Russian October Revolution of 1917: Plans and outcomes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu06.2017.401Abstract
The article compares ideational political settings of Bolsheviks prior to the October 1917 revolution in Russia to the results of the practical fulfillment of these settings. When leading Bolsheviks Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky were planning to seize power in Russia, they expected that successful similar revolutions would follow in developed European countries. Bolsheviks accepted all means aimed at their victory in power struggle in Russia, and they were often unable to foresee consequences of their actions. Many of the ideas that Bolsheviks treated as guidelines prior to the October revolution were utopian and unrealistic. In particular, one can find such ideas in Lenin’s State and Revolution. Deep economic and political crisis in Russia was the result of attempts to apply these utopian ideas in practice. The crisis forced Lenin to change the strategy of Bolsheviks and to work out a new plan aimed at formation of a socialist society under the given circumstances for which most Bolsheviks appeared to be unprepared. The new strategy outlined by Lenin treated technological modernization as prerequisite to formation of a new type of society. On one hand, modernization appeared to be fruitful thus allowing transit to socialism. On other hand, the modernization cost much effort, great loss, and countless victims. The article concludes that results of the October 1917 revolution in Russia were ambiguous. Refs 12.
Keywords:
October Revolution, Bolsheviks, Lenin, Trotsky, world revolution, socialism, modernisation
Downloads
References
Ленин В.И. Две тактики социал-демократии в демократической революции // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во политической литературы, 1960. Т. 11: Июль — октябрь 1905. С. 1–131.
Ленин В.И. III съезд РСДРП 12–17 апреля (25 апреля — 10 мая) 1905 г. Доклад об участии социал-демократии во временном революционном правительстве 18 апреля (1 мая) // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во политической литературы, 1967. Т. 10: Март — июнь 1905. С. 126–141.
Ленин В.И. Доклад на собрании большевиков — участников Всероссийского совещания советов рабочих и солдатских депутатов 4 (17) апреля 1917 г. // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. лит-ры, 1969. Т. 31: Март — апрель 1917. С. 103–112.
Троцкий Л.Д. К истории русской революции. М.: Политиздат, 1990. 447 с.
Бердяев Н.А. Истоки и смысл русского коммунизма. Париж: YMCA-PRESS, 1955. 159 с.
Свет и тени Великой войны. Первая мировая война в документах эпохи. М.: Политическая энциклопедия, 2014. 414 с.
Ленин В.И. Письмо к товарищам // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. литры, 1969. Т. 34: Июль — октябрь 1917. С. 398–418.
Ленин В.И. Государство и революция // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. лит-ры, 1969. Т. 33: Август — сентябрь 1917. С. 1–120.
Ленин В.И. Доклад о тактике РКП 5 июля // Ленин В.И.Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. лит-ры, 1970. Т. 44: Июнь 1921 — март 1922. С. 34–54.
Ленин В.И. Пролетарская революция и ренегат Каутский // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. лит-ры, 1969. Т. 37: Июль 1918 — март 1919. С. 235–338.
Ленин В.И. Новая экономическая политика и задачи политпросветов. Доклад на II всероссийском съезде политпросветов 17 октября // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. лит-ры, 1970. Т. 44: Июнь 1921 — март 1922. С. 155–175.
Ленин В.И. Московская губернская конференция РКП(б) 20–22 ноября 1920 г. Наше внешнее и внутреннее положение и задачи партии (речь 21 ноября) // Ленин В.И. Полн. собр. соч. 5-е изд. М.: Изд-во полит. лит-ры, 1970. Т. 42: Ноябрь 1920 — март 1921. С. 17–40.
References
Lenin V.I. Dve taktiki sotsial-demokratii v demokraticheskoi revoliutsii [Two Tactics of Social Democracy in the Democratic Revolution]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 11 (July — October 1905). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1960, pp. 1–131. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. III s”ezd RSDRP 12–17 aprelia (25 aprelia — 10 maia) 1905 g. Doklad ob uchastii sotsialdemokratii vo vremennom revoliutsionnom pravitel’stve 18 aprelia (1 maia) [The Third Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. April 12 (25) — April 27 (May 10), 1905. Report on the Question of the Participation of the Social-Democrats in a Provisional Revolutionary Government, April 18 (May 1)]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 10 (March — June 1905). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1967, pp. 126–141. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Doklad na sobranii bol’shevikov — uchastnikov Vserossiiskogo soveshchaniia sovetov rabochikh i soldatskikh deputatov 4 (17) aprelia 1917 g. [Report at the Conference of Soviets of Worker’s and Soldier’s Deputies, on April 4 (17), 1917]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 31 (March — April 1917). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1969, pp. 103–112. (In Russian)
Trotsky L.D. K istorii russkoi revoliutsii [The History of the Russian Revolution]. Moscow, Politizdat, 1990. 447 p. (In Russian)
Berdiaev N.A. Istoki i smysl russkogo kommunizma [The Origins of Russian Communism]. Paris, Ymca Press, 1955. 159 p. (In Russian)
Svet i teni Velikoi voiny. Pervaia mirovaia voina v dokumentakh epokhi [Light and Shadows of the Great Was: First World War in Documents of the Era]. Moscow, Politicheskaya entsiklopediya, 2014. 414 p. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Pis’mo k tovarishcham [Letter to Comrades]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 34 (July — October 1917). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1969, pp. 398–418. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Gosudarstvo i revoliutsiia [State and Revolution]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 33 (August — September 1917). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1969, pp. 1–120. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Doklad o taktike RKP 5 iiulia [Report on the Tactics of the R.C.P., 5 July 1921]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 44 (June 1921 — March 1922). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1970, pp. 34–54. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Proletarskaia revoliutsiia i renegat Kautskii [The Proletarian Revolution And The Renegade Kautsky]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 37 (July 1918 — March 1919). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1969, pp. 235–338. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Novaia ekonomicheskaia politika i zadachi politprosvetov. Doklad na II Vserossiiskom s”ezde politprosvetov 17 oktiabria [The New Economic Policy and the Tasks of the Political Education Departments]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 44 (June 1921 — March 1922). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1970, pp. 155–175. (In Russian)
Lenin V.I. Moskovskaia gubernskaia konferentsiia RKP(b) 20–22 noiabria 1920 g. Nashe vneshnee i vnutrennee polozhenie i zadachi partii (rech’ 21 noiabria) [Our Foreign and Domestic Position and Party Tasks. Speech Delivered To The Moscow Gubernia Conference Of The R.C.P.(B.) on November 21, 1920]. Lenin V.I. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]. 5th ed. Vol. 42 (November 1920 — March 1921). Moscow, Izdatel’stvo politicheskoy literatury, 1970, pp. 17–40. (In Russian)
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. International relations" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.
