1. The Russian Revolutions
The March Revolution
The Bolshevik Revolution

2. Unit Objectives
Summarize what life was like in Russia before the Russian Revolution
Summarize the causes of the Russian Revolution
Analyze how the Bolsheviks were able to take over Russia
Analyze the important figures of the revolution and their impact (Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin)
Analyze the impact of the revolution on Russia and the world

3. Rule of the czars What was a “czar”?
Most czars in the 19th century (1800s) were cruel and oppressive resulting in social unrest, some attempts to overthrow the government, and the assassination of Czar Alexander II

4. Czar Alexander III
In 1881, he succeeded his father (Alexander II) and halted all reforms
Believed in “Autocracy”:
FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN
WHICH ONE RULER HAD ALL
THE POWER (SIMILAR TO
DICTATORSHIP)

5. Alexander used harsh methods like strict censorship, a secret police force, and sending revolutionaries to prison camps in Siberia
Alexander established a
uniform Russian culture
by oppressing other cultures
Nicholas II took over in 1894
and continued these policies

6. Russian Industrialization
Impact of industrialization on Russia:
NUMBER OF FACTORIES DOUBLED IN LATE
1800s BRINGING PROBLEMS TO RUSSIA
(POOR WORK CONDITIONS, LOW WAGES,
CHILD LABOR, ETC.)
Revolutionary Movement grows:
STRIKES; GROUPS OF REVOLUTIONARIES
FORMED

7. Marxists
Some workers followed ideas of Karl Marx (industrial class of workers would rise up and overthrow the leadership)
Proletariat:
THE WORKERS
The Bourgeoisie:
THE FACTORY OWNERS

8. Two groups of Marxists Mensheviks: MODERATE GROUP THAT WANTED A BROAD
BASE OF SUPPORT ACROSS RUSSIAN SOCIETY
Bolsheviks:
MORE RADICAL GROUP THAT WANTED A
SMALL NUMBER OF COMMITTED
REVOLUTIONARIES TO LEAD RUSSIA
-Vladimir Lenin:
LEADER OF THE BOLSHEVIKS

9. Russo-Japanese War War with Japan for control over Manchuria and Korea
Impact:
RUSSIAN LOSSES LED TO UNREST AND REVOLT

10. Bloody Sunday Jan. 22, 1905: 200,000 WORKERS MARCHED ON WINTER
PALACE ASKING FOR BETTER WORK
CONDITIONS, MORE PERSONAL FREEDOMS,
AND AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE
Nicholas II’s generals orders troops to fire into crowd killing or wounding over 1,000
Impact:
WAVE OF STRIKES AND VIOLENCE

11. Duma Russia’s first parliament Created by Nicholas after bloody Sunday
Nicholas dissolved it after just ten weeks because he did not want to share power
WWI also led to revolution because Russian losses made things worse at home

12. The March Revolution Strikes and riots in March, 1917
Soldiers shot rioters at first but later sided with them
Nicholas II forced to abdicate (give up) his throne (a year later he and his family were executed)

13. Success of the March Revolution:
IT FORCED NICHOLAS II OUT
Failure of the March Revolution:
IT FAILED TO REPLACE NICHOLAS WITH A STRONG SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT
A provisional (temporary) government led by Alexander Kerensky took over
Kerensky decided to continue fighting in WWI, which made conditions in Russia even worse

14. Peasants demanded land
Socialist revolutionaries formed “Soviets”:
LOCAL COUNCILS CONSISTING OF WORKERS,
PEASANTS, AND SOLDIERS
-Soviets often had more power than the
provisional government

15. The return of Lenin
Lenin had been living in exile—the Germans thought his return to Russia would stir unrest and hurt the Russian war effort against Germany, so they arranged for Lenin to be returned to Russia
Nov. 1917:
BOLSHEVIKS, LED BY LENIN, TOOK OVER RUSSIA
Lenin redistributed farmland to peasants and gave control of factories to workers
Lenin signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk:
RUSSIA SURRENDERED TERRITORY TO GERMANY AND
PULLED OUT OF WWI

16. The Revolution Continues
Many Russians unhappy about humiliating defeat in WWI and peace terms agreed to by Lenin; Others unhappy about execution of royal family
White Army:
COALITION OF SEVERAL GROUPS OPPOSED TO
THE BOLSHEVIKS
-Some wanted a return to czarism, some
wanted democracy, some wanted socialism—
the three groups did not get along well

17. End of the civil war Leon Trotsky:
BOLSHEVIK MILITARY LEADER THAT LED THE
VICTORY OVER THE WHITE ARMY
14 million Russians died in the civil war
Economy destroyed by the war
Russian Revolutions more like French Revolution than American—it used violence and terror to build something new rather than trying to restructure what already existed

18. Lenin’s policies N.E.P. (New Economic Policy):
SMALL VERSION OF CAPITALISM THAT ALLOWED
PEASANTS TO SELL SURPLUS GOODS INSTEAD OF
TURNING THEM OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT
-The government maintained control of major
industries, banks, and means of
communication but did allow some private
ownership of small factories, businesses, and
farms
-New policies and peace led to economic recovery

19. Political reforms
1922: SOVIET UNION WAS FORMED AND COMMUNIST PARTY WAS FOUNDED
-In theory, Communism was a government
based on socialist and democratic principles
-In reality, the Communist Party held all the
power and Lenin ruled like a dictator (not
rule by the proletariat like Marx wanted)

20. Stalin Takes Over
1924: LENIN DIED AND JOSEPH STALIN WON A POWER STRUGGLE WITH TROTSKY TO TAKE OVER AND TURN THE SOVIET UNION INTO A TOTALITARIAN STATE

21. Trotsky and Stalin

22. The Great Purge
Stalin removed all threats to his rule by arresting and sending 8 million people to Siberian prison/labor camps, executing others, and erasing many from Russian history