The Cheka's First Mass Execution: The Red Terror Begins

The Cheka's First Mass Execution: The Red Terror Begins

In September 1918, the Bolshevik Cheka carried out its first mass execution, shooting 512 prisoners in Petrograd and Moscow. This episode explores the origins of the Red Terror, triggered by the assassination of Moisei Uritsky and the attempted assassination of Lenin. We discuss the Cheka's founding, its leaders Felix Dzerzhinsky and Yakov Sverdlov, the legal framework of the terror, and the specific events of August 30–September 5, 1918. We also examine the human toll: the executed included former tsarist ministers, Socialist Revolutionaries, and ordinary civilians. The episode draws on eyewitness accounts and recent scholarship to reveal how the terror was planned and justified. Listeners will learn about the role of the Cheka's Petrograd chief, the execution of Professor Mikhail Tikhvinsky, and the controversial figure of Moses Uritsky. This is a focused look at a pivotal moment when revolutionary violence became systematic. #Cheka #RedTerror #FelixDzerzhinsky #MosesUritsky #Lenin #Bolsheviks #Petrograd #Moscow #PoliticalRepression #RussianRevolution #1918 #SocialistRevolutionaries #YakovSverdlov #MassExecution #Terror #SovietHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Imperial Russian Army Collapse of 1917

In the summer of 1917, the Russian Army disintegrated from within. This episode follows the story of General Lavr Kornilov, the failed coup that bears his name, and the breakdown of discipline along the Eastern Front. Lucas and Luna explore how Order No. 1, the Petrograd Soviet, and the rise of soldiers' committees destroyed the old command structure. They discuss the Kerensky Offensive, the Kornilov Affair, and the role of the Bolsheviks in accelerating the collapse. Specific figures include Alexander Kerensky, Lavr Kornilov, Mikhail Krymov, and Boris Savinkov. Key locations: Petrograd, Stavka at Mogilev, the Northern and Southwestern Fronts. The episode examines the July Days, the Moscow State Conference, and the Kornilov's march on Petrograd that never happened. It ends with a reflection on how military disintegration paved the way for the October Revolution. #RussianRevolution #KornilovAffair #Kerensky #JulyDays #OrderNo1 #PetrogradSoviet #Stavka #Mogilev #EasternFront #KerenskyOffensive #MikhailKrymov #BorisSavinkov #RussianArmyCollapse #1917 #FexingoHistory #History #WWI #MilitaryHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Red Terror: Bolshevik Repression After the Revolution

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the Red Terror of 1918, the Bolsheviks' campaign of political repression during the Russian Civil War. They explore the origins, key figures like Felix Dzerzhinsky and Yakov Sverdlov, and the use of terror as a state instrument. The conversation covers the Cheka's mass executions, the hostage system, and the impact on the population, including the murder of the Romanovs. Specific events like the executions in Petrograd and Moscow are discussed, along with the legal framework of the decree 'On Red Terror'. The episode also touches on the historiography and how later Soviet leaders, including Stalin, built on these methods. #RedTerror #Bolsheviks #RussianCivilWar #Cheka #FelixDzerzhinsky #YakovSverdlov #Petrograd #Moscow #Romanovs #PoliticalRepression #1918 #SovietHistory #RussianHistory #Terror #Lenin #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Russian Revolution: The Last Tsar's Abdication and the February Revolution

In March 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne, ending three centuries of Romanov rule. This episode explores the February Revolution in Petrograd: the International Women's Day protests, the mutiny of the Volynsky Regiment, the formation of the Petrograd Soviet, and the Provisional Government under Prince Lvov. We discuss the Tsar's train journey from Mogilev to Pskov, the role of General Ruzsky and Mikhail Rodzianko, the abdication manifesto, and the Grand Duke Michael's refusal to accept the crown. The episode also touches on the dual power structure—the Provisional Government and the Soviet—that set the stage for the October Revolution. A pivotal moment in Russian history, covered in-depth with primary sources and human detail. #FebruaryRevolution #NicholasII #Abdication #Petrograd #Romanov #ProvisionalGovernment #PetrogradSoviet #MikhailRodzianko #GeneralRuzsky #PrinceLvov #GrandDukeMichael #InternationalWomensDay #RussianHistory #1917 #FexingoHistory #History #EasternEurope #Revolution Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Saratov Famine and the Bolsheviks' Food Dictatorship

In 1921, as the Russian Civil War wound down, a catastrophic drought struck the Volga region, triggering one of the deadliest famines in modern history. This episode focuses on the Saratov famine, where crop failure combined with ruthless Bolshevik grain requisitioning — the prodrazverstka — to create a humanitarian disaster. Lucas and Luna explore the role of the Narkomprod (People's Commissariat for Food), the brutal work of the prodotryady (food detachments), and the ideological blinders that kept Soviet officials from accepting foreign aid until it was almost too late. They also examine the American Relief Administration's massive operation under Herbert Hoover, which fed millions but was viewed with deep suspicion by Lenin's government. Along the way, they discuss the famine's long-term scars on the Volga German communities, the rise of farmer resistance movements like the Antonovshchina, and how the catastrophe ultimately pushed Lenin toward the New Economic Policy. A story of ideological rigidity meeting natural disaster, and the human cost of revolutionary ambition. #SaratovFamine #RussianFamine #VolgaFamine #Prodrazverstka #Narkomprod #AmericanReliefAdministration #HerbertHoover #Lenin #Bolsheviks #NewEconomicPolicy #Antonovshchina #VolgaGermans #FoodDictatorship #1921Famine #RussianCivilWar #FexingoHistory #History #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]