Preview

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Revolution in Russia

• Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Russia and World War I
• The Russian Revolution
• After the Revolution
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?v7QkJjWIHFSA

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Russia and World War I
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Russia in World War I
At the start of the war, Russia had an enormous
army of some 6 million soldiers.
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Conditions Grow Worse

• Czar Nicholas II took personal command of forces,
  1915
• Move made little sense since he knew little of
  military matters
• Czars fate became linked with fate of Russian
  armed forces
• Bad situation grew worse under Czars command

• Russian army seemed doomed
• Central Powers were able to stop Russian
  offensive
• Destroyed Russian soldiers faith in leadership
• Army had little strength, even less confidence

• Conditions in Russia worse than on battlefield
  (HOMEFRONT ISSUES)
• Food, goods scarce peasants grew desperate
• czar left his wife, Czarina Alexandra, in control
  of the country when he went off with the troops.
• Unpopular Czarina relied on Grigory Rasputin,
  viewed as corrupt, immoral
• Shaky support for Russian monarchy dipped even
  lower

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The Russian Revolution
By the end of 1916, Russia was once again on the
edge of a revolution. As the new year began and
conditions in Russia continued to worsen, the
Russian people clearly wanted a change.
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The Russian Revolution

• Temporary Government
• Duma established temporary government
• Led by Alexander Kerensky
• Many unhappy with new leadership

• Bolsheviks
• Led opposition to Kerenskys provisional
  government
• Wanted fundamental change in government and
  society
• Planned Marxist revolution
• Abolish private property
• Enforce an equal society

• Vladimir Lenin
• Bolshevik leader

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LENIN
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The Bolshevik Revolution

• Kerenskys final offensive
• Kerensky ordered final military offensive against
  Central Powers along Eastern Front, mid-1917
• Drive failed and led to widespread rebellion in
  Russian army
• Weakened Russian army collapsed

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After the Revolution

• Lenin seeks to end Russian involvement in WW I
• negotiate peace with Central Powers
• Russias army virtually powerless
• had to accept agreement that was harsh on Russia
• Russia gained peace
• Russia gave up large parts of empire

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After the Revolution

• Reaction to Treaty
• Bolsheviks acceptance of peace treaty angered
  many Russians
• Bolsheviks opponents organized the White Army
• White Army included army leaders, political
  opponents, wealthy Russians opposed to Communist
  system

• Civil War
• White Army received military help from France,
  U.S.
• Civil War raged for 3 years between the Red Army
  and White Army
• Millions of Russians died in fighting, famines
• Bolsheviks (Red Army-Communists) finally
  triumphed, late 1920

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New Economic Policy

• Collapsing economy
• Brought on by civil war, pushed Russia to edge of
  total ruin
• Peasants, workers especially hard hit
• Lenin introduced New Economic Policy, 1921

• Key points
• New Economic Policy permitted some capitalist
  activity
• Peasants could sell food at profit
• Tried to encourage badly needed food production

• The Soviet Union
• Russia reunited with several neighboring lands,
  became Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
  dominated by Communist leadership
• Lenins death in 1924 led to struggle for control
  of Soviet Union

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