RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

Rasputin

Tsar Nicholas II and Family

Reign of Nicholas II Conditions – Tsar Nicolas II was the absolute monarch of Russia, Naïve to the dissatisfaction in society – His son Alexis had hemophilia which crippled him and worried the people Results – Russia under Nicolas was politically unstable – Liberals wanted a democratic government – Repressed minorities wanted independence – Peasants wanted land reform; workers wanted better working conditions – Military lost war with Japan in 1904 – Many Russians questioned Tsar's system

Bloody Sunday January 5, 1905

1905 Revolution Conditions – On the Bloody Sunday, the Tsar's police killed hundreds of workers marching peacefully in St. Petersburg. Results – Revolts and strikes spread throughout Russia – Radicals organized workers’ councils (Soviets) – Tsar concedes democratic powers, in the form of a legislature called the Duma, then takes those powers back – Tsars minster Stolypin attempts land reform and is assassinated.

Bloody Sunday

The Secret Police (Okhrana) remained very active. All Russians had to carry internal passports and register with the police if they travelled away from home. Although freedom of speech and the press had been granted in 1905, newspapers were heavily fined for printing articles which upset the government and were sometimes censored. Law and Order censorship

World War I and Russia

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

The February Revolution

Conditions – Women’s march for “bread and peace” turns into widespread revolt – Representatives of workers, peasants, and soldiers lead revolution from Petrograd soviet – The Duma forms the Provisional government Results – Tsar Nicolas Abdicates – Kerensky leads the Provisional Government

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

The time is right! The Provisional Government (P.G.) are unpopular because they shoot peasants who take land by force. Crime is rocketing: the P.G. don’t seem to be in control ! Winter is coming … The Bolsheviks are very popular in the Petrograd Soviet, and have lots of support! Lenin returns to Russia The Bolsheviks take over Petrograd! 7 th November Trotsky, a leading Bolshevik, organises the Red Guard so they take control of: The train stations and bridges The main telegraph office Other key buildings in Petrograd ! Kerensky fled and the Bolsheviks have taken the city!

Lenin’s ideas are: “Peace, Bread and Land!” and “All Power to the Soviets” So he wants: *An end to the War and signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 *Land given to the peasants *Soviets should take power - “No co-operation with the Provisional government!”

Lenin and the Great October Revolution Results – Russian Revolution, or Great October Revolution, begins Octobers 25, 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 the Bolsheviks in 1922 – In Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1918, Russia drops out of WWI and suffers great losses.

And Leaves a Legacy 1919 Lenin creates the Cheka (secret police) to control the Russian people Communists adopt plan – “war on communism” Factories, banks, mines, and Railroads are under their control Peasants and farmers must feed the Red Army Policy almost destroys Russia: factory output down, and peasants stop producing

Bolshevik regiments marching to Smolnyi (1918) under banners emblazoned with All Power to the Soviets, Long Live the Revolution. Source: Albert Rhys Williams, Through the Russian Revolution. New York: Boni and Liveright,  Civil war breaks out between the: Bolsheviks (Red Army) And Everyone else/imperial officers (White Army), Democrats, Mensheviks, Nationalists from other countries, and Allies

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 pre-war levels – Western nations blockaded Russia so nothing could leave or enter – Lenin was concerned the new socialist experiment would fail

Stopped the Practice of requisitioning food Peasants now had to supply amount of what they grew to the government Any extra they were allowed to keep or even sell for profit! Small factories (those employing less than 20 workers) were privatised. However, all important industries, such as coal and steel remained nationalised New Rouble was introduced to end inflation. Programme of electrification continued and extended to rural areas. Lenin’s answer To the Problem: The New Economic Policy

The Soviet Union Under Lenin 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 classless society.

Russia was improving and then……. Lenin dies in 1924 On January 21, 1924 Lenin died. Millions of people were overcome with sorrow... On the morning of January 27 his remains were brought to Red Square, where an endless mass of people streamed past the coffin. The working people of the entire world also paid their last tribute. Factory workers in many countries stopped work for five minutes in homage...For the first time in the history of mankind the death of one man moved hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. Everyone had heard the name of Lenin… From a Soviet Textbook published in 1976

Lenin’s Death

Joseph Stalin  Takes control of Communist Party  Wants to increase power of the USSR  Stalin controls entire society  Uses secret police, propaganda, and terror to achieve order.  Thousands are arrested, jailed, killed or exiled for their differing view points The Great Purge  Churches were destroyed and leaders killed or exiled.

Agriculture The government took control of all farms ending the NEP The government took control of all farms ending the NEP Created large government farms = Collectivization Created large government farms = Collectivization Citizens could keep personal items but everything else belong to the collective. Citizens could keep personal items but everything else belong to the collective. When peasants resisted millions were killed When peasants resisted millions were killed Agricultural out put rose Agricultural out put roseAgriculture The government took control of all farms ending the NEP The government took control of all farms ending the NEP Created large government farms = Collectivization Created large government farms = Collectivization Citizens could keep personal items but everything else belong to the collective. Citizens could keep personal items but everything else belong to the collective. When peasants resisted millions were killed When peasants resisted millions were killed Agricultural out put rose Agricultural out put rose Five Year Plan  Make the economy fully industrialized  High production goals for transportation, oil, coal, and steel  USSR created a command economy = gov’t made all decisions  All resources devoted to the effort  Russia became a powerful country  But the people lacked food, housing, and clothing for many years Five Year Plan  Make the economy fully industrialized  High production goals for transportation, oil, coal, and steel  USSR created a command economy = gov’t made all decisions  All resources devoted to the effort  Russia became a powerful country  But the people lacked food, housing, and clothing for many years

Union Soviet Socialist Republics (1922) Your text here