The Russian Revolution

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The Russian Revolution
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Main Idea Long-term social unrest in
Russia erupted in revolution, ushering in the
first Communist government.
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Why It Matters Now The Communist Party
controlled the Soviet Union until the countrys
breakup in 1991.
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• Upheld Autocracy
• Strict Censorship
• Secret Police
• Prisoners sent to Siberia
• Oppressed all non-Russians, especially Jews
  (pogroms)

Alexander III
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Czar Nicholas II and Family
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Nicholas continued the autocratic rule of his
father. He made Russia a leading steel producer
in the world. But, this caused poor working
conditions, low wages, child labor and strikes.
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Trans-Siberian Railway worlds longest
continuous rail line, finished in 1904
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Rapid industrialization stirred discontent among
the people. Revolutionary groups began to grow.
They wanted change and listened to the ideas of
Karl Marx. Marxists in Russia came in two forms.
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Mensheviks wanted a broad base of popular
support
Bolsheviks supported a small number of
committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice
everything for change
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Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lenin

• Leader of Bolsheviks
• Engaging Personality
• Organizer
• Ruthless

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Suffering In Russia
Russo-Japanese War 1904 Fought with Japan over
Korea and Manchuria Russia was defeated
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Bloody Sunday Revolution of 1905
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• Workers and families went to Czars Winter Palace
  with a petition for better conditions, more
  personal freedoms, and a national legislature.
• Soldiers fired on and killed 1,000 unarmed
  protesters.

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• Nicholas approved the Duma, Russias first
  parliament.
• Leaders of the Duma wanted a constitutional
  monarchy.
• Nicholas dissolved it after ten weeks!

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• World War I The Final Blow
• Unprepared to handle the military and economic
  costs
• Nicholas II went to the front to support his
  troops
• Czarina Alexandra was left to run the country,
  with the help of Rasputin

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Gregory Rasputin Holy Man?

• Healing Powers?
• Made political decisions
• Corruption
• 1916, murdered by nobles (poisoned, shot, drowned)

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March Revolution

• 1917, women textile workers had a strike
• Others joined in protest over bread and fuel
  shortages
• Soldiers joined the protesters

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Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate his
throne, and he and his family were killed a year
later.
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• A provisional government was set up led by
  Alexander Kerensky.
• Soviets---local councils consisting of workers,
  peasants and soldiers--- were formed.
• Lenin returned to Russia from exile in Germany.

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The Bolshevik Revolution

• Provisional Government Ended
• Peace, Land and Bread Farmland distributed to
  peasants, pulled out of WWI, factory control
  given to Bolsheviks
• Civil War between Red and White Armies
• Around 15 million Russians died, Red
  Army won
  

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Lenin Restored Order

• New Economic Policy small-scale capitalism,
  some private ownership
• Political Reforms Republics, Union of Soviet
  Socialist Republics, Moscow was capital,
  Bolsheviks became the Communist Party

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Lenin had several strokes and died in 1924. His
tomb is in Red Square in Moscow.
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Stalin becomes Dictator

• Man of Steel
• Worked his way up in the Communist Party
• Exiled his competition, Leon Trotsky

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Totalitarian State

• Command Economy
• Industry at the expense of the people
• Collective farms
• Secret Police (the Great Purge)
• Propaganda and censorship
• No Religion (League of the Militant Godless)

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Only positives Women were equal (?) Education