An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir October 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 28 | Revolution & Counter Revolution: Russia 1917 By PAuL O'BRIEn MA T owards the end of 1917 the guns on the great War's Eastern Front fell silent as german commanders be- gan withdrawing their divisions from the front line and sending them west. The no man's land between the Russian and german lines, with its detritus of three years of war and the countless dead from both sides, was abandoned. These changes were the result of tumultuous events taking place in Russia, the rever- berations of which would affect Europe and the world for decades to come. By the end of 1916 it was clear that the Russian Tsar's days as an autocratic ruler were numbered. Nicholas II had proved an incompetent military commander and continued to exclude representa- tives of the Duma (parliament) from real power. The mass of the people were suffering from the consequences of a poorly managed war economy and the population, particularly those in the cit- ies, were becoming increasingly desper- ate for change. That change, when it came, would not only affect Russia but would have an effect on the war and the balance of power throughout the world. Russia was historically considered one of the greatest powers in Europe, but by the beginning of the 20th century, it was universally regarded as backward by comparison with Britain, Germany and France. It emerged late from feudalism and was also a late-comer to industriali- sation. While the three decades before 1917 witnessed an increase in national wealth, the peasantry, who constituted 80% of the population, did not benefit from the improved economic situation. In political terms, until 1905 there were no legal political parties, no elected parliament, and the autoc- racy survived with undiminished powers. Political unrest in that year highlighted the deteriorating situa- tion within the country and although some political concessions were imple- mented they did little to improve the everyday lives of the Russian people. With the outbreak of war in 1914, the ruling class hoped that a success- ful military campaign would unite the Russian people and forestall the need for radical reform of the state. However, their army was under-equipped, poorly trained and badly led and was soon suffering defeat after defeat. These catastrophes exposed the incompe- tence of Russia's autocratic government but Tsar Nicholas II had neither the will nor the wit to make changes. He decided to take personal command of the Russian army, leaving his wife, the tsarina, to rule in his absence. Disliked by the Russian people and under the influence of the faith healer, Rasputin, the tsarina's rule proved disastrous as Tsar Nicholas II photographed by Boissonnas & Eggler, circa 1909. Vladimir Lenin during the Russian Revolution. Russian Flag established by the Constitution of the Soviet Union in 1918.

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