Welcome to Russian History Retold.

Episode 297, The Russian Revolution, a people's perspective.

Last time, we covered the life and death of Alexi Navalny. Today we return to our three-part

series on the People's Perspective on three tragic events in late Russian history. The Russian Revolution happened in two parts. One in

in 1905 whereby Zorniclos II had to deal with growing discontent within his country, partly due to the disastrous Russo-Japanese war, and partly due to the general Malays that gripped Russia. While an autocratic leader would have overcome

both issues, Nicholas just wasn't up for the job. The second part in 1917 was actually itself a two-part event.

The first part was Nicholas's abdication, with the second being the Bolsheviks overthrow of the provisional government,

and what could only be called sheer luck.

Today we will discuss how the people reacted to these two revolutions.

There are so many interpretations of the Russian Revolution and who was behind it

that it would take 10 or 12 whole episodes to cover every facet of it. Was it, as author Neil Faulkner claims in

his book A People's History of the Russian Revolution, quote, the Russian Revolution was an explosion of democracy and activity from below.

It transformed the millions of people who participated in it, inspiring tens of millions who watched.

Or was it a highly complex, decades-long struggle

between 1890 and 1924 that Orlando Fijis puts in his book a people's tragedy?

Or was it, as some scholars have claimed, a reaction to the emancipation of the serfs causing a decline in the gentry class, an increased

in a growing disenfranchised middle class, and a depressed peasantry.

Or as I believe, a little bit of all of these.

Whatever the actual cause, what did the people feel about this tumultuous period. That is what we will be discussing today.

Of course, the group most affected by the revolution was the Gentry class.

Deep down the wealthier members of Russian society tied to the Zarist regime knew that the way things were going in the years leading up to the 1917 revolution was not right.

People like Prince Felix Eusepov who viewed Rasputin's influence over the Empress

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