Russian Revolution

1
Russian Revolution
2
1800s

• Russia still 90 agricultural
• Almost unaffected by the Industrial Revolution
• 80 of population is serfs
• Czar is an AUTOCRAT (unlimited power)

3
Decembrists

• 1825, soldiers who fought against Napoleon saw
  enlightened ways in Western Europe
• Wanted a written Constitution
• Began a revolt in December
• Revolt put down by Czar
• No Constitution

4
Reforms of 1861

• New Czar agrees to make some reforms
• Freed the serfs
• Gave ½ the land to the nobles
• Gave ½ the land to peasants in the form of a
  Mir, communal property of a peasant community.
• Not enough land to eat, and b/c of taxes, still
  tied to land, so basically still serfs
• Reforms not enough and last czar before start of
  Russian Revolution blown-up with a bomb!

5
Autocracy returns

• The next czars returned to autocratic rule.
• 85 of Country is still rural despite
• between 1860 and 1871, population of cities
  increased by 45
• Still in 1914 Russia is WAY behind
• W. Europe in terms of industrialization
• No Unions or labor laws, so workers are in
  horrible straights

6
Cruelty under Autocracy

• Non-Russians oppressed
• Dangerous
• Anyone who questioned the czar
• Speaking a language other than Russian
• Practicing anything except Russian Orthodox

7
Anti-Semitism Begins

• Jews MOST tormented
• Forced to live in Jewish regions
• Schools closed to them
• Laws actually encouraged prejudice
• Police and Soldiers WATCHED as Jewish homes,
  stores and synagogues were looted and destroyed

8
Czar Nicholas II

• Coronation Speech I will maintain the principle
  of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as
  it was preserved my unfortunate dead father.

9
Revolution of 1905

• Russia lost the Russo-Japanese war and Russians
  became angry
• 200,000 workers went to czars palace
• Better working conditions
• More personal freedoms
• Elected national legislature
• Guards shot 500-1000, Bloody Sunday
• Nicholas II agrees to a Duma (legislature)
• Three months later dissolved it!

10
HemophiliaThe Curse of the Last Russian Royals
11
Rasputin
12
World War I

• Nicholas II entered WWI, major factor in his
  downfall.
• By end of 1914, 4 million Russian soldiers were
  killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.
• 1915 Nicholas II moves to the front to raise
  Moral
• Leaves country in hands of czarina Alexandra and
  Rasputin
• By 1917 conditions are desperate

13
Desperation of 1916-17

• Food and fuel in short supply
• Inflation
• Soldiers have been drafted and are deserting
• Strikes occur
• Rumors that czarina is spying for native country,
  Germany
• Nicholas II abdicates the throne

14
Provisional Government

• Led by Kerensky
• Began splitting large estates and giving land to
  peasants
• MAJOR ERROR stayed in WWI
• Didnt want to back out on allies
• Russians angry
• Soldiers desert more rapidly for the land being
  handed out to peasants

15
Royal Family is Assassinated
16
Lenin Leads Revolutionary Govt.
17
Revolutionary Groups

• Mensheviks
• Focused on the plight of the peasants
• Revolution was only an idea, not a reality for a
  long time.
• Marx idea could not work in Russia because not
  industrialized enough, not enough proletariat,
  too many peasants.

18
Revolutionary Groups

• Bolsheviks
• Lead by Lenin
• Believed in Marx ideas
• Believed that small population of workers could
  still lead the revolution
• Planned on a Dictatorship of the Proletariat

19
Stalin vs. Trotsky

• Under-dog
• Quiet, not well-known

• Obvious successor
• Feared to become dictator

20
USSR

• Stalin becomes a dictator
• Command Economy
• Five Year Plans
• Industrial
• Agricultural
• Totalitarian Rule

21
The Cold War

• vs.
• Industrial Race turns into Arms/ Military Race
• Democracy vs. Communism