The Russian Revolution

1
The Russian Revolution

• Chapter 23
• AP European History

2
Recap

• Unrest in 1800s and early 1900s
• Decembrist Revolt (1825)
• Loss of war demand for reform
• Crimean War
• Russo-Japanese War

3
Recap

• Reforms of Alexander II
• Prompted by loss in Crimean War
• Created local government positions
• Emancipation of serfs

4
Recap

• Social and economic inequality helps popularize
  various ideas (Marxism, etc.)
• Intelligentsia help to spread these ideas
• Government will attempt to shut them up
• Assassination of Alexander II leads to a backlash
• Russification

5
Revolution of 1905

• Russias loss in the Russo-Japanese War again
  leads to revolt
• Thousands of people marched on the tsars Winter
  Palace demanding reform
• Troops fired on the crowd
• Bloody Sunday
• News of the massacre spread, leading to
  anti-government demonstrations

6
Bloody Sunday
7
Revolution of 1905

• Nicholas II (ruled from 1894-1917) agreed to a
  few reforms
• New constitution
• Creation of a parliament (Duma)
• Forgive redemption payments that former serfs
  were required to pay in return for communal lands
  (mir)
• Relaxation of Russification policies

8
The Last of the Russian Tsars
9
Alexeis illness

• The Emperor wrote to his mother The days from
  the 10th to the 23rd were the worst. The poor
  child suffered greatly the pain was sporadic,
  occurring every 15 minutes. He hardly slept at
  all, did not have the strength to cry but only
  moaned, repeating the same words all over again
  Lord have mercy on me. I could not stand it but
  had to remain in the room in order to relieve
  Alix who had exhausted herself completely,
  spending every night at his bedside. She bore
  this trial better than I, especially when Alexis
  sufferings were at their worst.
• An eye witness of Alexeis illness write The
  crown-prince lay in bed, and moaned pitiably,
  pressing his head to his mothers hand, his fine
  face bloodless, unrecognizable. From time to time
  he stopped moaning to whisper only one word
  Mama, in which he expressed all his suffering,
  all his heart-break. And the mother would kiss
  his hair, his forehead, his eyes, as if by this
  caress she could lighten his pain, breathe into
  him some of that life which was leaving him.

10
Russia During WWI

• Fought with Allies
• Highest casualty rates
• Poorly equipped
• Dissatisfaction among troops
• Food shortages and civil unrest

11
The February Revolution

• February, 1917 Revolution broke out in Petrograd
  (formerly St. Petersburg)
• Workers went on strike in memory of Bloody
  Sunday
• Tens of thousands demonstrated in the streets
• Discontent and mutiny in the military
• March 2, 1917 Nicholas II abdicates throne
• March 15 in the western calendar

12
Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II

• In the days of the great struggle against the
  foreign enemies, who for nearly three years have
  tried to enslave our fatherland, the Lord God has
  been pleased to send down on Russia a new heavy
  trial. Internal popular disturbances threaten to
  have a disastrous effect on the future conduct of
  this persistent war. The destiny of Russia, the
  honor of our heroic army, the welfare of the
  people and the whole future of our dear
  fatherland demand that the war should be brought
  to a victorious conclusion whatever the cost. The
  cruel enemy is making his last efforts, and
  already the hour approaches when our glorious
  army together with our gallant allies will crush
  him. In these decisive days in the life of
  Russia, We thought it Our duty of conscience to
  facilitate for Our people the closest union
  possible and a consolidation of all national
  forces for the speedy attainment of victory. In
  agreement with the Imperial Duma We have thought
  it well to renounce the Throne of the Russian
  Empire and to lay down the supreme power. As We
  do not wish to part from Our beloved son, We
  transmit the succession to Our brother, the Grand
  Duke Michael Alexandrovich, and give Him Our
  blessing to mount the Throne of the Russian
  Empire. We direct Our brother to conduct the
  affairs of state in full and inviolable union
  with the representatives of the people in the
  legislative bodies on those principles which will
  be established by them, and on which He will take
  an inviolable oath. In the name of Our dearly
  beloved homeland, We call on Our faithful sons of
  the fatherland to fulfill their sacred duty to
  the fatherland, to obey the Tsar in the heavy
  moment of national trials, and to help Him,
  together with the representatives of the people,
  to guide the Russian Empire on the road to
  victory, welfare, and glory. May the Lord God
  help Russia!

13
Provisional Government

• A provisional government was created, largely
  under the leadership of Alexander Kerensky (Prime
  Minister)
• Soviets (workers councils) were created to lobby
  for the rights of workers and the people
• Despite the efforts of the provisional
  government, the revolution continued to spread

14
Lenin

• Vladimir Lenin leader of the Bolsheviks
• had been exiled to Switzerland in 1900
• Lenin returned to Russia in April, 1917
• Began to buildup his following

15
Lenin

• April Theses
• Series of publications by Lenin in which he
  advocates revolution
• Outlines the views of the Bolsheviks
• Major ideas
• Demand that Russia withdraw from WWI
• Opposed to the provisional government
• Attempt to spread the revolution to other
  countries
• Redistribution of land to the peasants
• Calls for Soviet control of the state

16
The July Days

• Despite the revolution, the provisional
  government kept Russia in WWI
• Ordered a new offensive in June, 1917
• July, 1917 Bolsheviks lead another insurrection
• Known as the July Days

17
October Revolution

• October, 1917 the provisional government
  collapsed
• Also known as the Bolshevik Revolution

18
Russia withdraws from WWI

• December, 1917 Russia signed an armistice with
  Germany
• March, 1918 Russia and Germany signed the Treaty
  of Brest-Litovsk

19
The Bolshevik Revolution

• In 1918, a civil war broke out between the
  Bolsheviks and their opposition
• Reds- Bolsheviks
• Whites- anti-Bolsheviks
• The government nationalized all land
• Land redistribution

20
The Bolshevik Revolution

• July 17, 1918 Royal family brutally murdered
• Bolsheviks became known as the Communist Party
• September, 1918 Red Terror began
• Forced labor camps to eliminate opposition
• Fighting continued between the Red Army and the
  White army.

21
The Bolshevik Revolution

• June, 1919 Large-scale industries are
  nationalized
• New Economic Policy (NEP)
• Lenins economic plan for Russia
• Government maintained control over industry
• Peasants were still permitted to use land for
  market agriculture
• Created a mixed economy

22
The USSR is born

• 1922 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  (USSR, also known as the Soviet Union) was formed

23
The Power Struggle

• 1922 Lenin suffered a stroke.
• A power struggle began between Joseph Stalin and
  Leon Trotsky
• 1924 Lenin died and Stalin takes over
• Under Stalins rule, the Soviet Union became even
  more totalitarian.