1. Russia: War and Revolution

2. Czar Nicholas II (1894) Last Czar of Russia
Nicholas II was a harsh and weak ruler
The Russian economy was bankrupt because of the Russo-Japanese War and WWI Russia’s entry into WWI became very unpopular.

3. The 1905 Revolution War with Japan Results Background
Tsar becomes more unpopular
Russia is humiliated
Government seen to be weak and incompetent
Conditions for the people get worse
price rises, food shortages and unemployment
In Russia and Japan fought for control of Korea and Manchuria
The Tsar expected a quick victory
Russia suffered defeats on land and sea.
Japan destroyed the Russian Navy
War with
Japan

4. The 1905 Revolution Bloody Sunday Events Results
Jan. 1905, 200,00 unarmed workers march to the Winter Palace
Demands - Better living and working conditions - end to war - a parliament
Soldiers fire on crowd killing 500
Tsar undermined in the eyes of the people
Support grows for revolutionaries
set off a wave of riots, strikes and murders

5. Bloody Sunday (1905)

6. Results of 1905 Revolution The October Manifesto -
promise of freedom of speech, right to form political parties
Establish a Duma
No new laws without consent of the Duma
Broken Promises
Voting system was unfair rich had more influence than the poor
Duma had little influence over the Tsar and new laws
First two Dumas were dismissed for demanding reforms
Further changes introduced to exclude socialist

7. Russia Weakens as WWI Gains Momentum
The outbreak of war in 1914 fueled national pride and united Russians.
WWI severely strained Russian resources after the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of the Central Powers
WWI exemplified Russian military and economic weakness:
Insufficient food
Improper armaments
Inadequate roads to supply army
Supplies from Ottoman Empire were sharply cut.

8. Czar Nicholas II and Family

9. Tsar to the Rescue?
Nicholas II went to battle to take charge of the Russian military much to the dismay of the his generals.
Domestic affairs further crumbled in the hands of Tsarina Alexandria who relied on the advice of an illiterate peasant, Gregory Rasputin.

10. Rasputin

11. Causes of the 1917 Revolutions

12. When?
1917

13. Why?

14. 1. Defeated in
Russo-Japanese
War in 1905

15. 2. Peasants
without land
were angry

16. 3. Tsar
Nicholas II -
Refused to make
changes

17. 4. WWI
defeats and
casualties

18. 5. People
freezing and
starving

19. March Revolution Ends Tsarism
After the Revolution of 1905, Nicholas had failed to solve Russia’s basic political, economic, and social problems.
The elected Duma set up after the revolution and had no real power.
Moderates pressed for a constitution and social change, but Nicholas blocked attempts to limit his authority.
A corrupt bureaucracy and overburdened court system added to the governments problems.

20. Russia Begins to Crumble
By 1917 , disasters on the battlefield combined with fuel and food shortages on the home front brought the monarchy to collapse.
On the advice of military and political leaders the tsar abdicated.

21. Provisional Government Established
Led by Alexander Kerensky.
Continued war effort and failed to deal with land reform.
July 1917 launched the Kerensky offensive against Germany.

22. Radical Plots
Revolutionaries hatched plans to lead discontented peasants to overthrow the tsarist regime.
Marxists attempted to ignite revolution among the proletariat-the growing class of factory and railroad workers, miners, and urban wage earners.

23. Bolsheviks Mensheviks
Called for an elite group to lead the revolution and set up a “dictatorship of the proletariat.”
“Peace, bread, and land”
Slogan appealed to the war-weary and hungry Russian people.
The Government
Socialism could be achieved through gradual and moderate reforms.
higher wages,
increased suffrage
social welfare programs.

24. November Revolution Brings Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks to Power
Revolutionary Socialist, influenced by the works of Karl Marx.
November 7,1917 the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government and took control of Russia.
1918 the Bolsheviks rename themselves the Communist Party.
Withdraws Russia from WWI to focus on troubles at home.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk giving a huge chunk of land and population to Germany in exchange for peace.

25. Gregory Rasputin Russian mystic trusted by the Tsarina.
Supposedly cured Tsarevich Alexi of hemophilia attacks.
Survived one assassination attempt.
Almost survived a second attempt, in which he was reportedly
poisoned
shot, and left for dead
shot again when he revived
beaten, and drowned.

26. Romanov Dynasty Second and last imperial dynasty of Russia
( ).
Went into hiding in Alexander Palace after Nicholas’ abdication from the throne.
July 16, 1918:
Nicholas, Alexandria and their children took a family portrait.
Bolshevik authorities shot Nicholas and his immediate family.

27. Russia Plunges into Civil War: “Reds” v. “Whites”
Communists.
Nationalistic.
Cheka: secret police. Executed those suspected of taking action against the revolution.
War Communism policy: took over banks, mines, factories, railroads, peasants drafted into military.
Crops taken to feed army and the hungry in the cities.
Counterrevolutionaries.
Allied powers entered the war hoping to help overthrow the communists and support the fight against Germany.
Britain
France
United States
Allied presence provided little help. Incited distrust.

28. Building the Communist Soviet Union
In 1922, Lenin’s communist government united much of the old Russian empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), or Soviet Union.
Adopted the New Economic Policy (NEP). The NEP allowed some capitalistic ventures but, the state kept control of banks, foreign trade, and large industries. Small businesses were allowed to reopen for private profit. Peasants held on to small plots of land and freely sold surplus crops for profit.
While the standard of living improved and production levels returned to prewar levels, Lenin saw the NEP as a “temporary” retreat from communism.

29. Joseph Stalin into Power
Exiled Trotsky and had him murdered in Mexico
Under Stalin’s totalitarian rule, the Soviet Union grew to become one of the worlds super power.