Causes of the Russian Revolution (1917)

Widespread discontent throughout all Russian social classes Agitation by revolutionaries Weak monarchy= Czar Nicholas II Severe Russian losses in World War I massive food riots, workers strikes, and protests “Bloody Sunday” (Jan 22, 1905) striking families were killed by Russian soldiers in St Petersburg; turned Russian public opinion against the Czar. March, 1917 protest over food & fuel shortages forced Czar Nicholas to abdicate

Dismal failure in in WWI army was unequipped; soldiers and civilians were starving 5.5 million casualties Czar Nicholas abdicated the throne in March, 1917 The provisional government (Menshevik pledged continued support to the Allies Germany snuck Vladimir Lenin into Russia on a train. He led the Bolshevik Revolution in November 1917, against the provisional (Menshevik) government.

Russia was forced to withdraw from WWI early and negotiated a separate treaty with Germany = Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) Ended Russian involvement in WWI Eliminated the threat of conflict on the eastern front for Germany Allowed Germany to make one last unsuccessful attempt to overrun France Russia lost the Baltic states and Finland Created Poland as an independent state between Russia and Germany

Bolsheviks created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) Lenin defeated the provisional government in November, 1917 provisional government Mensheviks leader = Alexander Karensky Re-distributed all farmland to the peasants created soviets = workers groups that took control of the factories 1918-1920 Civil War Lenin & Bolsheviks vs Mensheviks & their Western allies 15 million Russians died due to famine and war lenin & the Bolsheviks were victorious

New Economic Policy (NEP) limited capitalism small farmers, businesses, and industries operated their own businesses for profit major industries, banks, and communications structures were still state- controlled Organized the country’s diverse ethnic groups into several smaller republics controlled by a strong central government in Moscow prevented the spread of nationalist sentiments 1922, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics = USSR was officially created Bolshevik party became the Communist Party

In 1924, Lenin died Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin competed for power Trotsky lost and was banished from the USSR; later killed by a KGB (Russian Secret Service agent) in Mexico Joseph Stalin emerged as a totalitarian dictator of the USSR; remained in power until 1953

EXAMPLES OF GENOCIDE The Armenian Genocide Between 1915-1916, “Young Turks” in the Ottoman Empire ordered the execution of over 2.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire Some Armenians were sent to concentration camps in Trebizond on the Black Sea or loaded on to barges and sank at sea April 24, 1915: 5,000 of the poorest Armenians were butchered on Istanbul’s streets and in their homes 300 Armenian intellectuals were rounded up, deported, or executed

THE EFFECTS OF MAJOR NEW MILITARY TECHNOLOGIES ON WORLD WAR I airplane revolutionized military combat allowed aerial combat 1st photo reconnaissance close air support for ground troops long-range and long-distance transport to inland locations

mustard gas psychological “fear” factor unseen silent killer; death by choking long-term health issues beyond the battle ground blinding blistering left some parts of Germany & France environmentally damaged for years

machine guns rapid fire weapons improved in WWI high mortality rates killed large quantities of soldiers over large swathes of territory made it hard for either side to gain an advantage = created stalemates tanks armored vehicles covered large areas of territory large cannons with large explosives crushed enemy weapons, vehicles,and soldiers

larger artillery high explosives high mortality rates inflicted higher damage flamethrowers psychological factor maimed and scarred victims used to flush soldiers out of the trenches

submarines (U-boats) improved psychological= underwater is “secretive” unrestrictive naval warfare against ships German sinking of the British ship, Lusitania, was one cause of the U.S. entry into WWI