Socialism in Europe and The
Russian Revolution
Chapter 2 History
Introduction
Socialism in Europe:
◦ What is Socialism?
◦ Why Europe?
The Russian Revolution
◦ What is the relation between two?
What are we going to study in this chapter?
◦ Background for socialism? How?
◦ Who were its propounder?
◦ Idealogy.
The Russian Revolution
Whole Russian Revolution which will include.
Background
The 1905 Revolution
February Revolution
October Revolution
Russia after revolution USSR
Stalin and Russia after him.
The Age of social change:
Recall the story of French Revolution Ideas of
liberty, Equality and Democratic Rights.
◦ Ideas of French Revolution created a possibility of change in
society.
◦ People started discussing the possibility for change.
But the idea for change varied all over Europe:
◦ Some wanted gradual change, where as some wanted the
change radically.
◦ So we can say that there were different political traditions
such as ‘ Conservatives, Liberals, Radicals.
The different political traditions played a very
important role in influencing change in the history of
Europe and world How?
Liberals
Wanted a change in society.
◦ Equality among religions and nations should tolerate
religions.
◦ Opposed the uncontrolled power of dynastic ruler.
◦ Liberal believed that individuals rights should be protected
against government.
◦ Argued for a representative, elected parliamentary
government.
◦ Supported judiciary which must be well trained and
independent.
However they were not democrats?
◦ Because they did not believed in universal Adult Franchise
and wanted only men with property should have right to
vote.
Radicals
Wanted a government which must be based on
majority.
They supported women’s suffragette
movements.
They opposed the privileges of great
landowners and wealthy factory owners.
Why??
◦ Because they disliked concentration of property in
the few hands.
◦ Because this was creating disparity in the society.
◦ They wanted a Radical Change.
Conservatives
Group of ruling class and person in power who
initially opposed the change [Liberals and
Radicals]
But after the French revolution they were ready
for the change.
Because they understood that the change
was inevitable.
But they believed that the past had to be respected and
change and to be brought about through a slow process.
All these differing idea played a very important role in
the world politics
Industrial Society and Social Change
Socio – economic change. How? New cities with
industries and industrial regions, expanding railway
etc.
Industrial Revolution:
◦ However this brought many problem with it.
◦ Long working hours poor wages, unemployment, housing
and sanitation problem.
Liberals and radicals wanted a change. Why?
◦ Because they were often property owners and employers.
◦ Educated and healthy population = Greater profit for them.
But they had a problem of old aristocracy and
conservative regime established in Europe after 1815
Industrial Society and Social Change
Conservatives regimes established after 1815
[Connected with the fall of Napoleon
Bonaparte]
Revolutionaries fro France, Italy , German and
Russia worked to overthrew monarchs.
◦ They talked to of Nations [Nationalists]
◦ Equality among citizens.
◦ Eg. Italian nationalist Giuseppe Mazzini.
The Coming of Socialism in Europe
The idea of Socialism.
◦ By the mid nineteenth century the idea of socialism attracted
widespread attention and those who followed this idea come to
known as Socialist.
Socialist were against private property, they considered
private property as the root of all problems in the society.
Why??
◦ Individuals own property [Private property] and workers work
under them.
◦ But they are concerned with personal gains [ profit] only and not
with the welfare of those who made the property productive.
{Workers]
Socialist wanted a society as a whole should control the
property.
The Coming of Socialism in Europe
Socialist wanted a change
Who would have given the idea for change?
How could a society without properly
operate?
What could be the basis of the socialist
society?
Ideas of Robert Owen and Louis Blanc
Socialists had different visions of the future some
believed in the idea of cooperatives.
Cooperatives : Association of people, working together
Earning profit and dividing profit according to work
done.
Robert Owen (1771 – 1858) Louis Blanc (1813 – 1882)
• Sought to build a • He support government
cooperative community encouraged cooperatives to
New Harmony in Indiana replace capitalist enterprise..
(U.S.A) • Government should be there
• Through collective to facilitates cooperatives.
individual initiative.
Ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engels
They added some more arguments in the idea of
socialism.
Industrial society Capitalist.
◦ Owners invested capita in factories and profit was produced by
workers.
◦ But the profits goes into the hands of owner and the condition
of the worker would remain same [Main motive personal gain
not the welfare of workers]
Marx believed that to free themselves from capitalist
exploitation, workers had to construct a radically
socialist society. How??
By overthrowing rule of private property and
controlling the property socially = Communist society.
Support for Socialism
By 1870’s Socialist ideas spread through
Europe.
Formation of International body = Second
International
Similar associations were being formed
everywhere in the world.
Support for socialism
These socialist associations fight for the
better living and working condition, set up
funds to help members, demanded a
reduction of working hours and right to vote.
However till 1914 Socialist never
succeeded in forming a government in
Europe.
◦ But their ideas did shaped the legislation.
◦ Under the government run by conservatives,
liberals and Radicals.
The Russian Revolution
Russia Under Monarch
How did all this happen?
What were the social and political condition in Russia?
Fall of Monarchy in February in 1917 .
Socialist took over the government in Russia through the
revolution of 1917.
The Russian Empire in 1914
Emperor Tsar Nicholas II [ Russia and its
Empire]
Present day Finland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Ukraine,
Belarus, Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan
Majority religion was Russian orthodox
Christianity Empire also included
Catholics, protestants , Muslims and
Buddhist.
Russian Economy
It was mainly a Agriculture Economy [85 percent
population was engaged in agriculture sector]
◦ Cultivators produced for the market as well as for
their own needs.
Industry was found in pockets:
◦ Petersburg and Moscow were the major industry area,
But most of the production was carried by craftsmen.
1890’s Railway expanded Foreign
investment increased = industries.
◦ Coal production doubled and iron and steel output
quadrupled.
Russian Economy
Let us see something about these growing
industries.
Most industry were the private property of
industrialist. [Profit maximization]
Was there not any regulation by government.
Government worked to ensure minimum wages
and limited hours of work.
Often these rule were broken.
Long working hours up to hours.
Workers were accommodated in rooms,
dormitories etc.
Russian society:
Workers migrated from village and settled in cities
they were divided by skill.
Eg. Metal workers considered themselves as aristocrats among
other workers.
Women made up 31percent of the factory labour Force
by 1914.
But they were paid less than men.
No doubt division were there but workers did unite to
strike work.
Against the employers on the dismissals of their demand or
work conditions.
Eg. Strikes in textile industry [ 1896 -1897 ], metal industry
during [1902]
Russian Society
Society in countryside
Peasant cultivated most of the land but most of properties
were owned by nobility, the crown and the orthodox church
Like workers, peasants were also divided.
In Russia except in a few cases, peasant had no respect for
the nobility. Unlike as it was observed during French
Revolution in Brittany, were peasants respected nobles and
fought for them.
Because Russian peasants wanted the land of nobles.
Russian peasants were different from other European
Peasants?
They worked by pooling their land together And then
divided the output according to the needs of the peasants.
