Tsarist Rule vs. Communist Regime in Russia

Tsarist Rule vs. Communist Regime in Russia

From 1856-1917, up until a communist takeover, the USSR had three

Tsarist rulers, Alexander II (the Reformer 1855-1881), Alexander III

(the reactionary Tsar 1881-1894) and Nicholas (1894-1917). After the

February Revolution of 1917, Lenin took control forcibly through the

Civil War, but died in 1924. After several years of fighting

opposition, Stalin took power in the late 1920's after antagonism from

Leon Trotsky. His murderous regime however ended in 1953 in a peaceful

death.

Throughout the period of time that Russia was under the rule of the

Romanov dynasty, [C-300] the Tsars ruled by divine right. This made

them respectable and looked at as god like figures by the empire; it

was therefore the Church and religion of Russia which consolidated the

Tsars position as the 'father' of Russia. The autocratic monarchy of

Russia was unfair and unrepresentative of the Russian people, as the

majority did not have the right to vote, let alone its peasant class

accounting for almost eighty five percent of the total population.

This class lived in poverty, and were answerable to their landlords

and the Mirs, who would often use brutal measures to stabilise them.

Nicholas II introduced the October Manifesto, which labelled Russia as

a constitution, and the Tsar no longer had absolute power.

Contradicting the Manifesto, the Fundamental Laws would reinstate the

Tsar with absolute power. Nicholas II abdicated during World War One

in 1917 and his life was brought to an end in 1918.

After Nicholas' death, the Bolsheviks took control of Russia with

their Communist views. Following the Marxist view tha...

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...Stalin also used propaganda in order to gain control the USSR. Through

the newspapers, 'Pravda' and 'Izvestia', Stalin had full censorship

over what was and what was not to be published in his Empire.

Extensive measures were taken such as the re-publication of textbooks

throughout schools in an act of Russification. This would enable

Stalin to have only his message put across to the people who were to

be the future of the USSR.

From examining the question and looking into information providing

examples of acts carried out by the Romanov Tsars and communists from

the death of Lenin to that of Stalin, it is apparent that both forms

of government used central control by the state to an extent. This

makes the similarities between the two forms of government greater

than the differences, but once again, only to an extent.