1. The Russian Revolution

2. Czar Nicolas II Upheld autocracy in a changing Russia
Arts and culture encouraged- Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky
State Sponsored Industrialization
Foreign Investment Encouraged
Trans-Siberian Railroad
Czar Nicolas II

3. Revolutionary Groups in Early 20th Century Russia
Constitutional Democrats
Social Revolutionaries
Social Democrats
Revolutionary Groups in Early 20th Century Russia

4. Constitutional Democrats
Wanted a Constitutional Monarchy
More interested in reform than revolution
Constitutional Democrats

5. Social Revolutionaries
Revolution must begin with the peasantry
Rural Socialists
Want overthrow of Czar
Fair land distribution to peasantry
Democratic Government
Social Revolutionaries

6. Social Democrats Marxists
Want fair distribution of wealth amongst workers
Revolution must begin with the proletariat
Divided into two factions – Bolsheviks, Mensheviks
Social Democrats

7. Mensheviks Means “minority” in Russian
Were majority of the Social Democrats
Given name by Bolsheviks
True Marxists
Believed revolution could only happen after Russia had industrialized
Mensheviks

8. Bolsheviks Means “majority” in Russian
Were a minority in the Social Democrats
Altered Marxism to fit current situation in Russia
Believed the revolution could happen at once
Only a tiny group of workers were needed to lead the revolution
This small group would establish “The Dictatorship of the Proletariat” until the people could govern themselves
Bolsheviks

9. Russo-Japanese War – Russia started by breaking agreements, but lost the war.
Russo-Japanese War leads to the Revolution of 1905
Bloody Sunday- 22 Jan. 1905
Country wide strikes
Czar approves minor reforms
Duma is created, but dissolved within three months
: A Series of Mistakes

10. World War I 1914 - (first year of war) 4 million Russians die
1915 – Nicolas II moves command headquarters to the front
Leaves Czarina Alexandra in charge of government
Alexandra is influenced by Rasputin
World War I

11. World War I – 1916-1917 Food and fuel become scarce Inflation
Army is primarily made up of draftees
Distrust of Alexandra – German, Rasputin
Strikes begin
Feb – bread riots begin
Nicolas II abdicates
World War I –

12. Provisional Government
Led by Kerensky
Soviets hold real power in most areas
Provisional Government choses to continue war and loses more influence
Lenin is returned to Russia with help of Germany
Provisional Government

13. Red October Bolsheviks have little support at first
As WWI gets worse, they gain support
In October 1917, they overthrew the Russian Provisional Government in Petrograd (St. Petersburg)
Power was given to the local Soviets
Red October

14. Bolsheviks Take Petrograd
Lenin orders Red Guards to take control of government office in Petrograd
Little resistance is met and the takeover is almost bloodless
Soon, Soviets in other cities are supporting the Bolsheviks
Bolsheviks Take Petrograd

15. Gen. Kornilov forms an army to march on Petrograd to seize power back from Bolsheviks
As he approaches Petrograd, his army defects and joins the revolution
General Kornilov

16. Elections and Power Struggle
Social Revolutionaries gain more seats in 2nd Congress of Soviets
Disagreements between SR’s, Mensheviks
Social Revolutionaries walk out of 2nd Congress of Soviets
Bolsheviks take this opportunity to begin to seize power then dissolve the Congress
Elections and Power Struggle

17. Russian Civil War