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The Great Northern War
Peter I, the founder of the Russian empire, declared war on Sweden to ensure Russia's way to the Baltic Coast. Three years into the war, Peter built St. Petersburg, on territory that he had won. 18 years after that, The Treaty of Nystad ended the war, rewarding Russia with all of the Swedish provinces on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The Russian empire was also formed as an effect of their victory and he acquired the nickname Peter the Great as a result of his victory in the war. -
The Decembrist Revolt
The Decembrist Revolt was when the Decembrists, which was a small group made up of nobles and army officers, tried to overthrow the governement of the czar. However, Czar Nicholas I, quickly ended the uprising. He killed five leaders and sent many more to SIberia. After the Decembrist Revolt, Czar Nicholas I started to censor his government by banning books that might support liberal ideas, and using a secret police force to spy on teachers, students, and government officials. -
Czar Alexander II Emancipates the Serfs
Serfs, one step up from slaves, were very common in Russia and Czar Alexander II improved the lives of many of those serfs by freeing them with the Emancipation Act of 1861. Even though it was a great thing for Alexander to do, many landowners disrespected him because now they had lost their workers. Getting rid of serfdom gave Russia a judicial system and the local government was remodeled, setting up elective assemblies which improved education and medical care. -
The Assassination of Alexander II
Czar Alexander II was fatally wounded by a bomb while driving through the capital, This was not the only attempt to assassinate the czar. There had been several other failed attempts before the final successful one, all made by the group "People's Will." This group's goal was to use terrorism and assassination to overthrow Russian's czarist autocracy. Alexander's assassins were arrested and hung, and the People's Will was completely suppressed. Alexander III was the next to receive the throne. -
The Russo-Japanese War
Russia's conflicts with Japan about control over Korea and Manchuria led to the Russo-Japanese War. Russia was occupying all of Manchuria and a Russian concession for timber cutting between Korea and China was made. Japan realized that this concession might be an attempt to take over Korean.Japan then launched a surprise torpedo attack on Russia, starting the war. Russia was defeated in the end, which increased econimic hardships in Russian homes. -
Bloody Sunday
A group of workers, led by Father Geori Gapon, approached the czar's palace in St. Petersburg.They carried banners and pictures of the czar, ready to present a petition to Nicholas II, asking for better working condition and some political rights. When they began to move closer to the palace, the soldiers guarding the palace began to shoot. More than 100 marchers were killed and many others were confused as to why the czar would do this. The events of Bloody Sunday started the Revolution of 1905 -
The Revolution of 1905
The Revolution of 1905 was started by Bloody Sunday. Many Russians were horrified by the events of that day and riots and strikes began to sweep the cities. Peasants looted and burned the houses of landowners in the countryside. As an attempt to end the violent acts, Czar Nicholas II, set up an elected assembly call the Duma. However, this still failed to solve Russia's problems. Peasants, national minorities, middle class liberals, and factory workers were all disappointed in the czar. -
World War I (Russian Involvement)
World War I Europe and Asia all started with the assissination of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary. In the early stages of the war, Russia, France, and Britain formed the Triple Entente. Germany demanded that Russia deliver an ultimatum to France, to declare itself nuetral, but Russia refused. Germany declared war on France anyways and since Russia was alllies with France, they went to war too. World War I led to the revolution in Russia because many people didn't support Russia's involvement. -
The March Revolution
An angry crowd of people approached Petrograd, the Russian captical in March 1917. They protested the war and the shortage of food. As the demonstrations began to spread , the government sent troops to restore order. However, many of the soldiers refused to fire on the crowds; some of them actually joined the protestors! When news of the riots in Petrograd reached other parts of Russia, demonstrators overthrew czarist officials and a week after the riots began, Nicholas II gave up his throne. -
Czar Nicholas II abdicates the Russian throne
After riots broke out in St. Petersburg, in March of 1917, people lost hope in Nicholas and he was called upon by the Duma to renounce. Nicholas's whole family was kept under security until they were sent to SIberia. They were sent to a house specifically prepared for them in the Ural Mountains, where the whole family was brutally murdered by anti-Bolshevik Russian soldiers. SInce no one else could accept the crown, Czar Nicholas II became the last czar of Russia.
