Review article

Socio-economic Prerequisites of the October Revolution

Zlatko Čepo

Abstract

This treatise, which is only part of the body of the literature published on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution, deals with a rapid economic development of Russia after the abolishment of serfdom in 1861. The basic characteristic of the development of capitalism in Russia - the relatively large concentration of industry and mining, which facilitated the development of the revolutionary workers' movement — will be particularly stressed.
The crisis, due to the participation in the WWI only enhanced the preconditions of destructions of tsarism, which had been created in the decades of the development of capitalism. Failure to comprehend the difficulty of the situation on the side of the bourgeois temporary government, which took over the power after the fall of the tsarism, in the spring of 1917, awakened the crisis and soon led to dual government. Beside the bourgeoisy, in many of the cities power was taken over by councils of revolutionary workers and military deputies. The majority in these councils was gradually taken over by the Sociodemocratic workers party of Russia — The Bolshevik Party — headed by V. I. Lenin. In addition to these councils, the plant committees founded by workers in many of the factories also contributed to the victory of the October Revolution. The objectives of plant committees initially were: organization of production and sales i. e. exchange of goods, acquisition of raw materials and energy, struggle for an 8 hour work day, improvement of working conditions etc. Later, when the crisis became more profound, the plant committees began to arm the workers, created a workers' police force and became the real government.
Having taken over the most important councils and numerous factory committees, the Bolshevik Party became competent to take over the power and carry out the first successful revolution in history - the October Revolution.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

219042

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/219042

Publication date:

9.11.1977.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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