The Russian Revolution

I. The Beginnings of Upheaval Problems: Outcomes: A. Inexperienced generals A. Failure on the battlefield B. Poorly trained military B. Lots of soldiers dying C. Outdated technology C. Lots of soldiers dying Which classes of Russian society will be the most affected & upset by these outcomes?

The Beginnings of Upheaval (con’t) Key People: Major Issues: Czar Nicolas II Failures in the war; people unhappy with him Czarina Alexandra Sick son; leads country while czar away at war Gregori Rasputin Peasant; weird/creepy; healed czarina’s son, but nobody likes him or wants him around

The Beginnings of Upheaval (con’t) Who wanted him to leave? -Supporters of the czar -Nobles in Russia -Generals in the military Who wanted him to stay? -Czarina – she believes he can heal her son & heir to the throne, Alexi What happened to him? -Assassinated (but it took many attempts) Did getting rid of him solve the problems for the czar? NO!

The March Revolution Causes: 1. Peasants were hungry 2. Women wanted equal pay in the factories 3. Angry over the war Results: Czar sent out army to disperse the crowd 2. Some troops opened fire (known as Bloody Sunday) 3. Other troops laid down weapons and joined demonstrators 4. Czar’s power was diminished and many despised him

III. The Provisional Government What happened to the czar? -Because of Bloody Sunday, he was forced to step down -He & his family were put under house arrest How was the new government created? -The Duma, or Russian legislature, created a temporary government led by Alexander Kerensky -He instituted reforms Why was he unpopular? -Decided to keep Russia in WWI -Angered peasants and workers

IV. Lenin and the Bolsheviks What did the dissatisfied workers do? -They formed soviets in the cities -These were town councils meant to represent the needs/wants of the workers & soldiers specifically Who was the leader of all Russian soviets? -Vladimir I. Lenin Who is Lenin & why was he in charge? -Lenin had been exiled to Switzerland for speaking out against the czar -He was there from 1900-1917 -German government helped him get back to Russia to cause “trouble” for the czar -He joined the Moscow soviet and quickly became a leading figure for all soviets

Was Lenin involved in politics? -YES!!! -He was the leader of the Bolshevik party What did the Bolsheviks want for Russia? #1 – End the War #2 – Take power away from the upper classes #3 – Create a system of government known as Communism What were the slogans for the Bolshevik Party? -“Peace, Land, Bread” -“Worker Control of Production” -“All Power to the Soviets”

V. The Bolsheviks Seize Power What happened to the Provisional Government (P.G.)? -The Bolsheviks became very popular with the lower classes. -On November 6, the Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace and the leaders of the P.G. stepped down.

What did Lenin & the Bolsheviks do about the War? He signed a treaty with Germany to get Russia out of WWI Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: -gave large portions of land to Germany, but ended Russia’s involvement in WWI What happened to the Bolshevik Party? -Lenin renamed it the Communist Party Was everyone happy with this new government? -NO! Many people wanted the czar to return, or wanted someone other than Lenin to rule the country; others wanted a new form of gov’t like a dem. or rep.

VI. Civil War in Russia What caused the Civil War? -Many people were opposed to the Communists, including: 1. Groups loyal to the czar 2. Liberals 3. Anti-Leninist socialists Who helped those who were against Lenin? Why? -They were aided by the Allies -Wanted Russia back in -They gave them troops and supplies WWI

Who won? -The Red Army Why? -Better trained -Common goal -Unified effort -Leon Trotsky (leader) Effects: -Communism became the government system of Russia -Lenin was its unquestioned leader -Lenin & the Communists did not trust the Allies because of their role in the Civil War -This created tensions between Russia, U.S., France, & G.B. leading up to World War II.

What did Lenin decided to do with the Royal Family? -The royal family was captured by the Communists and moved to a mining town in the Urals, where they were eventually killed.

VII. Triumph of the Communists How did the Communists establish a long-lasting government system? -Strong military -Limited rights and freedoms of the people -Competent leaders like Lenin & Trotsky -Totalitarian leaders like Joseph Stalin -Took control of banks, businesses, and farms -Used secret police (Cheka) to instill fear in people -Arrested, imprisoned, or killed those opposed to the new government -Propaganda

When does the U.S.S.R. or Soviet Union officially begin? -By 1921, the Communists had complete control of Russia -The country had a dictator and one political party (Communist Party)