Russian Revolution

1
Russian Revolution
2
Pre-Revolutionary Russia

• Russia spread from Eastern Europe to the Pacific
  Ocean
• Not as industrialized as Western Europe
• Society was dominated by landowning nobles,
  priests and an autocratic czar
• Majority of population were peasants, who lived
  in stark poverty

3
Leading to Revolution

• Moderates in Russia pressed for a constitution,
  but Czar Nicholas II blocked attempts to limit
  authority
• World War I was disastrous for Russian economy
  and militaryNicholas II went to front lines
  himself to see if he could improve situation,
  leaving his German born wife Alexandra in charge

4
Alexandra and Rasputin

• Because she knew little about government,
  Alexandra relied on holy man Gregory Rasputin
• He strongly influenced her decisions in
  government, and a group of Russian nobles killed
  Rasputin on December 29, 1916

5
Collapse of Monarchy

• Monarchy collapsed in March 1917 due to disasters
  on the battlefield and food and fuel shortages
• Czar abdicated and Duma politicians set up a
  provisional government
• Provisional government began a constitution but
  continued the wartroops deserted in huge numbers
  and the mass population was fed up with the war

6
Soviets

• Revolutionary socialists set up soviets (councils
  of workers and soldiers)
• Soviets initially worked within the government to
  influence change
• Eventually, Bolsheviks (radial socialist group),
  led by V.I. Lenin, took charge

7
Lenin and Bolsheviks

• Brother was executed by czar governmentled him
  to hate czarist government
• Adapted Marxist ideas to fit Russian conditions
• Called for an elite group (Bolsheviks) to lead a
  revolution and set up a dictatorship of the
  proletariat
• Once Lenin returned from exile he worked to
  further a revolution

8
The November Revolution

• Lenin and Bolsheviks promised peace, land, and
  bread
• Provisional government continued warmany troops
  mutinied and peasants seized land and drove off
  landlords
• Red Guards joined sailors attacked the
  provisional government in November 1917 and
  overthrew it
• Within weeks, Bolsheviks had control over Moscow
  and all of Russia, and were renamed Communists

9
Civil War

• Lenin made peace with Germany in the treaty of
  Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 losing a large chunk
  of land
• Civil war between Reds (Communists) and
  Whites (those loyal to the czar)
• Allied powers joined and helped the Whites
• Reds appealed to nationalism asking Russians to
  drive out the foreigners
• Allied interference fueled Russian distrust of
  westerners

10
Brutality

• Communist prisoners slaughtered
• Assassination attempts on Lenin
• Communists organize Cheka (secret police) who
  executed ordinary citizens if they were even
  suspected in taking action against the revolution
• Former czar and czarina and their five children
  were shot to keep them from retaking the throne

11
War Communism

• Communists took over banks, mines, factories, and
  railroads
• Peasants were forced to deliver surplus food to
  hungry people in the cities
• Military draft
• Strong armyinstructions to shoot every 10th man
  if a unit performed poorly
• By 1921 the Communists had control over Russia,
  but Lenin had the huge task of rebuilding a
  country in chaos that had lost millions of its
  population