Revolution Of 1917 Essays - House Of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov

Revolution Of 1917 Towards the end of nineteenth century, and the beginning of the twentieth century, most of Europe was going through a great deal of changes, many new ideas were introduced, causing people to dream of a better life, and more economic stability. Nowhere was this factor as true as in Imperial Russia. The basic dilemma facing Alexander II, Alexander III, and Nicholas II was that it was impossible to ignore the demands either of external military security or of internal political stability and that these demands pulled hard in opposite directions. This helps to explain why the policies and governments of the last three Romanov monarchs often seemed crisis-ridded and at cross purposes. The statement mentioned above basically describes the nature of the events which had taken place during the sixty-two years that separated the succession of Alexander II in 1855, and the fall of the monarchy in 1917. Also when we go deeper into the above mentioned situation, we need to note that Nicholas II inherited his Empire at a time when there was much agitation going on among the world powers, partially due to the fact that there was an extremely harsh competition going on throughout the world for territory and political influence. After taking all that into consideration, we also have the fact that Nicholas II was very unprepared to rule his country at the time when he ascended the throne, for the most part because of the unexpected passing away of his father, Alexander III. Then there are constant financial difficulties that Russia faced, mainly, that there wasnt enough money for everyone. That caused the lives of the ordinary people to be generally classified as poverty stricken. Now to add to the above mentioned situation, factor in: the increasing number of educated people, the rapid industrialization of the country, the constant repression of the government, the Empires rapid population growth, the spread of nationalist ideas in a country whose population consists of many d ifferent ethnic regions, failure to act assertively on the part of the tsarism, and what we have is a country that is marching straight towards revolution. Yet as always, some factors played a much larger role in stimulating the growth, and then later triggering, the Revolution of 1917. From reading the two assigned texts I came to conclude that the key fundamental roles were: the Russian Worker, the governments inability to function as a unitary whole, and lastly World War I. One of the major forces that was responsible for laying the foundation to the Revolution of 1917, was the Russian worker. Russian workers were underpaid, their living conditions, their lifestyles, their demands, and their problems were for the most part overlooked. And the already unstable situation among the millions of unsatisfied workers was made far worse by the harsh conditions of exploitation most workers found in the factories. Throughout the period the situation remained almost unbearable for most workers. Wages were low, hours long, factories dangerous, living conditions squalid, discipline brutal Also there was little or no job security, employers had the power to hire and fire employees, without giving any explanation for their dismissal, and overall the whole system was designed in order to benefit the employer exclusively. This careless treatment on the part of the employers, was one of the major reasons for the unhappy situation that Russian workers had to endure. That caused them to get angry at the government, since it was the most visible target, and it was blamed for whatever problems one might have been faced with. Thats where the revolutionaries came into place and encouraged the worker to seek alternate means for the fulfillment of their needs. This point is confirmed by many analysts, and in particular made evident by the Bolsheviks, who claim that these hard-core workers were the backbone of urban political and social unrest. This not so large, yet quite turbulent sector of the population was often overlooked by Nicholas II, who was assured that the Russian peasants were the key to the survival of the monarchy. When indeed it was the peasant himself who was leaving his home in the village and becoming the urban worker. Another important element that played a crucial

A Beginners Guide to the Industrial Revolution

A Beginner's Guide to the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution refers to a period of massive economic, technological, social, and cultural change which affected humans to such an extent that its often compared to the change from hunter-gathering to farming. At its simplest, a mainly agriculture-based world economy using manual labor was transformed into one of industry and manufacturing by machines. The precise dates are a subject for debate and vary by historian, but the 1760/80s to the 1830/40s are most common, with the developments beginning in Britain and then spreading to the rest of the world, including the United States. The Industrial Revolutions The term industrial revolution was used to describe the period before the 1830s, but modern historians increasingly call this period the first industrial revolution. This period was characterized by developments in textiles, iron, and steam (led by Britain) to differentiate it from a second revolution of the 1850s onwards, characterized by steel, electrics, and automobiles (led by the U.S. and Germany). What Changed Industrially and Economically The invention of steam power, which replaced horses and water, was used to power factories and transportation and allowed for deeper mining.The improvement of iron-making techniques allowing for vastly higher production levels and better material.The textile industry was transformed by new machines (such as the Spinning Jenny) and factories, allowing for much higher production at a lower cost.Better machine tools allowed for more and better machines.Developments in metallurgy and chemical production affected many industries.New and quicker transport networks were created thanks to first canals and then railways, allowing products and materials to be moved cheaper and more efficiently.The banking industry developed to meet the needs of entrepreneurs, providing finance opportunities that allowed the industries to expand.  The use of coal (and coal production) soared. Coal eventually replaced wood. As you can see, an awful lot of industries changed dramatically, but historians have to carefully untangle how each affected the other as everything triggered changes in the others, which triggered more changes in return. What Changed Socially and Culturally Rapid urbanization led to dense, cramped housing and living conditions, which spread disease, created vast new city-dwelling populations, and a new sort of social order that helped to establish a new way of life: New city and factory cultures affecting family and peer groups.Debates and laws regarding child labor, public health, and working conditions.Anti-technology groups, such as the Luddites. Causes of the Industrial Revolution The end of feudalism changed economic relationships (with feudalism used as a useful catch-all term and not a claim that there was classic-style feudalism in Europe at this point). More causes of the Industrial Revolution include: A higher population because of less disease and lower infant mortality, which allowed for a larger industrial workforce.The agricultural revolution freed people from the soil, allowing (or driving) them into cities and manufacturing, creating a larger industrial workforce.Proportionally large amounts of spare capital for investment.Inventions and the scientific revolution, allowing for new technology.Colonial trade networks.The presence of all the required resources located close together, which is why Britain was the first country to experience the industrial revolution.A general culture of hard work, taking risks, and developing ideas. Debates Evolution, not revolution? Historians such as J. Clapham and N. Craft have argued that there was a gradual evolution in industrial sectors, rather than a sudden revolution.How the revolution worked. Historians are still trying to pry apart the heavily interwoven developments, with some arguing that there were parallel developments in many industries and others arguing that some industries, usually cotton, surged and stimulated the others.Britain in the 18th century. The debate still rages over both why the industrial revolution began when it did and why it began in Britain.