The Russian Revolution Readings: Spodek, pp. 658- 661

Peter Builds New Capital

Nicholas I (1825-1855) Hated Industrial Revolution and French Revolution Wanted to make world safe for autocracy Fought against progress in Russia and Europe

Decembrists Revolt against czarism Put down Revolutions of 1848 Most of Europe but Russia has some form of democracy Economy remains backward

Alexander II (1855-1881) Son of Nicholas I. One of better czars – interested in reform Emancipated the serfs in 1861

Alexander III (1881-1894) Increased the repressive powers of the police Limited the power of the local assemblies Pograms against anyone who was not Russian

Nicholas II (1894-1917) Wrong man, wrong time Little interest in government

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) Imperialistic Conflict over Korea and Manchuria Russia trying to ward off rebellion

Bloody Sunday-January 22, 1905 Began in St Petersburg Disaster of Russo-Japanese War revealed corruption and incompetence of czar Created Duma, limited economic reform

World War I/ Rasputin Had control over the Tsar Nicholas II and the Tsarina Was murdered in December 1916 World War I was a disaster.

The Revolutions of 1917 February Revolution (March 8, 1917) Czar Nicholas Abdicates

Kerensky forms Provisional Government

Lenin Arrives at Finland Station

How Do Bolsheviks Get Power? Lenin arrives in Petrograd (St. Petersburg)—April 16. 1917 Lenin calls for armed insurrection —Oct. 16, 1917 (Russian Calendar) October Revolution begins, October 24, 1917 (Russian Calendar) November 6, 1917 (Western European Calendar) Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin

Treaty of Brest Litovsk— March 3, 1918 Lost 32% of the land Lost Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Much of the Ukraine Much of Belarussia

Creation of Soviet Union Civil War, 1918-1921 “Reds” vs “Whites” “Reds” (Bolsheviks, Communists) under Lenin win Supported by peasants, national/ethnic groups New Economic Plan Nationalization of banks and heavy industry, limited ownership of small businesses Lenin dies 1923

Power Struggle after Lenin’s Death and Stalin’s Rule Forced collectivization “The Great Famine” “The Great Terror” Purges Gulag

Contemporary Problems Cold War with US from 1945-1991 Mikhail Gorbachev’s Glasnost allowed Democracy to Emerge Perestroika—socialism not possible in capitalist world Resigns December 25, 1991 End of Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War

Boris Yeltsin Problems: Economy was a mess Workers not paid National Debt IMF and World Bank Money to Cronies Politics a Mess

Today in Russia and the Former Soviet Union A weak Boris Yeltsin names Vladimir Putin, former KGB agent, Premier then President New President Dmitri Medvedev, but Putin still makes many decisions

Today’s Russia (continued) Ethnic groups want autonomy or Independence Putin has destroyed Chechnya Reports of rapes and pillage Nationalists want powerful Soviet Union Questions still needing answers

Russian Revolution: Who Won, Who Lost? Losers Poorest peasants Traditional Russian upper classes Many of those in traditional Russian middle classes Those killed or imprisoned because of oppressive regime Jews, Muslims Other ethnic minorities (maybe) Russian Economy Russian Democracy Winners Communist Party Some Workers Massive Literacy Project—all those who learn to read and write Vastly improved health care—all those who lived longer and healthier Women