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Alex III
Alex III succeeded his father Alex II and halted all reforms. He continued with an autocracy which gave him total control. He labelled anyone who questioned absolute athourity, worshiped outside the Russian Othrodox Church or spoke a language other than Russian as dangerous. -
Nicolas II Czar
Although the times were changing when Nicolas II became czar he was blinded and continued the tradional autocracy and maintained full power. -
Russian Marxists
On April 2, 1903 the Russian Marxists split into two groups beause of revolutionary tactics. Some of the more moderate Russians wanted a broad base of popular support for the revolution, but the more radical Russians supported a small number of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice everything for change. -
The Revolution of 1905
On this date in history about 200,000 workers and their families approached the czar's Palace. They were petitioning asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. Nicholas II's soilders were then ordered to fire on the crowd and more than 1,000 were wounded and several hundered were killed. This event was then called "Bloody Sunday" -
Freedom
During this time Nicholas promised more freedom and approved the creation of the Duma. This was Russia's first parlimment -
First Duma Meeting
This is when the first Duma meet. Because they were moderates they wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy. After ten weeks the czar disolved the Duma because of his lack of power. -
Lenin's temporary plan
He has to resort to a plan of the New Economic Policy which was a small-scale version of capitalism. This allowed peasant workers to sell their surplus crops instead of just handing them over to the government. -
World War I
In 1914 Nicholas made the decision to drag Russia into World War I although Russia was in no way prepared to take on the well preprared, well equipt Germany. Germany destroyed and plowed over Russia, which proved how weak the czarian rule made the country. -
Death of Rasputin
Nicholas moved his headquarters to war front were he would hope to lead his discouraged troops to victory. While Nicholas was away his wife ran the government and let a "holy man" who claimed to have magical powers influence her. Rasputin began to gain power in governmental roles so a group of noblemen who felt threatened murdered him. -
Textile Strike
The more than 200,000 textile workers of Petrograd led a strike over shortage of bread and and fuel. The soilders obeyed orders to kill the rioters at first, but then sided with them. -
Period: to
Civil War
Russia surrendered a large part of it's territory with a treaty that caused widespread anger with the people of russia. The Bolsheviks now had to rid their enemies at home. There were two groups of people, those who wanted to maintain the rule of the czar and those who disagreed wth it. Several forces from all over the world were sent to aid the white army. -
Lenin stroke & Stalin gains power
In 1922 Lenin head of the Communist Party has a stroke which he survived but it stirred up the competition for the head of the party. Joseph Stalin was one of the most notable canidates yet he was cold, hard, and impersonal. He began his climb for the head of the party and as the general secretary he worked behind the scene to move his supporters into the position of power. Lenin died and Stalin would soon take over -
Stalin gains Total Control
By 1928 Stalin had gained total control of the Communist Party, he had absolute power as a dictator