The Russian Century: A Hundred Years of Russian Lives

Though World War I was devastating for all the European powers, it was doubly so for Russia. The staggering losses incurred at the front quickly began to strain the support systems “at home.” The nation had increasing problems in maintaining the commitment to the war since the domestic economy could not meet obligations as basic as those of food supply. Furthermore, the government of the last tsar, Nicholas II, was not only perceived to be inept, but proving to be so. It is not an accident that the Zemstvo Union, the Union of Towns, and the War Industry Committee were more effective in aiding the army and the war effort than was the government itself. The government’s continuous effort to bypass the Duma whenever possible, even in the face of such a national crisis, was extremely telling.

The monarchy fell in March 1917. It was not merely a question of Nicholas’s abdication. The February Revolution (February 23–26, old style) was a popular revolt. Large numbers of street demonstrations, protesting lack of bread among other things, were joined by the troops and police sent against them. With the collapse of all authority, a new government was formed on March 12, 1917. Unfortunately, its very weakness was suggested in its name, the Provisional Government. It was to last only to November 7, 1917. Beset by an inability to rule, confronted with the continuation of the war, and increasingly challenged by the parallel power structure of the Petrograd Soviet,

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as well as the rapid radicalization of politics, the Provisional Government could not last.

Lenin, who had returned from European exile in April 1917, masterfully helped to engineer the great Russian Revolution of November 1917. The Russian Revolution has drawn vast attention. In recent years, leading historians such as Richard Pipes, Orlando Figes, and Rex Wade have written major studies on the Revolution and its effects. Points of interpretation aside, the inescapable conclusion remained there for the world to see. Russia became the first communist nation with all that would entail.

This did not come easily. Russia underwent a devastating Civil War (1918– 1920) aggravating the destruction and dislocation of World War I. Lenin, ably aided especially by Trotsky, quickly moved to consolidate power in this period, frequently referred to as “war communism.” The nature of the Soviet system was clearly marked and imposed. The very first months of the new reign saw the formation of the Cheka, the implementation of the “Red Terror,” the creation of ravaging “food battalions,” and the removal of individual rights as well as those of freedom of the press. In 1919, the first decree creating concentration camps was issued. The capacity of the world to fully comprehend the extremes of the new dictatorial model is still open to debate.

Lenin, the pragmatist, was never to be underestimated. With the nation reeling from the effects of World War I, the Civil War, and government decrees (Trotsky had openly stated that Russia was in a state of collapse unprecedented in history), Lenin proclaimed the New Economic Policy (NEP) in the spring of 1921. This substantially lowered economic restrictions and allowed the nation to recover rapidly. Though seen as a retreat from communist ideology, NEP proved to be necessary in saving the country.

This period, 1921–1927, also set the stage for the creation of the Soviet State. It was the political and organizational incubation for Stalin who used the years craftily to create his personal power base. This was accomplished through his detailed work in building the party structure and the attendant levels of personal loyalty. Painstaking and laborious, this was an organizational effort which more flamboyant leaders did not have the comprehension or tenacity to undertake. When Lenin died in 1924, with technically no formal heir, Stalin’s political base, coupled with an ability for intrigue, proved a major determinant in his successful drive for supreme authority.

Nickolas Lupinin

Chapter Eleven

Georgii Altaev, How I Became a Cub Scout

This short piece tells a boy’s story of the early years of the Russian Scouts organization. The creation of Russian scouting belongs to Oleg Pantiukhov who formed the first group in Tsarskoe Selo in 1909. Other units were soon organized in the larger cities. From them, the movement spread to smaller towns and outlying regions. A primary motive of scouting was patriotism. This was reflected in the motto of the scouts: “Be prepared—for Russia.” With the vast Russian diaspora following the Revolution, organizations of scouts established themselves in practically every country which Russians inhabited. Taken from Georgii Altaev, “Kak ia stal volchonkom” [How I Became a Cub Scout] in Sbornik, San Francisco: Nats. Org. Russkikh Skautov, 1969.