The Russian Revolution 1894-1924

A . The Reign of Nicholas II Conditions Crowned absolute monarch, “Czar” in 1894 Married to Czarina Alexandra Eldest son Alexi stricken with hemophilia Nicholas II naïve to the dissatisfaction in society Results Russia under Nicholas politically unstable Liberals wanted a democratic government Repressed minorities wanted independence Peasants wanted land reform; workers wanted better working conditions Military lost Russo-Japanese War in 1904 Many Russians questioned the czar’s system

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B. The 1905 Revolution Conditions Results On Bloody Sunday (Jan. 22nd 1905) the czar’s police killed hundreds of unarmed workers marching peacefully in St. Petersburg Results Revolts and strikes spread throughout Russia Radicals organized worker’s councils (soviets) Czar concedes democratic powers, in form of legislature called the Duma, then takes those powers back Czar’s minister Stolypin attempts land reform and is assassinated

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C. World War I in Russia Conditions Results Russia honors alliances and joins World War I Czar Nicholas II takes personal command of the army Strange monk Rasputin, gains power with czarina back at the court Army suffers many military defeats Results Discontent of soldiers, peasants, and workers Russia suffers most devastating losses in World War I

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D. The February Revolution Conditions Women’s March for “bread and peace” on International Women’s Day 1917 turns into widespread revolt Representatives of workers, peasants, and soldiers lead revolution from Petrograd Soviet The Duma forms the Provisional Government Results Czar Nicholas II abdicates Kerensky leads the Provisional Government

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E. Lenin and the Great October Revolution Conditions Lenin, a Marxist revolutionary, leader of the Bolshevik party, sneaks back into Russia Lenin protests against Provisional Government: calls for “land, bread and peace.” The Red Guard, under Bolshevik control, gains weapons and power Provisional Government continues to fight in World War I Results Russian Revolution, or Great October Revolution, begins Oct. 25th, 1917 as Trotsky’s Red Guard seizes most of Petrograd Lenin proclaims socialist state, nationalizes all land Civil War between “Reds”(Bolsheviks) and “Whites” (anti-Communists) eventually won by Lenin and Bolsheviks in 1922 In Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918, drops out of World War I, suffers great losses

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F. The Soviet Union Under Lenin Conditions Russia was devastated after World War I and Civil War – lost one half of its population By 1922, wages dropped to one tenth of prewar levels Western nations blockaded Russia so nothing could leave or enter Lenin concerned new socialist experiment would fail Results Lenin described his New Economic Policy (NEP) as “taking one step backward to go two steps forward” The NEP helped to jump start the economy with small-scale capitalism After NEP success, the Communist party introduced measures to bring about a classless society