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Marxists Revolutionaries Split
Marxists revolutionaries disagreed over revolutionary tactics. The more moderate Mensheviks wanted a broad base of popular support for the revolution. The more radical Bolsheviks supported a small number of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice everything for change. The charismatic Vladimir Lenin becomes the leader. -
Japan Retaliates
Russia and Japan previously signed a series of agreements over the territories of Korea and Manchuria. Russia broke these agreements and Japan retaliated by attacking the Russians at Port Arthur. News of repeated losses sparked unrest at home and lead to a revolt in the midst of the war. -
A Revolution Occurs
About 200,000 workers and their families approached the czar’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. They carried a petition asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. More than 1,000 were wounded and several hundred were killed, as Nicholas II’s generals ordered soldiers to fire at the crowd. -
More Freedom
Nicholas reluctantly agreed to give more freedom. He approved the creation of the Duma, which was Russia’s first parliament. The leaders, most of which were moderates who wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy like Britain, first met in May of 1906. -
Russia is Dragged Into WWI
Russia wasn’t prepared to handle the military and economic costs of the war, but was dragged into it anyway. -
A Citywide Strike
Women textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike. Riots raged over the shortages of bread and fuel. Soldiers originally obeyed the order to shoot the rioters, but eventually sided with them. -
"All Power to the Soviets"
Without any warning, armed factory workers stormed the Winter Palace in Petrograd. They called themselves the Bolshevik Red Guards. They took over government offices and arrested the leaders of the provisional government. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Russia surrendered a large part of its territory to Germany and its allies. The terms of the treaty triggered widespread anger among the majority of Russians. -
A Deadly Revolution
Russia’s civil war turned out to be much more deadly than earlier revolutions. Around 14 million Russians died over the course of three years. -
New Plan for the Economy
Lenin put aside his plan for a state-controlled economy for a period of time. To replace it, he used a small-scale version of capitalism called the New Economic Policy (NEP). This system allowed peasants to sell their surplus crops, as opposed to turning them over to the government. -
New Name
Russia was now named the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), after the the councils that helped launch the Bolshevik Revolution.
