- Low class people forced to pay for their freedom
- Defeated in war with Japan
The people wanted change, many wanted more western political systems like a parliament, and many assassinations took place during this time.
## Revolution
Tsar Nicholas II abdicates in 1917, replaced by Provisional government (called the February Revolution), but was overthrown by Lenin and Bolsheviks later that year (called the October Revolution). The Russian calendar at the time was 14 days behind the current one, hence the date discrepancy.
- Revolutionary Marxists: use disciplined party to take power
- Gain support from workers, other social groups
- Use force to win and keep power
- Initially hoped revolution in Russia would spread on an international scale
## The Russian Civil War
- Conflict reaches its peak in 1918-1921
- Reds (Bolsheviks) vs whites
- bloody conflict, atrocities on both sides
- Millions of deaths, potentially uncountable more, country in ruins
- Some nationalities, Poles, Finns , Baltic states, break away and establish states
- But Bolsheviks/communists emerge victories: authoritarian, repressive tactics
## Early communist foreign policy
- Ruthless pragmatism - Lenin's regime signs peace treaty with Imperial Germany in 1918, despite territorial losses, to keep power
- But Bolsheviks also have revolutionary ambitions - establish communist international (Comintern) in 1919
- Goal is to encourage formation of communist parties internationally, spread revolution - but proves difficult to achieve
## Early soviet relations with the west
- British, French, and Americans, concerned & angered by the Bolshevik takeover in 1917
- New regime - promotes revolutionary ideas
- Lenin's treaty with Germany (1918); creates new thread in first world war
## Intervention in the Russian civil war
- France, UK, Canada, USA, Japan send troops
- To protect interest, support whites
## Soviet union in the 1920s
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) established in 1922
- Included much of the former Russian empire, but now a federation of republics
- Western power remain suspicious, but do not see USSR as imminent thread
- Comintern remains active, but USSR focus on rebuilding after wartime devastation
## Leadership change from Lenin to Stalin
- Lenin dies in 1924, Josef Stalin emerges as winner of prolonged power by 1928
- Promotes Socialism in one Country
- Imperial Russia - suffered defeats because it was "backward" - Soviet Union must modernize "or the capitalists will crush us"
## Stalin's Transformation of the USSR
- Rapid industrial growth through state directed "Five Year Plans" - achieves results but harsh conditions for workers
- Collectivization of agriculture - to support industrialization, transform society - associated with massive repression, famine
- Purges - intensive suspicion of conspiracy with foreign power leads to mass arrests, executions in 1930s
## Stalin's foreign policy in the 1930s
- Comintern continues to operate
- Stalin's policies are pragmatic, shift over time
- Hitler takes power in Germany, 1933 - a serious potential thread
- Soviet Union calls for "collective security" with Western powers, promotes "Popular Front" policy to oppose fascism
## On the eve of war
- 1939 - Second World War looks increasingly likely - Hitler making demands on Poland
- Stalin - Covets Polish territory, seeks to expand influence, and wants to buy time
- Negotiations with Britain and France fail; instead USSR signs agreement with Nazi Germany - two countries will not go to war, both to expand influence in Eastern Europe
## Key points
- Soviet foreign policy - revolutionary impulse is significant
- But there is a powerful pragmatic streak - willing to cut deals, shift sides
- Stalin wants to expand revolution - but also to regain territory, influence of USSR
