Russian Revolution

Decemberist Revolt

Dec 14, 1825

~ a small group of nobles and officals tried to overthrow the government
~ they wanted a constitutional monarchy
~ Czar Nicholas I crushed the revolt, executed 5 leaders, and exiled 100's more to Siberia
~ The Decemberists became heroes to revolutionaries

Emacipation of the serfs

Mar 28, 1861

~ serfs wanted their freedom and their own land to farm, while the nobles wanted to end autocracy
~ education spread and the serfs gained knowledge of the West
~ the demand of faster and radical changes increased and started a chain of revolutions that would change Russia forever

Bloody Sunday

Jan 9, 1905

~ thousands of unarmed men, women, and children marched in St. Petersburg for a peaceful march to present a petition regarding better working conditions and more political freedoms
~ they were led by Father Georgi Gapon
~ the soldiers opened fire on the marchers

Revolution of 1905

Jan 9, 1905

~ riots and uprisings in result of Bloody Sunday
~ Peasants looted and burned the homes of landowners
~ Czar Nicholas II agreed to a Duma to end the violence, which was an elected assembly for minor reforms, but they had little power

Russia Enters WWI

Sep 1, 1914

~ entered the first world war with the largest army in the world, 1,400,000 soldiers
~ Czar Nicholas wanted to lead the army himself, but was presuaded not to
~ when fully mobilized, the Russian army had over 5,000,000, but not enough rifles to arm them all

Rasputin Murdrered

Dec 17, 1916

~ several nobles tried to murder him because of his bad influence on Russia
~ potassium-cyanide laced pastries and wine failed to kill him
~ he was then beaten and shot, still living, and dumped into a frozen pond in a big
~ cause of death: drowning

Czar Nicholas II Abdicates

Mar 2, 1917

~ abdicate means to give up, in this case he gave up the thrown after pressure from the Russian people
~ leaders of the Duma set up the Provisional Government, which introduced a variety of reforms and laws

The March Revolution

Mar 8, 1917

~ riots broke out in Petrograd over the war and the shortage of food
~ soldiers were sent, but none would fire on the protestors, and some even joined them
~ Czar officals were overthrown and Czar Nicholas II abdicated

The Boleshevik Revolution

Oct 25, 1917

~ organized the soviets and called for a socialist revolution
~ Lenin was their leader and won support amongst the workers and soldiers
~ In November the Boleshevik's captured government buildings

Treaty of Versailles

Jun 28, 1918

~ the treaty was written by the Allies of the WWI, which imposed harsh terms on Germany
~ parts of Russia becamed mandates to the British and French
~ the treaty also set up the League of Nations, which was created to settle disagreements and prevent future wars
~ caused Germany to sign a non-agression pact with Russia, which Hitler later violated

Lenin dies/USSR formed

Jan 21, 1924

~ Lenin's successor was Joseph Stalin, who tried to acheive some of Lenin's goals
~ LEnin warned about Stalin, but he became the leader regardless and set up a totalitarian state

Stalin takes power/Death of Trotsky

Jan 21, 1924

~ Stalin took power after Lenin died
~ set up a brutal totaltarian state
~ struggled for power with Trotsky, who was later forced into exile and murdered by Stalin's agents after he became dictator

Murder of the Romanovs

Jul 16, 1924

~ the entire family was shot during the night by Bolshevik's
~ the bodies went missing, but were found later
~ the girls were harder to kill because of the jewels sewn into their corsets