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Bloody Sunday
Description: Workers marched on the Winter Palace in St.Petersberg to make demands to the Tsar. Shots were fired and a number of people were killed.
Significance: This touched off a season of unrest among the workers in major cities. It was only supposed to be temporary when the Tsar agreed to the formation of a new representive, the Duma. In the next decade strikes and work stoppages escalated. The economy continued to worsen. -
The Provisional Government Established
Description: Overthrew the Romanov dynasty. To manage affairs of the state until elections could be held in October. It legalized political parties, and released political prisoners,
Significance: It was supported by the Petrograd Soviets. But failed in spite of progressive legislation. It led to economic and social break down. -
The March (February) Revolution
Description: It began with a strike of 90,000 textile workers and by the end of the week 400, 000 formed. They were protesting shortages of bread and fuel.
Significance: It caused riots and demonstrations. As the protest continued, focus of crowds shifted and became more politicalThe Tsar didn't want to adress the large crowds, and underestimated the situation. It sent troops to put down the demonstrators but instead they joined in support. The Tsar abdicated his throne. -
The Bolshevik Revolution
Description: The Bolsheviks dominated the Petrograd and Moscow Soviets. Lenin moved to seize power. Strategic locations in Petrograd, including the Winter Palace were stormed by Red Bolshevik army troops.
Significance: Members of the Provisional Government were arrested, and Soviet authority was established because the Provisonal Government had failed in spite of progressive legislation. -
The November(October) Revolution
Description: The Red Gaurds in Petro seized control of all stations. The telegraph offices, bridges and even government buildings.
Significance: The provisional government crumbled away. Then 5 people were killed in the Petrograd. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Description: It was a Treaty with the Germans. They demanded that the Russians were to lose 26% of their population, 27% of their farmland and 74% of their iron and coal. The terms were argued and Lenin knew that the army could not fight anymore if it came down to war.
Significance: Lenin won the vote. Fortunately for the communist government, when Germany lost the war, the treaty was cancelled. Russia got most of her territory back. -
The Civil War
Description: War between the White Army Troops (Anti-Bolsheviks) and the Red Army Troops. (Bolsheviks) Significance: It was complicated by Allied intervention. After Trotsky became commisar of the war for the Red Army Troops, it was won. -
War Communisim
Description: Lenin promised to take Russia out of the war. But it was more costly than he originally calculated. Big industries were nationalised. But the urgent needs created by the civil war let to a more drastic policy -War Communism.
Significance: Peasants were forced to give up their surplus crops to the government to feed the red army. Some argued that war communism should continue but Kronsradt Mutiny convinced them it had to be replaced. They demanded to put an end to it. Didn't succeed. -
New Economic Policy
Description: Lenins revision to modified capitalism to encourage greater production through profit incentive. It was recognized that change needed to occur. Consumer goods were desperately needed.
Siginificance: It helped the economy recover by 1928. But the social results threatened the communists. Dramatic increase in business people and official limitations on their numbers were introduced. -
Treaty of Rapollo
Description:Provided diplomatic relations and economic co-operation between the two states. Germany was the first to recognize Russia.
Significance: Provided for the social repudiation of war costs, and damages, expansion of trade between the two, and above all, German promise of economic assistance to the soviet union. In return the USSR would allow Germany to conduct military monoeuvers on Soviet Soil. -
Lenin Died
Description: Lenin had suffered a stroke in 1922. He became increasingly ill, and played no practical role in political matters. Lenin was well aware of the power Stalin was beginning to aquire. This worried him.
Significance: When Lenin died, Stalin was already too powerful to be challened by Trotsky. Witin 4 years of Lenins death, Trotsky was expelled from the Party and Stalin was master of Russia. -
First 5 Year Plan
Description: With Russia being last behind the Western Capitalist countries, Stalin was convinced they risked eventual invasion from the west. Russia had to go through massive changes and forced industrialization upon peasants.
Significance: Targets were reached a year ahead of schedual and was successful. -
Collectivization of Agriculture
Description: Was thought essential to the development of a socialist state. It merged small individually owned farms into large state units to increase production.
Significance: Over a million farms were collectivized. Food was plentiful. But some peasants rarely met production quotas. -
The Great Purge Begins
Description: A murder of tens of thousands of people, probably as many as 3 million whose only crime was to seem a threat to Stalins own position of power.
Significance: His record of mass murder and the fact that these purges deprived the Soviet Union of many of it's talented leaders. Til' today, the USSR agriculture is grossly inefficient and must be laid at Stalins doors as a result of collectivization. -
The Nazi Soviet Pact
Description: It pledged that each nation would remain nuetral in the event of war. It allowed Soviet a buffer zone if Hitler was to attack Poland, so a secret protocal provided partation of Poland between Germany and the Soviet.
Significance: the alliance gave Stalin a false sense of security. He ignored the warnings of German attacks until finally Germany was on Soviet soil. Although the Soviets had twice as much military warefare, they lost most of their skilled officers in the Purges.
