the suppression and exploitation of the
lower, working class by the small minority of capitalist giants. Witness to these conditions of
inequality, Marx proposed that with education and personal development, the Proletariat could
rise up and overthrow the Bourgeois, enacting a revolution as a means to equalize society8. With
that, civilization would become classless, with all wealth distributed evenly between everyone,
ridding of private ownership and selfishness. This theory, dubbed as Communism9, would
become the principles of the Bolsheviks in their attempts to politically and socially reface
Russia.
The Communist Manifesto’s largest concept was the overthrowing of the greedy, corrupt
Bourgeois, whom would be replaced by a stronger, more directional, communist government.
6
A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom.
Ibid
8
A Brief Introduction To Marxism. The Curious Classroom.
9
Ibid
7
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Sixty-nine years after the book’s publication10, the Russian Proletariats would extract this theory
as reason to overthrow their leader, Tsar Nicholas II. The Tsar, despite being the eldest son of the
preceding king, Alexander III11, was not well-groomed for the inheritance of the throne. Having
no political or leadership experience, Nicholas II struggled to rule his country. He and his
aristocratic nature, encouraged by his wife, Alexandria12, internally conflicted with his desires
for control as a monarch and his lack of knowledge. Nicholas was known to have mistrusted his
ministers of parliament, the Duma13, who were hounding for more democratic ways. The Tsar,
given no concept of how to govern, would keenly seize control of military and economic
prospects, attempting to lead like a good absolutist, but only worsening the already fragile state
of Russia. One of Nicholas’s greatest failures was the Russo-Japanese War14. Nicholas was
determined to expand Russia’s borders, probably with hopes of gaining strategic and commercial
sea ports, and in 190415, marched his troops to occupy South Manchuria, an area in Northeastern
Asia. The Russian presence interrupted a coup by the Japanese against Korea, leading Japan to
rebuttal with an attack on Russia. The ill-prepared army fought against the Japanese for a year,
before returning to a now bankrupt, and frustrated homeland.
Outside the palace walls, Russia was in a state of poverty. Comparable to Marx’s visions, the
nation was divided by a large gap between the rich and the poor. Famers and lower class citizens
10
Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. 1848.
"Historic Figures: Nicholas II (1868-1918)." BBC History. Web.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/nicholas_ii.shtml>.
12
"Historic Figures: Nicholas II (1868-1918)." BBC History. Web.
13
Causes of the February Revolution 1917. BBC News.
14
"The Treaty of Portsmouth and the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905." Office of the Historian Bureau of Public
Affairs. Web. <http://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/portsmouth-treaty>.
15
Ibid
11
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survived on low wages and dire working conditions. The economy lay shattered, drained from
funding wars Russia could not win. The conditions were ripe for revolution.
As Nicholas made no good attempt to crush any protests or dispersion of radical propaganda,
such as the Communist Manifesto, the fantasy of communism and revolt spread. On January 22nd,
1905, known as Bloody Sunday16, riots broke out in St. Petersburg as protesters demanding
reform fought with the imperial guard. After years of struggling with the Duma, and more
military failure in World War One, Nicholas was forced to abdicate the throne in February
191717, leaving a simple provisional government to take his place. New power houses emerged,
particularity the Marxist and radical political party, The Bolsheviks18, led by Vladimir Lenin, a
primary driving force behind the Revolution. Less than a year after the king’s abdication, he and
the rest of the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government, and installed a new form of
power, communism. From that year on, Russia would rule as a communist state until the collapse
of the Soviet Union in 199119.
The Bolsheviks, built solely of working class men, remained true to the ideals of Marx, and in
with their new found power, vowed to the people economic revival and national stability, and to
impose freedom without the dictatorship of a monarchy. “Peace, Land and Bread”20, became the
promise of the Bolsheviks in their quest to instill strength in Russia. Marx’s vision of society
became the vision of the Bolsheviks, which drove them to an inevitable revolution whereby they
16
"Historic Figures: Nicholas II (1868-1918)." BBC History.
Ibid
18
Alpha History. "Bolsheviks and Mensheviks." Russian Revolution. Web.
<http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/bolsheviks-and-mensheviks/>.
19
BBC. "Timeline: Soviet Union." BBC News, 2006. Web. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1112551.stm>.
20
Smele, Johnathan, Dr. "War and Revolution in Russia- 1914-1921." BBC News. BBC, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 May
2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml>.
17
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ridded themselves of the monarch, and replaced their government with Marx’s creation of
Communism.
Karl Marx’s ideas of the demise of the Bourgeois were not exclusively linked to the
government. The Manifesto envisioned a classless society, one were wealth would not be
hoarded by individuals, but shared among everyone. This notion would explain the
disappearance of the nobility and upper class with the onset of the Revolution. Karl Marx’s
Communist Manifesto influenced the Revolution to become inevitable, and its philosophies
became reason for the revolutionists to drive out the aristocrats.
Early statistics suggest that the nobility of Russia consisted of about two million people, less
than one percent of the population21. The nobility held high ranking positions: many had military
and business relations with the monarchy. In spite of living in unparalleled luxury, however, the
aristocracy saw no value in their native country. Frequent travel to Europe exposed nobles to
ideals of the Enlightment and Western culture, which, coming from an impoverished state,
seemed much more enjoyable and entertaining than what existed back in their own nation. In
many ways, the nobles were embarrassed of Russia, and tried hard to fit in with European norms,
hiding their true heritage, and only speaking English or French rather than Russian. With
problems back home, it would seem expected that an upper-crust aristocrat would want to avoid
angry protesters and envious Russian peasants who were starving. Their disloyalty blinded them
from the poverty and social unrest, fueling much hatred towards them.
21
Desliver, Drew. "'Former People": The Decline and Fall of Russia's Glittering Aristocracy." The Seattle Times. 14
Oct. 2012. Web. <http://seattletimes.com/html/books/2019397511_br14formerpeople.html>.
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With the Revolution in full swing and Nicholas II dead, the Bolsheviks began to seek means
of wealth in order to kick-start their utopian world. Starting over as a communist nation and the
division of wealth, as the Manifesto describes, didn’t sound very appetising to the well-off
nobles. Seen as potential counter-revolutionists, the Bolsheviks killed off as many aristocrats as
they could as they scrambled to leave the country. Mansions were burned to the ground and
looted. Nobles not willing to share for the good of communism, were flushed out. The
extermination of the aristocracy, on failing to become equalized with the rest of the communist
nation, falls on the Marxist ideals written in the Communist Manifesto, which were adopted by
the revolutionists. The existence of the Manifesto, therefore, made the Revolution and the death
of aristocracy inevitable.
Social politics aside, industry became a large focus of the Bolsheviks in their quest to reshape
Russia. In accordance with the Communist Manifesto, private ownership was overturned for
collective, communist production. The decision for change was, as expected, influenced by the
poor job the Russian Bourgeois had done in managing the nation’s economy.
Between 1850 and the 19th century, Russia’s population doubled22, leading to an expansion of
the working force and the development of urban areas. The Bourgeois saw this as a means to get
rich, now equipped with greater man-power, and pushed for industrialization so Russia could
become more competitive to their western neighbors. In particular, the steel and coal industry
boomed, production in the mines increasing by about 1200%.23
22
"Russia: Transformation of Russia in the 19th Century." The Library of Congress, July 1996. Web.
<http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ru0023)>.
23
Ibid
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As the economy grew, it became increasingly unstable. Geographic expansion did little to
increase revenue, and surpluses in exports created debt. Soon, foreign trade could not be
financed, with little to no profit for funding. Factories closed, and thousands were made
redundant. Debt quadrupled, becoming 28% of expenditures24. The lack of financial direction
and abundance of greed left Russia no better off than before.
With the Russian Bourgeois controlling the financial powers, leading the country into a poor
economy, the Proletariats were warmed to the idea of a collective economy, seeing it as a
preventive measure from poverty and debt. Attached to capitalist production, was the symbol of
power, and with the symbol of power, came the reminder of the monarchy. As quoted by the
Manifesto, to be a capitalist, is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in
production.
“Capital is a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last
resort, only by the united action of all members of society, can it be set in motion.
Capital is therefore not only personal; it is a social power.”25
- Chapter II. Proletarians and Communists, Page 5
The Proletariats did not want to acquire individual, personal power and capital, as the
Bourgeois had, seeing the principle as greed and potential for creating dangerous debt.
Therefore, industrially communist ideals springing from the Marx’s Manifesto became a driving
point for the Russian Revolution, as the Proletariats sought out a better structure for the
economy.
24
25
"Russia: Transformation of Russia in the 19th Century." The Library of Congress
Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. 1848., page 5
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Tying everything together, the one of the main causes of the Russian Revolution under
influence of the Communist Manifesto, was the failure to abolish the serfdom in Russia
effectively.
Serfdom, peasants living on the land of their lord with payment of service, dates back to 13th
century Russia26. Tartar devastation caused many peasants to become homeless and settle on the
land of wealthy Russians, beginning the cycle of serfdom. Landowners had complete control
over their peasants, whose lifetime of slavery was inescapable.
With the conclusion of the Crimean War27 in 1856, Russia was left defeated and no longer a
high ranking military power. This loss resulted in economic strains, and Tsar Alexander II28 was
persuaded to end the serf based economy to increase finances and regain footing. Society had
long outgrown the need for serfdom. The Proletariats were much in favour of this change, as it
would bring them freedom and possible ways to earn their own living. As the Communist
Manifesto quotes, when referring to serfdom,
“Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie, in other words, its existence is no longer
compatible with society.”29
Chapter I. Bourgeois and Proletarians, page 9
26
Simkin, John. "Russian Serfs." Spartacus Educational, 2011. Web. <http://spartacuseducational.com/RUSserfs.htm>.
27
Chapter 23: State Building and Social Change in Europe 1850-1871." Pearson, 2010. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwps.ablongman.com%2Flong_kishlansky_bhwc_4%2F21%2F5521%2F1413442.cw%2Findex.html
>.
28
Ibid
29
Marx, Karl, and Friedich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. 1848., page 9
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The nobility were outraged by this suggestion, but none the less, the Emancipation Manifesto
was passed in 186130, granting land to former peasants in exchange for payment to their
landlords31. Hopes that this policy would be successful were quickly diminished.
Rather than assigning the land back to peasants as individuals, the land was given to peasant
communes to insure payment. This gave no benefit to the peasants as they still could not own the
land separately, and sharing it with others still forced them to be tied down. Tax on the land was
also incredibly high, so many peasants could not afford to keep the land they had paid for.
The serfs were not granted the liberty they wished, the reform completely inadequate. It
seemed that even when the monarchy promised for change, they would always find a way to give
themselves the greater benefit and the Bourgeois more profit. The serfdom betrayal softened the
ground for revolution, having upset peasants who were tired of having their freedom held in the
hands of others, while refusing to democratise Russia. With Marx’s communist ideals supporting
the notion serfdom abolishment and the discarding of the Bourgeois, the Russian people eased
closer to an inevitable revolution.
Having suffered years of economic turmoil, war, and poor judgment, the Russian Revolution
of 191732 seems long overdue. Pushed to the edge, with the Communist Manifesto presenting
itself as a massive influence, the radicalized Russian people drove out their weak king and
brought Marx’s vision to life: communism. As a guide, the Communist Manifesto became the
foundations of the new era in Russia, revolutionizing the country like no other nation on Earth. It
30
Simkin, John. "Russian Serfs."
Ibid
32
Causes of the February Revolution 1917. BBC News.
31
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is with the existence of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was
inevitable. The Manifesto stood as reason to discard of the monarchy and enforce communism,
drive the aristocracy from the country, form a collective economy without private ownership or
capital, and the rid of the system of serfdom. Karl Marx has gone down in history as a man
whose words could change the course of history. In the present day, we must be on the lookout
for writers like Marx who may have the same gift, the gift to change humanity forever.
Page | 11
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Web. <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ru0023)>.
9. Simkin, John. "Russian Serfs." Spartacus Educational, 2011. Web. <http://spartacuseducational.com/RUSserfs.htm>.
10. Smele, Johnathan, Dr. "War and Revolution in Russia- 1914-1921." BBC News. BBC, 10 Mar.
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<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml>.
11. "The Treaty of Portsmouth and the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905." Office of the Historian
Bureau of Public Affairs, n.d. Web. <http://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/portsmouthtreaty>.
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