1. What is a revolution? In what ways can a revolution change a society?

2. Russia: Past and Present

3. In the spring of 1917, Russia changed from a monarchy (a government with a king) to the world’s first Communist government. There were many causes and it forever changed the country.

4. For Hundreds of years, Russia had been ruled by a Monarchy
For Hundreds of years, Russia had been ruled by a Monarchy. Russians called their kings czars. The Romanovs were the royal family. Czar Nicholas was the monarch.

5. Causes of the Russian Revolution
There was a food shortage, and many people starved.
Peasants, working on the farms, demanded their freedom.
There were poor conditions in the factories
And to make things worse, Russia was losing miserably in World War I.

6. Causes of the Revolution
One of Nicholas’ strongest critics was a criminal named Vladimir Lenin.
Lenin believed that Communism was the best way to solve the countries problems.

7. Causes of the Revolution
Lenin believed strongly in the teaching of a German philosopher named Karl Marx.
In 1848, Marx wrote a book called the Communist Manifesto.

8. Causes of the Revolution
5. Vladimir Lenin promised the starving people of Russia, “peace, land, and bread!”
Many people believed in Lenin. Many thought that Communism would help Russia prosper.
He gathered a large following called the Bolsheviks.

9. Causes of the Revolution
6. Meanwhile, things were not going
well for Nicholas and his family.
His wife, Alexandra, had become obsessed with a man who she thought was a true prophet of God.
His name was Gregory Rasputin.

10. Rasputin, the Mad Monk
Although Alexandra adored Rasputin, most people called him “the mad monk.”
He was a filthy peasant. He rarely bathed, and he was practically illiterate.

11. The Revolution Begins
While the family was wasting time with Rasputin, things in Russia got only worse.
A group of peasants marched on the Czar’s palace, but were killed by soldiers.
This was known as Bloody Sunday.

12. The Revolution Begins
Lenin raised an army that called themselves the Bolsheviks because of their devotion to Communism.

13. The Revolution Begins
Lenin and the Bolsheviks raided the Czar’s palace in the fall of 1917.
It became known as the October Revolution.

14. The Revolution Begins
The Czar and his family were arrested and sent to live away from the city.

15. The End of the Romanovs
In this room, the Romanov family was murdered by Bolshevik assassins.
You can still see the bullet marks on the wall.

16. A New Nation
With the Romanovs dead, and Lenin in power, Russia is now a Communist country.

17. A New Nation
The country’s new name became the U.S.S.R. for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

18. A New Nation
Lenin’s economic system was called the New Economic Policy.
Like in China years later, people were forced to live and work in communes, and share all responsibility.

19. Lenin’s Legacy The people of Lenin’s Soviet Union had little freedom.
They could not own property, have freedom of speech or practice their own religion.

20. Lenin died in 1924 and Joseph Stalin gained complete control over the economy.
Anyone that opposed him was
killed or sent to remote prison
camps. Millions were brutally
murdered or forced into slave
labor.

21. World War II
The Soviet Union entered World War II after Hitler invaded Russia.
At the end of the war, the Soviet Union and United States became superpowers.
This started what was called the Cold War. No fighting ever took place, but the two countries competed for world influence.

22. Problems for the Soviets
During the years of s the Soviet Union faced money problems.
Factories were not effective and produced poor quality goods. Government was busy building tanks and airplanes for the military.

23. People waited in long lines to buy bread and milk. People were unhappy.
Also, the Soviet Union had problems with ethnic groups that resented Soviet control.

24. The Soviet Union forced many eastern European countries to adopt communism after World War II.

25. The End of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union continued as a Communist state until it collapsed in 1991 when the new leader Gorbachev started his policy called glasnost, or “openness”
In 1991, fifteen republics that were once independent, declared their independence and led to the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

26. Current President of Russia:
Vladimir Putin