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“Without revolutionary theory, there can be no Revolutionary Movement.”
― Vladimir Lenin
The Russian Revolution fundamentally altered Russian society and global power dynamics held between nations. While the most visible events of the rebellion occurred in 1917, decades of previous unrest and societal tension laid roots to the eventual revolt. Throughout this chapter, the origins and milestones of the Russian Revolution will lead into the discussion of two theorists—Karl Marx and Barrington Moore—and situate those theories to answer the question of what leads societies to revolt. Some of the factors that Marx and Moore specify in their theories directly apply to the Russian Revolution in terms of its development and outcomes, while other aspects of the Russian Revolution continue to challenge theorists’ postulations.
History & Revolutionary Context
Though the Russian Revolution’s main events commenced in 1917, the origins of this rebellion trace back to 1649 with the establishment of serfdom in the state. Under serfdom, the lowest social class of Russian society, the serfs, experienced severe poverty, hunger, and other maladies (DeFronzo 2019, 40). Because of this system, Russia was impoverished and lagged behind other industrialized European countries throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, creating a society of hyper-inequality (Lindert and Nafziger 2014, 767-798). It was not until 1861 that serfdom was officially abolished in Russia, making it seem like modernization, industrialization, and freedom was near. Abolition of serfdom did not provide these things, especially that of freedom, as former serfs paid sums of money so large that many fell into more difficult economic hardships than they were facing before the abolition of serfdom (DeFronzo 2019, 42). The abolition of serfdom, however, did provide peasants with a newfound freedom to organize and become better educated about the world around them, which would later aid in creating a successful revolution. Also, the peasants’ extreme discontent and anger from 1861 forward and their neglect by the Russian government would play a crucial role in the revolution that would break out in 1917.
As Russian industrialization began to take place at the end of the nineteenth century, many elites decided to attain a modern education, which meant an introduction to many new socio-economic concepts greatly influenced by Western Europe (DeFronzo 2019, 242). These concepts and ideas would contribute to the development of new organizations and groups that would challenge the rule of Czar Nicholas II. Despite the consensus regarding the poor treatment of Russians at the hands of Czar Nicholas II and his government, no concrete agreement as to how the social injustices should be dealt with existed. Many of the elites involved in the movement towards revolution suggested that peasants required education about the benefits that revolution promised. Other revolutionary elites thought