The Russian Revolution Section 23.3

How is Russia doing in the war? Czar Nicholas insists on leading army Not enough weapons In two years 2 million soldiers died 4-6 million captured or wounded

Beginnings of Upheaval Alexandra trusts this guy

The March Revolution Series of strikes by working-class women in Petrograd Guess what they’re out of? Alexandra doesn’t see this as a problem Nicholas tells the army to shoot if necessary

Alexander Kerensky The Czar steps down Head of provisional government Decided to keep Russia in WWI

Soviets Councils composed of representatives from the workers and soldiers Made up of mostly socialists Bolsheviks Small faction of a Marxist party Dedicated to violent revolution Well-disciplined professional revolutionaries

Vladimir Lenin Sent to Russia by the Germans to cause chaos Plan: Bolsheviks should use the soviets to overthrow provisional government After the war they would Give land back to peasants Transfer capital to committees Turn the government over to the soviets

The Bolsheviks Seize Power Seized the winter place (little bloodshed) Who’s in power now? Council of People’s Commissars (Communists) Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Gets Russia out of the war Forced to give up Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces

Civil War in Russia Communists vs. Anti-Communists Allies take the Anti-Communist side Communists win and reconquer land Sidenote: Royal family murdered and burned

Triumph of the Communists Leon Trotsky Organizational Genius War Communism Gov’t control of the banks, industries, & grain Centralization under communist control