1917

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1917 the turning point year of WWI

• The Russian Revolution
• The U.S. entered the war

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• Czar Nicholas II - Autocracy, Orthodoxy
  and Nationalism
• Unlike his predecessors, he was weak, incompetent
  
• and
• suspected of being under the influence of his
  German-born wife Alexandra, and a half-crazed
  monk named Grigori Rasputin.

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The Russian Revolution, 1917

• There were actually two revolutions
• The February (March-western calendar)- A
  spontaneous insurrection against the Czarist
  government and its failures in the war
• The October (November)- a planned takeover of
  the government orchestrated by Bolshevik
  revolutionaries

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The November 6th Revolution

• The second revolution was instigated and inspired
  by a radical socialist party then known as the
  Bolsheviks. Its leaders included Vladimir Lenin,
  Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin.

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Political Causes

• Autocracy - weak and ineffectual ruler
• Spread of Marxist ideas
• Charismatic leaders such as Lenin and Trotsky
• Enormous losses in The Great War

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Economic Causes

• Illiterate and oppressed peasant majority
• Striking workers shut down industries
• Inefficient transportation system
• Food and fuel shortages

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Social Causes

• Extreme differences in classes
• Peasants desire for land
• Deprivations resulting from the war

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World War One The Battle of Tannenberg, 1914
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The Russian army a Paper Tiger!
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• In 1915, Czar Nicholas decided to go and direct
  the war from the front lines
• The Czarina allowed a crazed monk named Rasputin
  to run the homefront

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Russian march, mainly women, bearing the red flag
of revolution, Petrograd, March, 1917.
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• Czar Nicholas II's government ended when soldiers
  and citizens united after riots on food lines

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Czar Nicholas abdicated on March 15. a
Provisional Government was established and
continued the war- a big mistake that led to its
undoing.
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• The provisional government is often referred to
  as the Kerensky Government
• because its primary figure was Alexander
  Kerensky.

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Location of Bolshevik Leaders in February, 1917 Location of Bolshevik Leaders in February, 1917
Bolshevik Leaders Location
Lenin Switzerland
Radek Switzerland
Zinoviev Switzerland
Bukharin New York
Litvinov London
Antonov-Ovseenko Paris
Dzerzhinsky Moscow
Latsis Petrograd
Molotov Petrograd
Kirov Vladikavkaz
Stalin Kureika (Siberia)
Ordzhonikidze Pokrovsk (Siberia)
Sverdlov Turukhansk (Siberia)
Kamenev Achinsk (Siberia)
Rykov Narym (Siberia)

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• Lenin was secretly aided by the German govt to
  return to Russia

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Upon returning to Russia, Lenin promised Peace,
Bread and Land and All Power to the Soviets.
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The Bolsheviks didnt cause a revolution, they
captured it.
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Leon Trotsky- architect of the November Revolution

• Seized the headquarters of the Provisional
  Government as well as key govt buildings,
  railway stations, telephone exchanges, electric
  generating plants
• Next morning, all soviets approved the takeovers.

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• All power to soviets! Peace to all nations! Land
  to peasants! Factories to workers!

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• " Lenin - the leader of the revolution"

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• Lenin.
• October. Power to soviets.
  Peace to the nations. Land to peasants.
  Factories to workers.

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The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 1918

• Lenin accepted Germanys harsh conditions in
  order to focus on securing powerthe real
  revolution was yet to come.
• Russia lost 1/3 of its population, 3/4 of its
  iron resources and 9/10 of its coal supply plus a
  huge indemnity to Germany.
• News of the treaty contributed to a civil war
  which lasted until 1921.

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• Czar Nicholas II and his family were first exiled
  to Siberia but later, in July of 1918 were killed

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