Government and Revolution

1
Government and Revolution

• Background Notes
• Russian Government History

2
Romanovs
3
Nicholas IIThe Last Emperor

• Married Alexandra (German princess granddaughter
  of Englands Queen Victoria)
• Four daughters, then son (Alexei)-had hemophilia
• Rasputin peasant pilgrim, mystic believed by
  Alexandra to have healing power on son held
  power over Alexandra

4

• Rasputin

5
Beginning of The EndBloody Sunday

• 1905 Revolution
• Russia was involved in the Russo-Japanese War,
  and they were clearly losing, the war and
  government support
• In January 22, 1905, a group of workers marched
  to the czars Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to
  make their demands. Imperial forces opened fire
  on the demonstrators, killing and wounding
  hundreds. Strikes and riots broke out throughout
  the country in outraged response to the massacre,
  to which Nicholas responded by promising the
  formation of a series of representative
  assemblies, or Dumas, to work toward reform.
• The Duma had little power in reality, and not
  much changed.

6
The Revolution Builds Strength

• Russia enters the First World War
• 1915 - Following failures in the war, Tsar
  Nicholas II decided in September to assume
  control of the armed forces. The result of this
  decision was to remove Nicholas from the
  political center of Russia and make decision
  making and policy implementation incredibly
  difficult.

7
Its All Over Now Homes

• 1917- February. St Petersburg (Petrograd). Cold
  weather and food shortages led to outbreaks of
  violence as starving workers rioted and broke
  into shops and stores.
• In March, 1917, a Provisional Government was
  established in St Petersburg (Petrograd). The
  Provisional Government intended to continue the
  war effort but wanted to govern the country in a
  different way, led by Kerensky.
• Tsar Nicholas II was at the front when this was
  done. As he tried to return to St Petersburg to
  deal with the situation his train was stopped by
  troops loyal to the new Provisional Government
  and, on 15th March he was forced to abdicate.

8
Communism Takes Control

• November 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Led by
  Vladimir Lenin. Because the Provisional
  Government stayed in the war, the people didnt
  fully support them, and Lenin and his Bolshevik
  Party took control of Russia (minute 24-26 in
  documentary).
• Peace, Bread, and Land
• As Lenin attempted to gain control over the whole
  country, forces loyal to the Tsar or that were
  anti-communist gathered strength to oppose him.
  This created a three-year civil war over control
  of the Russian state. 
•  The forces led by Lenin and the Bolsheviks were
  called the Reds, (red has been the color of
  revolution since the French Revolution) while
  forces opposed to him where termed White (white
  has traditionally been the color of royalty).

9
Long Live The Party

• The Red Army was able to defeat the much larger
  White armies over the course of the three-year
  conflict. The Red Army was led by fanatical
  communists who were prepared to do what ever was
  necessary to preserve the revolution
• Lenin saw the need to stabilize the government
  and country by eliminating people who did not
  support the revolution. This period became known
  as the Red Terror.
• During the terror, Lenin had people inside and
  outside of the party eliminated to ensure the
  success of the communist takeover (the Bolsheviks
  changed their name to the Communist Party in
  1918). Thousands of people disappeared during the
  purge, but the plan helped control the opposition
  to the Communist Party.

10
(No Transcript)
11
Lenin To Stalin

• Lenin was the leader of the party, Trotsky and
  Stalin were his next in line.
• Trotsky was far more popular than Stalin, and was
  gifted at rallying support and speaking
  passionately to the masses. Stalin was better at
  backdoor deals, and shaking the right hands,
  building loyalty within the Communist Party.
• Lenin died January of 1924. Lenin hoped for
  shared power between Stalin and Trotsky.
• By 1927, Stalin had effectively eliminated all of
  his political rivals (Exiled Trotsky and
  eventually had him assassinated in Mexico) to
  emerge as the head of the Communist Party of the
  Soviet Union.
• Cruel leader
• Removed anyone he didnt trust
• Sent to labor camps
• 1934- 2/3 of Central Committee executed
• 1937-1938 1 million people shot 2 million died
  in camps (Purges)

12
Stalins Relationship with Hitler

• Initial cooperation
• Nazi expansion Stalin sought alliance w/France
  England
• Secret negotiations w/Germany
• Continued anti-German talks w/Allies
• Signed non-aggression pact w/Hitler (possible
  expansionist thoughts for himself), shocking
  Allies

13

• 1939 Germany invades Poland (begins WWII)
• Stalin invades Poland from East
• Stalin deports thousands of Poles to Siberia
• Stalin takes Finland and parts of Baltic
• June 22, 1941 Germany invades USSR

14
Post War USSR

• Stalin dies 1953
• Kruschev
• Breshnev
• Gorbechev
• Communist rule collapses in 1991 primary
  surviving state Russia