1. Essential Question: Why do politics often lead to war?
Russian Revolution
Essential Question: Why do politics often lead to war?

2. TEKS and Objectives We will… I will…
(10D) identify the causes of the Russian Revolution (18B) identify the origins and characteristics of communism, including the influences of Karl Marx
Analyze how the Russian Revolution impacted the people of Russia and the outcome of WWI

3. Causes of the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution 1917 Russia in the
Great War
Problems of Rapid Industrialization
Russo-Japanese War
Causes of the
Russian (Bolshevik)
Revolution
1917
Russian Revolution of 1905
Peasants Support of the Bolsheviks
“Bloody Sunday” Massacre of 1905
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and the Communist Manifesto (1848)
Weak leadership from Nicholas II

4. Problems of Rapid Industrialization in Russia
Factories owned by government or foreigners
Harsh working conditions; Very little pay
Strikes and demonstrations illegal; strikers shot by soldiers or secret police
“The whole day we pour out our blood and sweat. Every minute we are exposed to danger.”
Union leaflet 1898

5. Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
Russia and Japan fighting over control of Korea
First time Japan defeated a European power

6. Massacre of peaceful demonstrators
“Bloody Sunday” Massacre of 1905
Massacre of peaceful demonstrators
Petitioning tsar for better working conditions

7. Russian Revolution of 1905
Revolts followed “Bloody Sunday”
Tsar agreed to have elections for a Duma (parliament)
Tsar rigged the elections
Revolutionaries failed to take over government

8. Russian failures in the First World War
Russian forces successful at beginning of WWI
Tsar took command of armed forces; poor commander
Thousands of men deserted; mass riots against tsar

9. Tsar – absolute monarch
Weak Leadership from Nicholas II
Tsar – absolute monarch
Used secret police to persecute opponents
Censored the press

10. Rasputin and Scandal
Tsarina Alexandra left in control of country during WWI
Influenced by Rasputin
Believed to have healed haemophilic son
Undermined the royal family
Murdered in 1916

11. Police report into country conditions 1905
Peasants Support Bolsheviks
90% of Russians were poor peasants
Agriculture in desperate need of modernization
Most power and wealth in hands of aristocracy
Very often the peasants do not have enough allotment land. They cannot feed themselves, clothe themselves, heat their homes, keep their tools and livestock, secure seed for sowing and lastly pay their taxes.
Police report into country conditions 1905

12. Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and the Communist Manifesto
Claimed capitalism allowed bourgeoisie (factory owners) to exploit proletariat (workers)
Predicted proletariat would violently overthrow bosses and take control of country
Bolsheviks (group of communists) led by Lenin plotted to bring a revolution

13. The February Revolution 1917
Uprising sparked by food riots, poor working conditions, and failure in WWI
Russian army joined revolutionaries
Tsar forced to abdicate (resign) and a Provisional (temporary) Government was set up
Lenin took control of provisional government in order to turn Russian into a communist country

14. The execution of Tsar Nicholas II July 1918
Tsar and family arrested and sent to Siberia
Communists worried Tsar might be rescued by supporters
Tsar Nicholas, Tsarina Alexandra, and their five children were shot and bayoneted

15. Lenin’s Legacy
Defeated all opponents
Established a strong communist government
Russia and surrounding countries became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1924
But, Lenin failed to provide a clear successor on his death. This led to four years of bitter struggle…