The Russian Intelligentsia

A detailed Summary of The Russian Intelligentsia

The Russian Intelligentsia, a group of people who shared the bond of being intelligent and against the government, played the key role in overthrowing the tsarist government and instating a new government. The rebels involved in the beginning of the revolution started off with the people of Russia in mind. Eventually the Intelligentsia evolved into the government led by Josef Stalin and Vladimir Lenin that killed millions of its own people. This change was not sudden, but occurred over time and with the help of several other events.

Peasants in Russia, which made up 95 percent of the population, had been treated horribly under the tsarist regime. The first straw to break the camel's back was the end of the Napoleonic Wars, when Russian troops took Paris. Even though France had lost the war, the people were living much better than the Russians. Disgusted by their own way of life and influenced by Western liberal ideas, the troops went back to Russia advocating the establishment of a representative democracy. The type of representation desired, however, varied from person to person. Some wanted a constitutional monarchy and some desired a democratic republic. Regardless of how to approach the

Nicholas II was Alexander III's son, but was despised by the tsar. He had not been trained in foreign government, did not look like a tsar compared to his father and had a desire for people to like him. As a result, he did not enforce many of the laws his father had made. On top of his many apparent flaws, Russians believed his reign to be doomed from the very beginning after nearly 300 people were trampled to death at his coronation and after he dropped his scepter during the ceremony.

About thirty years later, Nicholas I died and his son, Alexander II, took the throne. The country was in dire need of modernization and with modern ideas came the addressing of the slavery issue. Alexander II knew that serfdom had to be debated. He considered emancipation, but wanted to make sure all of the possible consequences were anticipated. The government disputed the possibilities for five years then, in 1861, Alexander II freed the slaves and initiated reforms. The emancipation, however, was not at all what the peasants wanted. It declared the serfs free, and gave them plots of land that were formerly on their lord's property. The government then charged the peasants a total of 1 billion rubles and forced them to live on a mir and not allowing them to leave it. The hostility from the peasants caused more revolts. No one was happy with the emancipation or the government. The peasants felt cheated and the nobles suddenly had no one to help them. The former ser!

With confusion surrounding the succession to the throne after the death of Alexander I, the troops saw their opportunity to stage a revolt. Under the order of officers, 3000 soldiers marched to Senate Square, but were shot by artillery fire. Some of the men were shot to death, some were arrested and five leaders were later executed. The revolt was crushed, but the seed to the revolution was planted.

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Approximate Word count = 1272
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History