Centenary of the October Revolution: 1917 – 2017
By Nipuli Gajanayake-2017-11-20Collapses in political systems and rises of new political systems have been a significant trend in Russian political history. In such a scenario, 'Revolution' marked as a driving mode for those substantial transformations. The series of Russian revolutions dated back to1905 and were aroused against the Russian Empire's imperial rule.
However, it is important to mention that, the 1905 revolution did not start with the peasantry or the industrial working class but started with the middle class and professional people. The demand for political reform in 1903-4 became a reason to open-up a revolutionary front against the Tsarist rule. Union of Liberation was the forerunner of the revolutionary front and their agenda designed to end the Tsarist autocracy. The agenda included with the establishment of constitutional forms of government, self-determination for the nationalities of the empire, and bring out economic and social reforms. Although the 1905 revolution brought no actual transform to the social, economic, and political setting of Russia, the Revolution of 1905 set the background for the revolutions of 1917.
V.I. Lenin
Vladimir Lenin a communist revolutionary politician emerged as a notable personality during the Russian revolutionary phase.
Lenin had studied Law and had participated in revolutionary Marxist circles. In 1895, he helped organize Marxist groups in the capital into the "Union for the Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class," the effort had attempted to attract workers to the Marxist ideology. In December 1895, Lenin and the other leaders of the Union were arrested due to revolutionary Marxist ideologies, and it resulted in Lenin being exiled to Siberia for a term of three years. During his exile Lenin co-founded the newspaper Iskra ('spark' that ignited the flame of communism) newspaper of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.
Lenin was an active member at the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) and paid much attention to the centralization approach. In 1903, the RSDLP split into two fractions: Bolsheviks (Majority) and Mensheviks (Minority). Bolsheviks concerned on centralization and Mensheviks favoured a democratic approach. However, after finishing his exile period in 1900, he went to Western Europe from Siberia and "published a pamphlet titled What Is to Be Done? It argued that only a disciplined party of professional revolutionaries could bring socialism to Russia." In 1907, he moved to Finland and then continued to travel throughout Europe. Throughout this journey, Lenin participated in many socialist meetings and activities, including the Prague Party Conference of 1912 and the Zimmerwald Conference of 1915.
Lenin's deep acceptance of Marxism had sharpened the displeasure against the Tsarist rule. This disappointment had spontaneously made Lenin to emerge as an active personality among proletariats, suppressed professionals, intellectuals, and within Communist scholarly circles. "Not only in the scholarly circles of the former Soviet Union but even among many non-Communist scholars, he has been regarded as both the greatest revolutionary leader and revolutionary statesman in history, as well as the greatest revolutionary thinker since Marx."
Lenin believed in revolution to achieve the ultimate goal of establishing the Communist State under a Socialist rule. A Communist society which is characterized by classlessness, statelessness, elimination of labour exploitation and common ownership of the means of production have been mainly considered within this Communist State.
Revolutions of 1917: The February Revolution
Russia involved to the first Word War in 1914 with the hope of supporting for its Serbs, French, and British allies against the German Empire. However, the supportive involvement had created a disastrous environment within the Russian Empire and spontaneously made peasant workers' living conditions worse. With the Empire's costly war effort, the situation led to large scale social and economic problems.
The economy disordered by the costly war effort, and consequently riots and strikes broke out in Petrograd (today St. Petersburg). Industrial and cultural backwardness of Russia had toppled the living condition for working class people and created a social disaster throughout the Empire. These harsh conditions led to the outbreak of the February Revolution in 1917. It is important to mention that the revolution started on 8 March 1917 but was known as the 'February Revolution' as the Russian Empire used Julian calendar at that time.
However, workers' strikes broke out in Petrograd worsening the economic and social environment. Among the disturbing problems, shortage of food became the most major which led to the outbreak of riots and strikes against the Tsar rule. As a result of the revolutionary riots and strikes, abduction of the Tsar, ending of the Empire and creation of both the Russian Provisional Government and the Russian Republic can be identified as outcomes.
The Great October Revolution
With the end of the February Revolution, Lenin travelled back to Russia from Switzerland on 16 April, 1917 and played a significant role within the Bolshevik movement. Opposition for the newly created Provisional Government had been the most important factor in the October revolution. The power of the rich and influential elite class had suppressed the workers, thereby creating an environment with poor living conditions and shortage of food.
In July 1917, workers and soldiers started demonstrations by demanding the Provisional Government's power to be given to the Soviets (Worker's Council). However, with the support of the Socialist Revolutionary Party (Menshevik) leaders, the Provisional Government ordered an armed attack against the demonstrators. On 25 October (7 November in Gregorian calendar) 1917, Bolsheviks led their armed forces against the Provisional Government in the city of Petrograd. Significantly, demoralized military units of the city also joined with the Bolshevik uprising. In September and October 1917, mass demonstrations and strikes took place, with the participation of workers, miners, metalworkers, oil workers, textile workers, and railroad workers throughout Moscow and Petrograd. Subsequently, such workers controlled the production and distribution of production in many factories and plants at large.
Gradually, the Provisional Government was unable to resist the Bolshevik's revolutionary storm and became more helpless when the Red Army seized control over key centres throughout the city. Moreover, the Bolsheviks were able to capture important places and facilities (communication) that belonged to the Provisional Government.
However, as the salient outcomes of the October revolution: the ending of Russian Provisional Government and Russian Republic; creation of Soviet Russia; nationalization of all private property; nationalization of all Russian banks; control of the factories given to Soviets; fixed wages at higher rates and introduction of an eight hour work day, can be mentioned.
Relevance of the Revolution
The Bolshevik Revolution merely not only a class struggle of working class but a political effort to seek independence from capitalist politics and state power. Nevertheless, the Revolution was able to provide practical decrees for economical, cultural, and national issues. As examples possibility for self-determination, promotion of social solidarity, equality and sustainable development can be identified. Furthermore, the Soviet Government abolished all discriminatory laws against women, gender discrimination, and racism. Establishment of a system of free education and health care can also be named. Humanity is another major factor that was encouraged through the Revolution.
Artists, writers, musicians, and scientists were given freedom and space to express every form of social, cultural, and scientific ideas to sharp the humanity. According to Dr. Douglas Levesque the United Nations sustainable development is a redefinition of global communism. In other words, world communism and sustainable development is the same thing. Moreover, Dr Levesque stated that, the UN's sustainable goals are republishing of the Communist Manifesto.
However, it is to mention that, thankful to the October Revolution, all the working people in the world gained worker rights, pension, paid maternity leave, and fair wage and salary systems. Through an unsuppressed working condition, every society would be able to achieve social justice, economic development, peace, and prosperity successfully.
