The Russian Revolution (1917): External Factors of Influence
https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU2070-1381-105-2024-80-92
Abstract
The problem of the relationship between external and internal factors that initiated the events of the February Revolution in Russia occupies an important place not only in historical science, but also in a number of other related fields of knowledge. In this case, the role of the external factor is of particular importance, when foreign countries, pursuing their national interests, actively interfere in the internal life of a particular state. The extreme form of such interference is direct military clashes, but this does not exclude the use of other forms of influence. On the one hand, the countries that were opponents of Russia in the First World War, the leading position among which was occupied by Germany, saw the need to coordinate their military efforts with the incitement of internal revolutionary unrest in Russia. On the other hand, as the victory of the Entente countries in the war became increasingly obvious, the allies saw Russia as a future geopolitical competitor and sought to weaken it, pushing for the overthrow of the imperial power. Great Britain played a key role in this process. The aim of the article is to characterize the role of external factors in inspiring revolutionary events in Russia. To achieve this, a set of methodological approaches was used, among which system and factor analysis are of particular importance, allowing us to see the complexity of the system of international relations during the First World War and to identify the factors influencing Russia’s domestic political development and the forces acting from outside. Comparative analysis allows characterizing Russia’s place and potential in international events at the final stage of the world war. The article characterizes the policy of Germany and the Entente countries to initiate the February Revolution in Russia.
About the Author
G. A. ShevkunovRussian Federation
Georgy A. Shevkunov, PhD applicant, School of Public Administration
Moscow
References
1. Alekseyeva I.V. (1989) Missiya Mil’nera [Milner’s mission]. Voprosy istorii. No. 10. P. 143–148.
2. Alfer’yev E.E. (1983) Imperator Nikolay II kak chelovek sil’noy voli. [Emperor Nicholas II as a man of strong will]. Jordanville: Svyato-Troitskiy Monastyr’.
3. Ayrapetov O.R. (2014–2015) Uchastiye Rossiyskoy imperii v Pervoy mirovoy voyne (1914–1917). V 4-kh t. [Participation of the Russian Empire in the First World War (1914–1917). In 4 vol.]. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole.
4. Ayrapetov O.R. (2024) Generaly, liberaly i predprinimateli: rabota na front i revolyutsiyu (1908–1917). Iz istorii ekonomiki i politiki dorevolyutsionnoy Rossii [Generals, liberals and entrepreneurs: Work for the front and the revolution (1908–1917). From the history of economics and politics in pre-revolutionary Russia]. Moscow: Nashe zavtra.
5. Bazanov S.N. (2018) Pervaya mirovaya voyna. Istoriko-biograficheskiye ocherki [The First World War. Historical and biographical essays]. Moscow: Institut rossiyskoy istorii RAN, Tsentr gumanitarnykh initsiativ.
6. Bertie F. (1927) The Diary of Lord Bertie of Thame. Moscow-Leningrad: Gosudarstvennoye izdatel’stvo.
7. Buchanan G. (1991) My Mission to Russia, and Other Diplomatic Memories. Moscow: Mezhdunarodnyye otnosheniya.
8. Churchill W. (1955) World War II. In 6 vol. Vol. 1. Moscow: Voyennoye izdatel’stvo Ministerstva oborony SSSR.
9. Davidson A.B. (2017) Chto ponyal i chego ne ponyal lord Milner. Voyennyy ministr Velikobritanii i drugiye imenityye soyuzniki — v Petrograde za neskol’ko dney do revolyutsii [What Lord Milner understood and didn’t understand. The British Minister of war and other eminent allies in Petrograd a few days before the revolution]. Rodina. No. 2(217). P. 34–38.
10. Denikin A.I. (1921) Ocherki russkoy smuty. V 5-ti t. T. 1. Ch. 1. [Essays on the Russian time of troubles. In 5 vol. Vol. 1. Part 1]. Paris: J. Povolozky.
11. Derevyanko I., Sharov A. (1994) “Taynaya voyna” (Ocherki iz istorii voyennoy razvedki i kontrrazvedki Rossiyskoy imperii) [“The Secret war” (Essays on the history of military intelligence and counterintelligence of the Russian Empire)]. Voyennyye znaniya. No. 12. P. 12–46.
12. Fedoseyev S.L. (2003) Pulemety v Pervoy mirovoy voyne 1914–1918 gg. [Machine guns in World War I 1914–1918]. Tekhnika i vooruzheniye. No. 2. P. 1–40.
13. Fisher F. (1967) Germany’s Aims in the First World War. New York: W.W. Norton.
14. Graf G.K. (1997) Na “Novike”. Baltiyskiy flot v voynu i revolyutsiyu [On the “Novik”. The Baltic fleet in war and revolution]. Saint Petersburg: Gangut.
15. Hahlweg W. (1990) Lenins Rückkehr nach Russland 1917. Die deutschen Akten. Moscow: Mezhdunarodnyye otnosheniya.
16. Janin M. (2023) En mission dans la Russie en guerre, 1916–1917: le journal inédit du général Janin. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole Muzeon; Izdatel’skiy tsentr “Voyevod”.
17. Kaptar’ D.L. (2020) Conference of the Entente Countries and the February Revolution. Vestnik Finansovogo universiteta. Gumanitarnyye nauki. Vol. 10. No. 2. P. 66–70. DOI: 10.26794/2226-7867-2020-10-2-66-70
18. Kersnovskiy A.A. (1994a) Istoriya russkoy armii. T. 3 [History of the Russian army. Vol. 3]. Moscow.: Golos.
19. Kersnovskiy A.A. (1994b) Istoriya russkoy armii. T. 4 [History of the Russian army. Vol. 4]. Moscow: Golos.
20. Lieven D. (2015) The End of Tsarists Russia: March to World War I and Revolution. New York: Viking.
21. McRandle J.H., Quirk J. (2006) The Blood Test Revisited: A New Look at German Casualty Counts in World War I. The Journal of Military History. Vol. 70. Is. 3. P. 667–701. DOI: 10.1353/jmh.2006.0180
22. Mel’gunov S.P. (1989) Zolotoy nemetskiy klyuch bol’shevikov [Golden German key of the bolsheviks]. New York: Teleks.
23. Naumov A.O. (2022) “Tsvetnyye revolyutsii” [“Color revolutions”]. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole.
24. Naumov A.O., Belousova M.V. (2023) On the Issue of Sharp Power Technologies in the Modern World. Gosudarstvennoye upravleniye. Elektronnyy vestnik. No. 98. P. 73–85. DOI: 10.24412/2070-1381-2023-98-73-85
25. Nelipovich S.G. (2022) Russkiy front Pervoy mirovoy voyny: poteri storon. 1915. [Russian front of World War I: Casualties of both sides. 1915]. Moscow: Kvadriga.
26. Nye J. (2011) The Future of Power. New York: Public Affairs.
27. Ol’denburg S.S. (2006) Tsarstvovaniye imperatora Nikolaya II [The reign of Emperor Nicholas II]. Moscow: Dar”.
28. Paganutstsi P.N. (1981) Pravda ob ubiystve tsarskoy sem’i [The Truth about the murder of the royal family]. Jordanville: Svyato-Troitskiy Monastyr’.
29. Polikarpov V. (2015) Russkaya voyenno-promyshlennaya politika, 1914–1917: Gosudarstvennyye zadachi i chastnyye interesy [Russian military-industrial policy, 1914–1917: State tasks and private interests]. Moscow: Tsentrpoligraf.
30. Potkina I.V. (2022) V preddverii katastrofy. Gosudarstvo i ekonomika Rossii v 1914–1917 godakh [On the eve of disaster. The state and economy of Russia in 1914–1917]. Saint Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya.
31. Sergeyev E.Yu. (ed.) (2014) Pervaya mirovaya voyna. Entsiklopedicheskiy slovar’ [The First World War. The Encyclopedic Dictionary]. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo “Ves’ Mir”, 2014.
32. Shatsillo V.K. (2003) Pervaya mirovaya voyna, 1914–1918: Fakty. Dokumenty [World War I, 1914–1918: Facts. Documents]. Moscow: OLMA-Press.
33. Shishov A.V. (2002) Yudenich. Moscow: AST, Astrel’.
34. Starkov B.A. (2006) Okhotniki na shpionov. Kontrrazvedka Rossiyskoy imperii 1903–1914 [Spy hunters. Counterintelligence of the Russian Empire 1903–1914]. Saint Petersburg: Piter.
35. Utkin A.I. (2001) Pervaya mirovaya voyna [World War I]. Moscow: Algoritm.
Review
For citations:
Shevkunov G.A. The Russian Revolution (1917): External Factors of Influence. Public Administration. E-journal (Russia). 2024;(105):80-92. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU2070-1381-105-2024-80-92
JATS XML