Don't get confused when you see October/Nov rev or Feb/March rev. Remember, the calendar is different in the west than in the East. Gregorian Calendar V the Julian Calendar. So it's November in the West BUT Oct in Russia-in the Eastern Orthodox world

 

Let's remember that in Russia they believed in that triad of Nationalism, Orthodoxy, and Autocracy. The Czar was at the center of this belief as SOLE head of the country and religious leader. This Czar, Nicholas the II is dumb. He's really dumb. He likes to be Czar but hates to work, no interest in it. Also....he's married to a German woman who was educated in England. SHE IS A TOTALY WESTERNER!!!!!! Russians always distrust the west and she was no different. As the war went badly, they blamed her saying that she was secretly spying on Russia for Germany. She was NOT spying. BUT....in a country tired of war angry at their idiot king (remember, the humiliating defeat by Japan in the Russo_-Japanese war?) she, like marie antoinette will become the symbol of absolutism, of decadence and a need for change. After russo japanse war, there is a revolution--1905. 

 

***Note, like Austrian-Hungarian Empire russia was SUPER SUPER DIVERSE. Lots of nationalities in it's empire. What do nationalities crave by the end of the 19th century and certainly by 20th? 

 

Rev of 1905. People are angry. Poor, nationalities(mad due to russification by super conservative Alex II--he also hated jews. His son Nickolas not much better. His thugs are responsible for writing and forging that Anti Semitic book, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion) , liberals, the educated. The Liberals will demand that the Czar create a Duma---a Parliament that will help he lead. essentially what the liberals wanted was a constitutional monarchy that would rule. They will demand free speech, elections, freedom of religion(liberal ideas) 

 

October Manifesto written by Sergei Witte stopped the strikes in st petersburg. It was given to the czar to sign and granted formation of POLITICAL parties, basic civil rights, extending the franchise, AND creation of a Duma. the czar whined and was angry but signed. CONSERVATIVES furious. There is a conservative backlash in Russia. Liberals, socialist, AND jews targeted. 

 

***The Russian Socialist Democratic Labor Party was an outlawed party from the 1880's til 20th century. Rooted in Marxist goals.  Lenin will join it in like 1902. Two groups, "factions" {think Jacobins V Girondins in French rev) emerge. The Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks. Lenin will lead the Bolshevik faction, it will be HIGHLY centralized, disciplined and will focus on the educated workers. The "Vanguard" will lead. The people will follow and obey. What we'll get w Lenin's version of "Communism" is not the idea of communism espoused by Marx.(w marx, suffrage, free speech, etc) Lenin will say that a Vanguard will tell you what to do. You will obey. You'll essentially get "state capitalism." (ill explain later