Russian Revolution

1
Russian Revolution
2
Czars Resist Change

• Autocracy- czar had total power
• Anyone who questioned the absolute authority of
  the czar, worshipped outside the Russian Orthodox
  Church, or spoke a language other than Russian
  were considered dangerous

3
Alexander III

• Alexander III used harsh measures to wipe out
  revolutionaries
• Strict censorship on published materials and
  written documents, including private letters
• Secret police carefully watch both secondary
  schools and universities
• Political prisoners were sent to Siberia

4
Uniform Russian Culture

• Czar Alexander III oppressed other national
  groups within Russia
• Made Russian the official language and forbade
  the use of other languages
• Targeted Jews
• Pogroms- organized violence against the Jews

5
Russia Industrializes

• In the mid-1800s, Russia lagged behind the rest
  of Europe in industrialization
• Czar Nicholas II and his advisors launched a
  program to move Russia forward
• To raise money for new industries, they sought
  foreign investors and raised taxes
• By 1900, Russia had become the worlds
  fourth-ranking producer of steel

6
Trans-Siberian Railway

• Began construction in 1891 and finished in 1916
• Worlds longest continuous rail line
• Connected western Russia to eastern Russia

7
Revolutionary Movements

• Along with industrialization came the same
  negative effects as in Britain (child labor, long
  working hours, low pay, etc.) and people were
  unhappy
• Marxist revolutionaries
• Followed the views of Karl Marx
• Believed that the industrial class of workers
  would overthrow the czars
• Proletariat (workers) would rule the country

8
Marxists Split

• Mensheviks
• More moderate group who wanted a broad base of
  support for the revolution
• Bolsheviks
• Led by Vladimir Lenin
• More radical group who was willing to sacrifice
  everything for the revolution

9
Russo-Japanese War

• Russia and Japan both competed for control of
  Korea and Manchuria
• The two nations signed a series of agreements
  over the territories, but Russia broke them
• Japan retaliated and attacked the Russians at
  Port Arthur, Manchuria in February 1904
• Sparked unrest and led to a revolt at home

10
Bloody Sunday

• January 22, 1905, about 200,000 workers and their
  families approached the czars Winter Palace in
  St. Petersburg
• Carried a petition for better working conditions,
  more personal freedom, and an elected national
  legislature
• Nicholas II ordered his guards to fire on the
  crowd
• More than 1,000 wounded and several hundred killed

11
Bloody Sunday, cont.

• Caused a wave of strikes and revolts across the
  country
• Nicholas II created a legislature
• Duma- Russias first Parliament
• Leaders wanted to create a constitutional
  monarchy
• Nicholas did not want to share power, so the Duma
  dissolved in about 10 weeks

12
WWI The Final Blow

• Nicholas entered WWI and Russia was unprepared to
  handle the military and economic costs
• Weak generals and poorly equipped troops were no
  match for the German army
• In less than a year, more than 4 million Russians
  had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner

13
WWI

• Nicholas moved headquarters to war front
• Wife Czarina Alexandra ran government while he
  was away
• She ignored chief advisors
• Fell under influence of Rasputin- holy man
• She allowed Rasputin to make political decisions
• Opposed reforms obtained powerful positions for
  friends
• Group of nobles murdered him- they feared his
  increasing role in government

14
WWI cont.

• War front- Russian soldiers mutinied, deserted,
  or ignored orders
• Home front- Food supplies dwindling, prices
  inflated
• All classes wanted change

15
The March Revolution

• March 1917- women textile workers in Petrograd
  led citywide strike
• Nearly 200,000 workers swarmed streets
• Soldiers sided with rioters

16
Czar Steps Down

• Nicholas II abdicated his throne
• One year later, revolutionaries executed Nicholas
  and his family
• Revolution brought down czar, but failed to set
  up a strong government

17
Provisional Government

• Temporary government set up by Duma
• Decided to stay in WWI conditions in Russia
  worsened

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The Bolshevik Revolution

• Bolsheviks starting to take control of many
  cities- Peace, Land and Bread
• Provisional government topples
• Armed factory workers attacked Winter Palace
• Bolshevik Red Guards took over government offices
  arrested leaders of provisional government

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Bolsheviks in Power

• Lenin ordered all farmland be distributed to
  peasants
• Gave control of factories to workers
• Truce with Germany to stop all fighting

first Bolshevik national flag
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Civil War Rages in Russia

• 1918-1920
• Red Army (Bolsheviks) v. White Army
• Red Army commanded by Leon Trotsky
• White Army (made up of three main groups of
  people)
• Either wanted czarist rule, wanted democratic
  government, or they were socialists who opposed
  Lenins style of socialism
• Only thing that united them was the desire to
  defeat the Bolsheviks

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Civil War cont.

• Several western nations sent military aid forces
  to help White Army didnt help
• 14 million Russians died from fighting, hunger,
  or worldwide flu epidemic
• Bolshevik Red Army crushed all opposition

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Comparing World Revolutions

• Russian Revolution much like French Revolution
• FR RR attempted to destroy existing social
  political structures
• Revolutionaries in Russia France used violence
  and terror to control people

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Economy in Shambles

• Economy- trade at a standstill, industrial
  production dropped, skilled workers fled to other
  countries

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Lenin Restores Order

• Goal revive economy restructure government
• Revitalization of the economy
• New Economic Policy (NEP)
• Small-scale capitalism (got away from
  state-controlled economy)
• Peasants sold surplus crops for profit
• Some small factories, businesses, farms
  privately owned

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Lenin Restores Order cont.

• Restructuring the government
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
• Reorganized Russia into several self-governing
  republics
• Communist Party
• Name came from writings of Karl Marx
• Classless society
• Held all power dictatorship of Communist Party

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Communist Party

• Lenin suffered stroke competition to lead
  Communist Party
• Leon Trotsky v. Joseph Stalin

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Stalin Becomes Dictator

• Stalin means Man of Steel in Russian
• Former general secretary of party
• Put his friends in positions of power within the
  party
• Worked his way up through the ranks
• 1928- Stalin in total command of Communist Party

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Totalitarianism

• Government that takes total, centralized, state
  control over every aspect of public private life

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Totalitarian Leaders

• Appear to provide a sense of security give a
  direction for the future

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Totalitarianism- How It's Done

• Widespread use of communication in the 20th
  century made it possible to reach into all
  aspects of citizens' lives
• Leader often has secret police to crush
  opposition create a sense of fear among the
  people

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Totalitarianism- Who It Affects

• No one is exempt from suspicion or accusations
  that he/she is an enemy of the state