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Period: to
Russia 1917-1939
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Disasters on the Battlefield
By March 1917, food and fuel shortages on the home front brought the monarchy to a collapse. Workers went on strike in St. Petersburg. Troops had refused to fire on the workers. The czar abdicted on the advice of the military and the political leaders. -
Plan to Release Lenin
While Lenin remained in exile, Russia stumbled into Revolution. Germany saw a chance to weaken its enemy by helping Lenin get back home. By train, it rushed him back to the Russian frontier. -
Lenin Returns Home
While Lenin got off the train to Petrograd, a crowd of fellow exiles and activists that were recently released from the czar's prisons met him at the station. -
Launch on Germany
The government started launching disastrous offensive against Germany is the continuation of the war effert. -
Army Gone Bad
After the disastrous offense on Germany, the army was tired, poorly clad, poorly fed, and embittered. Many troups, and growing, were mutinied. At that same time, peasants seized land and drove off landlords. -
Red Guard Attack
Squads of Red Guards joined mutinous sailors from a Russian fleet when they attacked the temperary government. Lenin's forces had overthrown a government that didn't have any support in a matter of days. -
Treaty of Best-Litvosk
Lenin looked for peace with Germany immediately after the Bolshevik Revolution. Russia had signed the Treaty of Brest-Litvosk, giving up a bunch of its territory and population. The Communist Leaders need a lot of energy to defeat the bunch of enemies at home. -
The Red Scare
The Red Scare refers to the fear of Russian communism coming to America. Many Americans were scared of the communists, because they had overthrown a royal family in Russia in 1917 and murdered them the year after. -
Rebuilding the Nation
Russia was in chaos and the Communists had defeated their enemies. Millions of people had died since WWI started and many more had perished from famine and disease. Lenin had to rebuild the nation and economy. -
Supreme Soviet Creation
The Communists created a constitution that came out to be both democratic and socialist. It was later called the Supreme Soviet, and allowed all citizens over 18 the right to vote. The political power, resources, and means of production then belonged to workers and peasants. It united most of the old Russian empire in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union). -
The Death of Lenin
Vladimir Lenin died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 54. -
Lenin's Memorial
Thousands of people had lined up in Moscow's Red Square to see the body of Lenin, who had died a couple days ago. Communist wanted Lenin's body to be preserved and put on display, which was on display for more than 65 years. -
Stalin and Trotsky Debate
Lenin's death started a struggle for power with the Communist leaders. Trotsky and Stalin were the cheif contenders. Stalin won in the long run and Trotsky lost. -
Dictatorship
In the 1920's and the 1930's, dictators came about in Italy and Germany. They, also, started one-party states and cults of personality to impose a dictorial rule. -
Command Economy Creation
The Command Economy was created by Stalin and was one of the first "five-year plans" that were aimed at building heavy industry, improving transportation, and increasing farm output. He had brought all economic activity under the government's control. -
Trotsky's Flee
Shortly after losing to Stalin, Trotsky was stripped from his party membership and fled the country, He was later murdered in Mexico by one of Stalin's agents in 1940. -
Women's Work
Around the 1930's many women were working in medicine, engineering, or the sciences. -
The Great Purge
Stalin launched the Great Purge in 1934. During this, he and his secret police cracked down on everyone, mainly the Old Bolsheviks. He sooned moved onto army heroes, industrial managers, writers, and even ordinary citizens. -
Production Goals
Between the years of 1928 and 1939, Stalin's five-year plans set high production goals. Large factories, hydroelectric power stations, and huge industrial complexes rose across the Soviet Union -
Stalin's Purges
Between the years of 1936 and 1938, Stalin had had many public "show trials."Many former Communists confessed to crimes after being tortured and threatening their family and friends. Some were send to forced-labor camps in Siberia and others were executed. About four million people were purged during Stalin's years. The Purges increased Stalin's power.
