Question

causes of russian rev.

Answer 1

The destruction of the middle class is typically cited as the main reason for the Russian Revolution. Since "upper" class is the haves (the owners of capital like factories) and "lower" class is the have-nots (the laborers), the middle class can be thought of as the have-somes. When the have-somes are told they cannot have any, and must remain the lower class, their proportionately larger population tends to take offense and respond violently.

There are margins of benefit associated with the involvement in a political economy. Those near the middle don't gain as much by seeking the redistribution of upper-class wealth as the lower classes do: farther away on the number line, more to gain.

Political Economics is the field you are looking to explore for a more robust answer.

Answer 2

How could the erosion of the Russian middle class be seen as the "main reason" for the Russian Revolution when Russia never had a middle class in the first place?

There was such a huge disparagement between industrial workers, the formerly enslaved serf population on one side, and the growing wealth and power of the upper class, industrialists, etc on the other. In between those two were the Kulacks, the serf population with land who owned a descent amount of land (who, for the most part could be considered the middle class)

Anyway, the revolution had it's roots as far back as 1905 with "Bloody Sunday" when Czar Nicholas II order the shooting of protesters demanding better conditions etc. Many saw the Czar's reaction as proof that it would be impossible to peacefully negotiate and demand legislative reform for better conditions (Think UK or the US in the 19th and early 20th century).

From there, you get Russia's horrible loss of life in WWI. As the war progressed and more lives were lost (Russia lost almost 5 million people, almost double the entire military force of the UK which included Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and India!) along with worsening conditions, the Czar was forced to abdicate and the Russian Duma (parliament) ran the country for the mean time. This is February 1917.

The Germans, seeing the situation unfold in Russia, helped escort Lenin back the Russia. They knew Lenin wanted to withdraw Russia from the war, and that's precisely what happened. In October 1917, the Communist party led the "October Revolution" (more of a coup than anything else) and blocked all other parties in the Duma from entering the Duma building.

So, in reality, there are two (even three if we count 1905) revolutions at play, which fed off the growing inequality, economic woe, and ineffective leadership of both Czar Nicholas II and (finally) the Duma.

That's just a brief summary. I recommend Nicholas Berdayaev's History of Russian communism to get down to the "full" picture of the Russian revolution

Answer 3

this ^ is a fantastic answer, however I don't see a difference between saying "the formerly enslaved serf population on one side, and the growing wealth and power of the upper class" and identifying that the "formerly enslaved" were, in fact, trying to elevate their socioeconomic positions to that of a middle-class. To further the lack of disagreement between what what are saying, you oddly identify the Kulack land-owners as the middle-class I am referencing.

Answer 4

The ouburst of indignant people, suppressed and tyrannised by the communist rule.

Answer 5

They didn't become "Communist" until after the revolution rizaldo...

Answer 6

thanks