CH 2 SOCIALISM IN EUROPE AND RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

• After the revolution, individual rights and social power began to be discussed in many parts of the world, including Europe and Asia
• Colonial development reshaped ideas of societal change
• Socialism became one of the most significant and powerful ideas to shape society in the twentieth century through the revolution in Russia
• Liberals wanted a nation that tolerated all religions
• Conservatives believed in accepting changes but also respecting the past and advocating for slow change
• The Industrial Revolution led to changes in social and economic life, with new cities emerging and men, women, and children seeking work in factories
• Socialists were against private property and campaigned for its change
• Robert Owen sought to build a cooperative community called New Harmony in Indiana, USA
• Karl Marx believed in overthrowing capitalism and private property, advocating for a communist society in the future
• By the 1870s, socialist ideas spread through Europe, leading to the formation of the Second International
• The Russian Revolution of 1917 saw socialists taking over the government in Russia
• In 1914, Russia was ruled by Tsar Nicholas II and its empire included various territories stretching to the Pacific
• Peasants in Russia wanted the land of the nobles
• Socialists in Russia formed political parties before 1914, with the Russian Social Democratic Workers Party respecting Marx's ideas
• The 1905 Revolution in Russia demanded a constitution and led to the creation of an elected consultative Parliament or Duma
• The First World War had a significant impact on Russia, leading to shortages, riots, and discontent among the people
• The February Revolution in Petrograd led to the downfall of the monarchy in February 1917
• After the October Revolution, industry and banks were nationalised, land was declared as social property, and the Bolshevik Party was renamed the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik)
• The Civil War in Russia involved various factions like the 'Greens' (Socialist Revolutionaries) and 'Whites' (pro-Tsarists) fighting against the Bolsheviks
• During the civil war, industries and banks were nationalised, and a centralised planning process was introduced in the Soviet Union
• Collectivisation of agriculture under Stalin led to a disaster, with forced collective farming resulting in a decline in production and millions of deaths
• The Russian Revolution and the USSR had a global influence, leading to the formation of communist parties in many countries and the USSR becoming a great power by the end of the twentieth century