The Russian Revolutions

1
The Russian Revolutions

• Events Leading Up To
• The Actual Events
• Forecasting What is Next

2
The Problems of the Czar

• Events between 1904-1917 demonstrated the Czars
  weakness
• The Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese War
• Bloody Sunday
• Creation of the Duma
• World War I

3
The March Revolution

• March 1917, women textile workers in Petrograd
  lead a citywide strike
• Nearly 200,000 workers protested
• At first soldiers followed orders to shoot at
  protestors
• Later they joined the rebellion
• This local protest exploded into a general
  uprising
• Question 1 What do you think was Nicholas II
  response to this revolt?

4
The March Revolution Continued

• Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate his
  throne
• Question 2 What does abdicate mean?

5
The March Revolution- Continued

• Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate his
  throne
• He stepped down from his position as leader
• A year later he and his family were murdered
• The reign of the Romanov family finally ended
  after over 300 years

6
The Provisional Government

• Leaders of the Duma established a provisional, or
  temporary government
• Alexander Kerensky became the leader
• He decided to keep Russia in WWI
• Question 3 What effect do you think this had on
  his leadership?

7
The Provisional Government- continued

• Leaders of the Duma established a provisional, or
  temporary government
• Alexander Kerensky became the leader
• He decided to keep Russia in WWI
• This cost him the support of soldiers and
  civilians
• Angry peasants demanded land
• City workers grew more radical
• Social revolutionaries formed Soviets

8
The Provisional Government- continued

• Soviets were local councils consisting of
  workers, peasants, and soldiers
• In many cities the Soviets had more power and
  influence than the provisional government

9
The Provisional Government- continued

• Question 4 At this time Germany launches a
  secret weapon on the Russians- what do you
  think it might be?

10
The Provisional Government- continued

• The Germans arrange for Lenins return to Russia
• They believe that Lenin and his Bolshevik
  supporters would stir unrest in Russia and hurt
  the war effort
• Lenin arrived in a sealed boxcar in April 1917

11
The Bolshevik Revolution

• Lenin and the Bolsheviks acted immediately upon
  his return
• Seized control of the Petrograd Soviet
• Soon took control of soviets in other major
  cities
• By the fall of 1917 people all over Russia were
  responding to Lenins cry of Peace, Land and
  Bread

12
The Bolshevik Revolution- continued

• The Provisional Government topples
• Bolshevik Red Guards (armed factory workers) took
  over government offices in Petrograd
• They arrested the leaders of the Provisional
  Government

13
The Bolshevik Revolution- continued

• Bolsheviks in Power
• Question 5 What do you think Lenins first
  acts as leader were?

14
The Bolshevik Revolution- continued

• Bolsheviks in Power
• All farmland be redistributed among the peasants
• Factory control be given to the workers
• Signed a truce with Germany to end Russian
  involvement in WWI
• Question 6 What feelings did the Russian
  people have after this decision?

15
The Bolshevik Revolution- continued

• Bolsheviks in Power
• All farmland be redistributed among the peasants
• Factory control be given to the workers
• Signed a truce with Germany to end Russian
  involvement in WWI
• In the treaty they had to give up a large section
  of land to the Germans
• Wide-spread anger against the Bolsheviks
  developed

16
The Bolshevik Revolution- continued

• Civil War Rages
• Bolshevik opponents formed the White Army
• Leon Trotsky lead the Bolsheviks Red Army
• Question 7 Many Western nations sent aid- what
  side do you think they wanted to help? Why?

17
The Bolshevik Revolution- continued

• Civil War Rages
• Bolshevik opponents formed the White Army
• Leon Trotsky lead the Bolsheviks Red Army
• Western nations aided the White Army
• In the end the Red Army triumphed and crushed a
  opposition to the Bolsheviks
• Results were devastating
• 15 million Russians died
• Fighting, hunger, flu epidemic
• Lenin and the Bolsheviks faced overwhelming
  problems