Lenin's Revolution: Russia, 1917-1921 058231917X, 9780582319172

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Lenin's Revolution: Russia, 1917-1921

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SEMINAR STUDIES

IN HISTQRY

Lenin's Revolution: Russia , 1917- 1921 DAVID R. MARPLES

First published 2000 by Pearson Education Limited Published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

Copyright © 2000, Taylor & Frands. The right of David R. Marples to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by hirn in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this fjeld are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury andJor damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. ISBN 978·0-582-31917-2 (pbk)

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Marples, David R. Lenin's revolution: Russia, 1917-1921/ David R. Marples. p. cm. -- (Seminar studies in history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-582-31917-X (PPR) 1. Soviet Union--History--Revolution, 1917-1921. I. Tide. 11. Series. DK265.M31532000 947.084'1--dc21 9 8 09 Set by 7 in 10/12 Sabon Roman

00-040535

Für Yuri and Zena Risüvanny

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CONTENTS

Imroduction to the Series Note on Referencing System Note on Dating

Prcface Acknowledgcments Maps PA RT O NE BAC KGROU N D

;,

, , " xm XIV-XV

I.

3 3

PRELU D E TO REVOLUTION Early Revolutionary Movemems u nin: Background and Views Russia's War with Japan Thc Revolution of 1905 Thc Dumas and Stolypin Thc Royal Family and Raspurin Thc First World War

18

PART TWQ : RE V OLUTIO N A N D WAR

25

2.

TH E MA RCH REVOLUTI ON Thc First Days Thc System of Dual Governmcnt Thc Return of Lenin Thc Provisional Govemment, April-June 191 7 Thc J uly Days Thc Kornilov Revolt and Aftermath T hc Growing Crisis

27 27 30 32 35 37 40 41

3.

T I-I E NOV EMBER REVOLUT ION Thc Uprising Thc Constituent Assembly Revolution or Cou" D'Elat? Thc Pipes Debate Thc Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Thc Wornen 's Question Utopi a in Power The Cheka and the Red Terror Results of the Fifth Congress

45

I.

6

10 12 14 16

45 49

52 54

57 61

64 65

68

Vlll

4.

5.

Contents

THE CIVIL WAR The Formation of the Red Army Outbreak of Civil War Ukraine and Other Non-Russian Territories Reasons for the Red Victory War Communism The Kronstadt Revolt

70 70 71 73 78 80 82

PART THREE: ASSESSMENT

85

LENIN'S ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAllURES

87

PART FOUR: DOCUMENTS

93

Chronology Glossary Who's Who Bibliography Index

128 130 133 138 145

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES

Such is the pace of hislorical enquiry in the modern world that there is an ever-widening gap brtween (he specialist anide o r monograph, incorporaring (he results of eurrene research, and general surveys,

which inevitably become out of date. ~ minar Studies in Hislory are designed to bridge Ihis gap. The series was founded by Patrick Rkhardson in 1966 and his aim was 10 cover major themes in British, Europtan and world history. Be(Ween 1980 and 1996 Roger Lockyer continued his work, btfore handiog the editorship Qvec 10 Clive Emsley and Gordon Martel. C1ive Ernsley is Professor o f History at the Open University, while Gordon Manel is Professor of International History 31 the Universiry of Northem British Columbia, Canada, and Senior Research fellow at Oe Monrfort Univetsiry. All the books are wtitten by expens in their field who are not only familiar with the latest research but have ohen conrributed to it. They are frequ enrly revised. in ordet to rake accounr of new information and inrerpretations. They provide a selection of documents to illustrate major themes and provoke discussion, and also a guide to further reading. The aim of Seminar Studies is ro darify complex issues withour ovcr-simplifying thern, and tO srimulate readers into deepening their knowledge and understanding of major themes and lopics.

NOTE ON REFERENC IN G SYSTEM

Readers snould note rhat numbers in square brackets 151 refer thern co ehe corresponding emry in the Bibliography at the end of the baok (specific page numbers are given in italics ), A number in square brackets preceded by Doc. [Dac. 5] refers readers to the corresponding item in ehe Documents seerion whien follows the main text.

NOTE ON DATING

This book adheres throughout to the Gregorian or New Style calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. By the mid-eighteenth century, most European count ries had adopted this calendar. Russia, however, used ehe Julian ca lendar until1918. That calendar misread the length of the solar yea r, whien ted the calendar dates of the seasons to lose ooe day each century. By the time of the Russian Revolution, the Ju lian ealendar used by Russia was thirteen days behind that of the West. Thus the Oetober Revolution (25 Oetober 1917) actually lOok place on 7 November 19 17 according to the Gregorian ca[endar.

PREFA CE

My aim in writing [his book was to provide a symhcsis of the Russian Revolution Ta assisr university, college and high schaol students. I have tried [0 take imo account the most reeent and incisive works, though like any historian, I have heen hampered somewhat by thc lack of consensus on many issues. My reliancc has becn primarily on western secondary works father than Russian or Soviet ones. Thc end of the Soviet Union saw thc opening of some of the Russian archives and, for a brief speil, the publication of a variety of new works on Lenin and the revolutions of 1917. Russian works, however, have been fcw, and they are not always reliahle as [hey are written either with a distinctly political hue (D. Volkogonov, for example) or with an eye for the drarnaric (as in rhe case of the work of E. Radzi nsky). I have taught the Russian Revol ution for the past seven years at the Universi ty of Albena and in wriring this book have kept in mind some of the quesrions raised by my students and the issues they found most di fficu lt to comprehend. In the vastness of its scope, the Russian Revolution is simi lar tO ehe Second World War. The student needs someth ing on which to focus, to provide an explanation of the bewildering events. I decided to focus primarily on Lenin as the main archieect of the revolution of November and a man who imposed his smgu lar stamp on the Soviet state. As with all personalities, Lcnin's was not static and this work has argued that ehe pnncipal change occurred between the period of opposition and rhat of raking power. Most of the events of 1918-2 1 can be explained large ly by the intransigence and rmh lessness of the Boishevik leadership, and Lenin in panicular. I would like to express my gratitude to Gordon Martel, chairman of the H istory Programme at t he Uoiversity of Non hern Brirish Columbia, who is the Ediror of this series, and also ro Emma MitcheII, my Senior Acq uisirions Editor at Longman. Both have shown patience and have been ready with ideas aod guidance when required. I am thankful also co my graduate student Kim Palmer for her help in rhe fina l weeks of preparation, and to

xii

Preface

two other graduate students in the Department of History and Classics, University of Alberta, who worked very capably as my research assistants in the early stages of the project: Kryszstof Lada and Srja Pavlovic. David R. Marples Edmonton, Canada March 2000

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Plates 1-8 are reproduced by permission of David King Collection.

We are gra teful to the Univers ity of Michiga n Press for permissIon co reproduce an extract from Political Memoirs, 1905-1 917 by M ilyu kov © The Un iversity of M ich igan Press 1967.

XIV

Maps

!Xnikin', fron, M...-:h 1919 DeniJtin', fron, A"«,,,' I , 1919 Annieo (Onobcr 10, 1919) F..nheol odvance of'VoIun'ec, AdminJ FartheolliD< cl odvance cl AdminJ KoIcluk', annia (mid-April 1919)

Map I

Thc Russian CiviJ War, 19 19

Projutod L..ina of Adn ...... I, Undc. General W rangel 2. Undc. General Sidorin 3. Undtr G