The people of Russia are unhappy: Czar Nicholas II is in power, abuses it Unprepared for WWI, costs are high Suffer incredible losses Unequal distribution of wealth exists Czar Nicholas II Nicholas II speaking to troops during WWI, he was on the front lines with them

Leader at battlefront, he influences czar’s wife Alexandra Influences all decisions Many of which are disasters The people grow increasingly discontent with the czarist regime

1. Rasputin is assassinated 2. March Rev. – Strikes by women, a general strike ensues 3. Czar orders troops to disperse the crowds, troops refuse to shoot and join demonstrators 4. The Duma urges the Czar to step down 5. March 15 Nicholas II steps down ending the Romanov Dynasty!!!

Small faction of the Marxist party Their leader is V.I. Lenin Party is dedicated to violent revolution to destroy capitalism Lenin speaking at a Bolshevik rally

“Peace, Land, Bread” Promise: End to war Redistribute land to peasants Transfer power to the Soviets Led by Lenin and Leon Trotsky, the Bolshevik forces seized the winter palace, overthrow gov. March 1918, Russia withdraws from war Lenin Trotsky

the Communist Army (Red) fight the White Army White army disorganized, lots of foreign troops Red army, led by Trotsky, more organized Use War Communism Red Terror (destroy all those against them) 1921 Communists are in total control of the country Victims of the Red Terror Firing Squad used during the Red Terror

Russia now becomes the first nation with a communist economic system Which other countries will follow their lead????

Lenin followed a policy of communism Gov. control of production Public vs. privatization Citizens have little choice Peasants began to sabotage the communist program Drought caused a great famine between 1920 & 1922, 5 million lives were lost Industrial output decreased to 1913 levels

*New Economic Policy (NEP), a modified version of the old capitalist system. Peasants allowed to sell their produce, retail stores & small industries could be privately owned & operated Heavy industry, banking & mines remained in the hands of the government

1922, a new Communist state called the *Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR or Soviet Union was created. NEP saved the Soviet Union from complete economic disaster, but threatened the goals of the communism Dies in 1924

Joseph Stalin The Great Purge-Stalin had eliminated the Bolsheviks of the revolutionary era and had established a dictatorship. Trotsky was expelled in 1927 Murdered in 1940, probably on Stalin’s orders

1928, *Five-Year Plans, -transform the Soviet Union into an Industrial Power Little provision for caring of labor force Housing declined, pitiful living conditions, real wages declined, movement limited

* Collectivization, private farmers were eliminated, government owned all of the land while the peasants worked it. Strong resistance to plan, peasants hoarded crops & killed livestock By 1934, 26 million farms had been collectivized