Revolutions in Russia

1
Revolutions in Russia
2
By the 20th Century

• A major crisis was due and had to happen
• Russia was an unfair society and needed social,
  economic and political reform.

3
Setting the Stage

• Russias long history finally led to revolution
• Cruel autocratic rule of most czars
• People lived under severe economic and social
  conditions
• Inspired by the various democratic and socialist
  movements taking place in Europe

4
Rulers Resist Change

• Alexander III succeeded his father
• Halted all reforms in Russia
• He continued autocratic rule
• Strict censorship on all written material, public
  and private
• Secondary schools and universities monitored by
  Secret Police where teachers had to send detailed
  reports on every student
• Political prisoners sent to work camps in Siberia

5
Rulers Resist Change

• Autocratic rule of Alexander III (cont.)
• Oppressed other national groups within Russian in
  order to establish a uniform Russian culture
• Made Russian the official language forbade use
  of minority languages in schools
• Persecuted Jews in a wave of pogroms
• Nicholas II becomes czar in 1894 and continued
  his fathers rule

6
Nicholas II

• Good, kind man but ineffective ruler
• Out of touch with the people he ruled
• Had never shown leadership skills or a particular
  desire to rule
• Was mild-mannered, even meek
• Lacked the personality of a leader
• Avoided direct involvement with any opposition
  simply ordered his security forces to get rid of
  any problem as they saw fit

7
Political- Nicholas II

• Backed by an army of 1million and secret police
  (OKHRANA)
• Political parties banned critics ended up in
  prison or exile
• Press was censored

8
His rule

• His word was law
• He appointed his ministers
• But did not have to listen to them
• AND could hire and fire them at will
• He was a true autocrat.

9
Yet
Many Russians worshipped the Tsar and peasants
typically had a picture of the Tsar on a wall of
their hut.
10
Russia Industrializes

• Rapid industrialization changes the face of the
  Russian economy
• By 1900 they were the 4th largest producer of
  steel
• The worlds longest continuous rail line, the
  Trans-Siberian Railway connected European Russian
  in the west with Russian ports in the east

11
Revolutionary Movement Grows

• Growth of factories brought new problems
  grueling working conditions, 14 hr work days, low
  wages and child labor
• Govt outlawed trade unions but some strikes took
  place
• A group following the teachings of Marx
• gained a following

12
Russian Marxists

• Believed that the industrial class of workers,
  the proletariat, would overthrow the czar
• 1903 a split occurred over tactics
• A small group of Radical Bolsheviks led by Lenin
  were willing to sacrifice anything for change
• Moderate Mensheviks wanted a broad base of
  popular support for the revolution

13
Crises at Home Abroad

• First Crisis Russo-Japanese War
• Competed with Japan for control of Korea and
  Manchuria
• Russia broke the agreement with Japan
• Repeated Russian losses when Japan attacked
  Russian ports
• Sparked unrest at home

14
(No Transcript)
15
Crises at Home Abroad

• Second Crisis Bloody Sunday on Jan. 22, 1905
• 200,000 workers and their families marched on the
  czars Winter Palace
• Asked for better working conditions, more
  personal freedom, and elected national
  legislature
• Soldiers fired on the crowd. Several hundred
  killed over 1,000 wounded.
• A wave of strikes and violence spread
• Nicholas II approved the Duma, become like
  Britain. But dissolved it after 10 weeks, he did
  not want to share power.

16
(No Transcript)
17
Crises at Home Abroad

• Third Crisis World War I
• Russia entered the war in 1914
• Weak generals, poorly equipped troops
• Germans mowed down Russian soldiers by the
  thousands (4 million killed/wounded/taken
  prisoner in one year)
• Revealed the weakness of the czarist rule and
  military leadership

18
The Impact of WWI

• Military Defeats
• Russian army was big but poorly equipped
• Lost two major battles in 1914
• Caused loss of civilian and military morale
• Tsar now held responsible for the defeats as he
  had taken charge of the army

19
Criticism of the Tsar Poor military
commander Poor political leader Left the Tsarina
in charge of the government Refused to accept
advice from the Duma
Criticism if the Tsarina Inexperienced and
incompetent ruler Under the influence of
Rasputin Unpopular because she was German
Impact of WWI
Role of Rasputin Claimed to be a healer. Disliked
by many yet held influence over both the Tsar and
Tsarina
20
Crises at Home

• While Nicholas moved his headquarters to the war
  front, he left his wife in charge
• Czarina Alexandra ran the govt under the
  influence of a holy man, Rasputin
• Rasputin had helped their son, Alexis, who
  suffered from hemophilia
• He is killed in 1916
• Food and fuel in short supply, inflation, Russian
  soldiers mutinied, deserted

21
Economic problems

• Over 15 million men joined the army
• not enough workers in factories and farms
• caused shortages of food and materials
• Railway system very poor
• could not supply the troops
• could not supply the towns
• food prices rose

22
Social discontent

• Food shortages and price rises caused widespread
  discontent
• The war had seen the population move from the
  countryside to the cities
• The cities soon became overcrowded and people
  lived in terrible conditions

23
The First RevolutionMarch Revolution

• 1917
• City-wide strike by textile workers
• Riots over shortages of bread and fuel
• Soldiers sided with the people
• Czar Nicholas abdicates
• Incapable of dealing with the problems

24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Another Weak Govt

• Provisional Govt
• Alexander Kerensky. Why not Lenin?
• Decided Russia would continue fighting in WWI
• Unrest increases
• Soviets (local councils of workers, peasants and
  soldiers) more influential than provisional govt

27
The Second Revolution Bolshevik Revolution

• Exiled Lenin returns to Russia
• Gains control of soviets in major cities
• Slogan- Bread, Land and Peace
• Provisional govt topples
• March 1918 Treat of Brest-Litovsk with Germany
  ends WWI
• Humiliating loss
• Peace, Land and Bread subbed. - YouTube

28
(No Transcript)
29
Civil War 1918 - 1920

• Had to get rid of enemies
• Bolsheviks (Reds) v. the White Army
• White Army
• Supporters of the czar, those who wanted
  democratic govt, socialists who disagreed with
  Lenin. Never united or in agreement
• Red Army led by Leon Trotsky
• 14 million died
• Red Army victorious

30
Lenin Restores Order

• War and revolution destroyed the economy
• Trade at a standstill
• New Economic Policy (NEP)
• Allowed peasants to sell surplus goods
• Govt kept control of major industries, banks,
  and means of communication
• Small factories, businesses and farms allowed to
  operate under private ownership
• Govt encouraged foreign investment
• By 1928 had recovered to pre-WWI level(factories
  and farms)

31
Union of Soviet SocialistRepublics (USSR)

• Organized to keep nationalism in check, hurt
  unity and party loyalty
• New name in honor of those who started revolution
  
• Bolsheviks became the Communist Party
• 1924 constitution based on socialist and
  democratic principles but in reality the
  Communist Party held all the power
• 1922 Lenin suffers a stroke-Cant rule
• By 1928, ruthless Joseph Stalin (man of steel)
  was in command

32
Totalitarianism -Stalinist Russia
33
Government

• Totalitarianism
• Govt takes total control over every aspect of
  public and private life.
• Traits
• Dynamic/Symbolic Leader (Single-Party)
• Secret Police (Terror/Fear)
• Spying on citizens or make people disappear
• Indoctrination
• Control education (censorship)
• Starts at a young age

34
(No Transcript)
35
Government Cont.

• Propaganda
• Books, movies, art music has to be approved
• Glorify the state, Stalin or his achievements
• Censorship

36
Stalin

• Perfect Communist State
• Police State Everyone lived in fear
• The dreaded knock
• The Great Purge Within the Communist Party
• Campaign of terror to eliminate anyone who
  threatened his power.
• 8 13 million deaths
• Enemies of the state (religious or ethnic)

37
(No Transcript)
38
Stalin Cont.

• Education
• Run by government stressed sacrifice hard
  work
• Religious Persecution
• Russian Orthodox Church new target
• Churches destroyed
• Encouraged atheism

39
Stalins Economy

• Command economy
• Economy where the government makes all the
  economic decisions.
• Five-Year Plans
• Several plans to boost economy by setting
  unreachable production goals.
• Limited production of consumer goods
• Severe shortages (housing, clothing, food, etc.)

40
(No Transcript)
41
Stalins Economy Cont.

• Collectivization
• Combined many small farms into large farms.
• Collective farms
• Thought it would increase output
• Kulak Wealthy peasant in Russia targets
• 5 - 10 million peasants disappear
• Resisted losing their land
• Killed livestock destroyed crops
• It did increase output though

42
(No Transcript)
43
Life Under Stalin

• Many new educational opportunities (even for
  women)
• Women big part of workforce now
• State pays for childcare
• Studied science and engineering
• 75 of Soviet doctors women
• Duty to have children

44
Timeline

• 10 events from 1894-1928
• Give brief description of each event
• Draw color simple picture of that event
• 10 events
• 10 descriptions
• 10 pictures