1. By: Phil Bott

2.  The czars were under pressure and couldn’t ease the nation’s crisis.  Moderates wanted a constitution and social reform but czar Nicholas II denied all that would degrade his authority.  Outside the government, revolutionaries were plotting; they wanted to destroy the czarist regime.  These revolutionaries worked in secrecy so they wouldn’t get caught; they believed a revolution was to come.  Marxists wanted to start a revolution against factory and railroad workers, miners, and urban wage earners.

3.  When the war started, it sparked up national pride and united Russians.  The soldiers were enthusiastic to fight, but Russia soon was stripped of resources.  By 1915, Russian soldiers had no rifles, no medical care, and no ammunition.  Because of this, many Russian soldiers died in battle. In one year, the death toll had reached 2 million.

4.  Nicholas II tried to take patriotic charge but it was a horrible decision and he died.  He left most of his affairs to the czarina Alexandra.  Alexandra was not a fit leader because she knew little of government and the people didn’t trust her because she was born in Germany.  When corruption came over Russia, Alexandra turned to “holy man” Rasputin.

5.  Rasputin was a Siberian peasant whose personality helped him gain a reputation as a healer.  He gained this title because he apparently healed Alexandra’s son of hemophilia through hypnosis.  Alexandra moved Rasputin to the palace and was given great power. Russia was in the hands of a crazy guy who thought he had powers.

6.  In order to save the monarchy, five men appointed by the Duma were sent to kill Rasputin.  Prince Felix Yussoupov poisoned Rasputin’s cake and wine after luring him to his palace.  The Prince left and later returned to shoot Rasputin. As the five men were examining the body, Rasputin got up, grabbed the Prince, and fled.  Rasputin was again shot and later beaten unconscious. The five men threw him into the Neva river where Rasputin drowned.

7.  When the people heard of Rasputin’s death, rejoicing rung throughout Russia. Alexandra was very upset when she heard the news.  Before he died, Rasputin prophesized that the Russian people would kill the czarina’s children.  In 1917, the Romanov dynasty came crashing down. But this was not because of Rasputin’s death.

8.  By March 1917, deaths on the battlefield, and food and fuel shortages on land, caused the crumbling of the monarchy.  Many people started riots and rebellions began. Duma politicians created a temporary government and liberals were working on a constitution.  Russian troops were fed up with war and started returning home.  In Petrograd, they set up soviets, or councils of workers and soldiers and the Bolsheviks took charge.

9.  Lenin was a man that deeply despised the czarist government. He spread Marxist ideas al throughout Russia.  Lenin called for an elite group to lead a revolution against capitalism and set up a “dictatorship of the proletariat.” Lenin named this group the Bolsheviks meaning “majority.”  Lenin thought that the only way to bring up change was revolution, not higher wages or increased suffrage.