The Conditions for Workers and Peasants Under the Bolsheviks and Under the Tsar's Rule

The Conditions for Workers and Peasants Under the Bolsheviks and Under the Tsar's Rule

Conditions for workers and peasants were deplorable under the rule of

the Tsars, but not to the extent they were under the Bolsheviks.

Despite the Bolsheviks claiming their policies were entirely in favour

of the proletariat, peasants were forced to face horrific famine and a

vast decline in living standards under rule by Lenin and the

Bolsheviks.

When Alexander II came to power in 1855 he realised that in order to

modernise Russia and improve the weakening economy he needed to make

dramatic reforms. In 1861 Alexander issued his Emancipation Manifesto,

proposing 17 legislative acts that would free the serfs in Russia.

Even though this new-found freedom in some ways seemed to place a

greater burden on the peasants due to heavy redemption payments on

their land and little improvement regarding agricultural methods in

Russia, the act made the now-freed serfs feel that progress was being

made towards a fairer social system in Russia and gave them some hope

for more affirmative reforms in the future. Conditions gradually

improved for the peasants, for example in 1864 judicial reforms were

made in order to make the system fairer and end class privileges, and

in 1882 the Peasant’s land bank was set up enabling enterprising

farmers to acquire more land. Reforms were also made under the rule of

Nicholas II who bettered conditions for workers by introducing a

reduction in the working day to eight hours, an increase in wages and

improvement in working conditions. Also in October 1906, the Tsar’s

Chief Minister, Stolypin introduced legislation that enabled pe...

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...flation had made the

ruble practically worthless, whilst some were simply left unpaid.

Despite having no incentive to work, workers were still forced to

labour away under the threat of harsh punishment for slacking or not

meeting factory standards as military discipline was introduced to the

factories.

In conclusion under the Tsars the average Russian peasant/worker was

incomparably better fed and clothed than under Bolshevik rule.

Peasants had more firewood in the winter and sufficient food to live

off, and workers worked shorter hours and did not have the threat of

severe punishment for slacking burdening them. Lenin and the

Bolsheviks forced the Russian peasants and workers to live in constant

fear of the brutal Cheka and led Russia into a devastating famine that

wiped out thousands of the Russian proletariat.