Angry RussiaRussia p. 375

Brief Response: Political Cartoon Is the cartoonist for or against the US Congress rejecting the Versailles Treaty? –Against. How do the cartoonist show this opinion? –The bridge (European peace) is not strong w/o the US as the keystone. –The US looks negligent, ignoring the responsibility of protecting future peace.

Why the Russian Revolutions? Most of the Russian people were in favor of changing their government when WW I started. Defeats made them act. Russia’s revolution affected the course of WW I in favor of the Central Powers. It also began the conflict between communists and capitalists that would culminate in WW II and the Cold War.

Proletariat: communist term for industrial workers (factory, railroad, miners, urban wage earners). –Russian Marxists worked to organize them into a revolutionary group that would eventually take over the country.

Soviet: A worker and soldier committee. Soviets were democratically organized –ran political matters in many Russian cities. Many worked loosely with the Provisional Government.

A new flag symbolized the two popular groups running the nation:

Leon Trotsky was responsible for the Red Army. Commissars: Bolshevik political officers assigned to discipline the army –teach revolution to troops –make sure officers and soldiers were loyal to communism –the Communist Party. –Speeches and threats kept soldiers loyal: every 10th man in a unit would be shot if a unit was judged “poor”.

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Image, p. 376 Question: Both show why more and more Russians had reason to want the Czar to step down. The image of Rasputin shows –the Czarina, Alexandra, was out of touch with reality, using astrological and cultic advice from him. The Fabergé egg shows –the financial waste of the royal family, while people were starving.

Standards Check, p. 376 Question: Defeats on the war front Shortages, especially food, at home Poor decisions by the Tsar and government leaders.

Biography: image/excerpt, 377 Question The execution of his brother caused Ulyanov (Lenin) to question and reject the Tsarist government

Standards Check, p. 377 Lenin would begin a second, communist revolution. It would disrupt Russia’s war effort Lenin agreed to end war with Germany if he took control of Russia.

Standards Check, p. 378 Question: Soldiers, workers, and peasants did not support the provisional government, because it –continued the war with Germany –Did not address land reform

Thinking Critically, Questions 1 Russia performed poorly in the war –It was defeated by Germans and continually until it eventually withdrew in Economic conditions got worse Leaders were preoccupied with the war Revolutionaries took advantage of widespread unhappiness –They brought about the overthrow of the Provisional Government

Standards Check, p. 380 Question: The Reds used foreign intervention (UK, US, France, Japan) to rally the Russian people Supplied Red troops by taking crops from peasants Trained the Red Army to use terror tactics Controlled the center of Russia Punished uncooperative farmers…..

Standards Check, p. 381 Question: Lenin’s Communist Party ran the country, not the Russian people The NEP (New Economic Policy) allowed some capitalism.

Brief Response What were the reasons for the first revolution against the Tsar in March 1917? Why did many Russians become disillusioned with the revolutionary Provisional Government and support the second revolution started in October by the Communists?