The Russian Revolution and Communism By Ian Lucas, Luz Eiletz Bottaro, Bernardo Camarena, and Maheen Khan

Communism Definition: a way of organizing a society in which the government owns the things that are used to make and transport products (such as land, oil, factories, ships, etc.) and there is no privately owned property (Merriam- Webster) Everyone works and gains the same Many low, working class people like the idea of gaining the same that other people working as hard as them gain. However, upper class people don’t like the idea of communism.

FAILING RUSSIAN EMPIRE Tsar Nicholas was a brutal autocrat, he had a system of repression (prison,exile, and death). Russian language, culture, and antisemitism was encouraged. Many Russians were peasants (150 million) and the growth of the urban working class became a problem. Nobles were content but, peasants were angry

FAILING RUSSIAN EMPIRE (pt.2) Workers were densely concentrated, badly paid, and badly treated Trade unionism and socialist ideas spread(marxist) The 1905 “revolution” began with citizens going on strike and protests, some peaceful, others not. Bloody Sunday was a massacre in St.Petersburg, Russia where many peaceful protesters were shot and killed. Tsar Nicholas II released the October Manifesto later that year, promising basic rights and political improvements, with the addition of a State Duma, an assembly of suggestions, which didn’t work out.

RUSSIA IN WW1 Russia suffered greatly during WWI; despite some victories over Germany, the army’s poor training allowed them to be easily overwhelmed by Germany. These losses further hurt the economy and contributed to the growing social unrest in the country, especially among soldiers. The war ultimately acts as somewhat the last straw for the Russian Population.

REVOLUTION BEGINS On November 7, of 1917 led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Founder of the Bolshevik Party) overthrew the Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky. It was weak, and when attacked wasn’t prepared to defend.

IMPORTANT DATES December, 30th, 1916- Rasputin, a powerful peasant is murdered by threatened nobles. March (February) 1st, 1917- March Revolution : People are upset by World War 1 and by Tsar Nicholas so the workers in Petrograd go on strike. The result is the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. October(November) 25th,1917- Bolshevik/ October Revolution: was part of the Russian Revolution, it overthrew the Russian Provisional Government (Duma) and gave the power to the local soviets (Lenin and Trotsky)

GLOBAL IMPACT The Russian Revolution posed an immediate threat to the rest of world through Lenin’s choice to leave WWI, which made Germany significantly more powerful. After the war had ended, however, countries continued to be threatened by Russia. The country’s attempts to spread Europe throughout the world struck fear in many countries. America would be notably afraid of the threat of communism, leading to the “Red Scare” of the 1920s, a paranoia regarding communism that wouldn’t entirely end until the end of the Cold War in the 1990s.

USSR On January 21st, 1924, Lenin dies and Stalin becomes the leader of the USSR The USSR is the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics, which included multiple other countries This created a better economy with the use of industrialization. The government created by Lenin and inherited by Stalin was totalitarian and cruel, with widespread censorship and systematic purging of any perceived threat to the power of the government.

QUESTIONS?

WORKS CITED History.com Staff. "Russian Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. Nov. 2016. "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. Nov. 2016. "GCSE Modern World History." GCSE Modern World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.