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Abolishment of Serfdom
The Abolishment of Serfdom was the first and one of the most important liberal reforms effected during the reign of the Emperor Alexander II of Russia. This reform effectively abolished serfdom along the Russian Empire. It is also known as ''The Peasant Reform of 1861''.
MIR was a prerevolutionary self-governing community of peasants used for the payment of taxes. After the abolishment, MIR remained for taxes and political reasons but Stolypin agricultural reforms abolished MIR. -
Alexander III
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Alexander III
Alexander III, succeeded his father, Alexander II in 1881. He was highly conservative and reversed some of the liberal reforms of his father. During Alexander III's reign, Russia fought no major wars. Moreover, he halted all reforms in Russia and also, he clung to the principles of autocracy, continueing the Czar autocractic rule. To wipe out revolutionaries, Alexander III used harsh measures, too. Alexander III turned Russia into a police state, teeming with spies and informers. -
The Trans-Siberian Railway
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Trans-Siberian Railway
With the help of the British and French investors, Russia began on working with constructing the longest continuous rail line, the Trans-Siberian Railway. Its built began in 1891 and it wasn't finished until 1916. It connected the European Russian in the west with the Russian ports of the Pacific Ocean in the East. The length of the rail line was of 9289 km. During WWI the railway deteriorated much,however, more damages were caused during the Civil War. Though, the reconstruction began quickly. -
Nicholas II
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Nicholas II
Nicholas II was the last emperor of Russia. His reign saw Russia go from being one of the greatest powers of the world to economic and military collapse. Under his rule, Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War, he also decided to join Russia to WW1, which brought problems, which finally, made the Romanov's rule collapse. Nicholas II abdicated following the March Revolution of 1917.One year later, his family and him were executed by the revolutionaries.The Revolution ended the Czarist Rule. -
Division of marxists into two groups
In 1903,Russian Marxists split into two groups. The Mencheviks (minority) wanted a broad base of popular support for the revolution.Also,they advocated development of full socialism through parliamentary government and cooperation with the bourgeoise. Moreover, the Bolsheviks (majority) suported a small number of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrify everything for change.A Bolshevik was a member of the more radical majority of the Social Democratic Party. Lenin was the Bolshevik leader. -
Russo-Japanese War
In the late 1800s, Russia and Japan competed for the control of Manchuria and Korea. The two empires signed agreements over both territories, but Russia broke them. So war erupted. The Russo-Japanese War (8 Feb 1804-5 Sept 1905) was fought between Russia and Japan. Japan resulted victorious from the war and was the first time they had won a war. The disastrous outcome of the war for Russia sparked unrest at home and led to a revolt in the midst of war. -
Bloody Sunday (1)
Bloody SundayOn January 1905, around 200,000 workers and their families approached to the Czar's Winter Palace in St Petersburg. They were asking for a series of petitions: first, better working conditions, secondly, more personal freedom, and finally, an elected national legislature. Nicholas's generals were ordered to fire on the crowd and many people died and others, were wounded.
Bloody Sunday provoked a series of strikes and violences that spread throughout Russia.In October 1905,Nicholas promised + (2) -
Bloody Sunday (2)
(1) + more personal freedom. He created the Duma (Russia's first parliament). The Duma met for the first time in May 1906. The leader of the Duma wanted a constitutional monarchy. But, Nicholas, who was hesitant to share his power, dissolve the Duma after ten weeks. -
WW1 (2)
timespan (1) + ruling the government. She ignored her husband's chief advisors. Instead, she felt attracted by a man called Rasputin, who seemed to ease her son's symptoms (as Nicholas' and her son was suffering hemophilia). To show her gratitude, she lend Rasputin made key political decisions. In 1916, Rasputin was murdered.
Soldiers in the war front were mutinied and ignoring orders, while in the home front food and fuel supplies were dwindling. Russia was in chaos. -
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WW1 (1)
In 1914,Nicholas II made the fateful decision of dragging Russia into WW1.Russia was unprepared.Its weak generals and poorly equipped troops were no match for the German Army. Before one year had passed, 4 million Russian soldiers were killed, wounded or taken prisioner. As in the Russo-Japanese War, Russia's involvement in WW1 revealed the weakness of the Czarist regime and military leadership. In 1915,Nicholas moved its headquarters to the war front,leaving his wife,Czarina Alexandra +(2)event -
Video of the Russian Revolution
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Murder of Rasputin
Rasputin was led by Czarina Alexandra to make key political decisions over Russia. He was led because she wanted to show him her gratitude because of helping his son, who was suffering hemophilia. He opposed reform measures and obtained powerful positions for his friends.In 1916, a group of nobles planed his murdered, anf finally, murdered him.They feared his increasing role in government affairs. -
March (February) Revolution (1)
In March 1917,women textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike. For the next 5 days, riots flared up over shortages of bread and fuel. At first, soldiers obeyed orders to shoot the rioters but later they sided them.The local protest exploded into a general uprising. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate to his throne. The revolution succeeded in bringing down the Czarist Regime,yet if failed to set up a strong government. The leaders of the Duma set up a Provisional Government, + (2) -
March (February) Revolution (2)
(1) + its leader was Alexander Kerensky. He took the decision to continue participating in WW1, but this cost him the support of civilians and soldiers. As the war dragged on, conditions in Russia worsened. Socialist revolutionaries, competiting for power, began to form soviets, which were local councils consisting of workers, peasants and soldiers.
At the end, German beliefs were in the Bolshevik party and Lenin. Lenin was back in Germany from his exile in April 1917. -
Provisional Government
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Provisional Government
The Provisional Government was established after the abdication of the Czar by the leaders of the Duma. The leader was Alexander Kerensky. The Provisional Government shared power with the Petrograd Soviets. All it did was abolished the Okhrana and press censorship, and allow political freedom.It really didn't carry out any major reforms.This gave the Bolsheviks,the freedom to attack them to solve the problems they weren't solving, which meant the end of the rule of the Provisional Government. -
October (Bolshevik) Revolution (1)
In November 1917,armed factory workers stormed the Winter Palace in Petrograd calling themselves the Bolshevik Red Guards, they took over the government and arrested the leaders of the provisional government. The Bolsheviks, leaded by Lenin, were in power, and ordered some new rules. The Bolshevik Red Army erupted in Civil War against the White Army,competiting for power.Leon Trotsky commanded the Red Army. Several nations (including US),sent military aid and forces to help the White Army, + (2) -
October (Bolshevik) Revolution (2)
(1) + however, it was of little help. Around 14 millions of Russians died. Russia was in complete chaos, full of epidemic and hunger. The Bolshevik crushed its opponents. It was clear that the Bolsheviks were able to seize power and to maintain it. The Bolsheviks (Communist Party), established a state-controlled economy that lasted for decades. -
Vladimir Lenin
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Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks.By the early 1900s,he planned to overthrow the Czar.For that reason,he fled to Western Europe to avoid arrest by the Czars.In the Bolshevik Revolution,Lenin and the Bolsheviks gained control of the Petrograd Soviet.He took over the provisional government and placed them in government.After defeating the White Army in a war,the Bolsheviks and him began a dictatorship that lasted for decades. He died in 1924, and Joseph Stalin replaced him. -
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Civil War in Russia
The Bolsheviks (Red Army) erupted in war against the White Army for control of the country. The White Army was formed of many different groups of people, its desire to defeat the Bolsheviks was the only thing that joined them. Although the White Army received military aid and forces from Western Nations and even of the United States, they weren't able to win the war. The victory of the Bolsheviks showed that they were able to seize power and to maintain it, too. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
In March 1918, Russia and Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. It was a signment to stop all fightings and began peace talks. Russia surrender a large part of its territories to germany and its allies. This treaty triggered anger amongst Russians. They objected to the Bolsheviks and their policies and the murder to the royal family. -
Civil war in Russia
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NEP (New Economic Policy)
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NEP (New Economic Policy)
Lenin put aside his plan for a state-controlled economy and resorted the NEP (New Economic Policy) which represented a more capitalism-oriented policy,it was necessary after the war.The reforms under NEP allowed peasants to sell the surplus crops instead of turning them over to the government.The government control the major factories and businesses,leaving some small businesses operate under private operation.The government also encouraged foreign investment. It was abolished by Stalin in 1928. -
USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
There were new political reforms in Russia. Lenin, to keep nationalism in check, organized Russia into several self-governing republics under the central government. In 1922, the country was name USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in honor of the councils that helped launch the Bolshevik Revolution. The USSR was a Marxist–Leninist state that existed between 1922 and 1991. -
Joseph Stalin
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Joseph Stalin
Lenin suffered a stroke in 1922, and although he survived, he didn't continue ruling. Trotsky and Stalin competed for being the head of the government. Stalin was cold, hard and impersonal. He began his ruthless climb to the head of government between 1922 and 1927, and by 1928, he was in total command of the Communist Party and of the country, he replaced the NEP that year. Also,Trostky was forced into exile to be no longer a threat for him. He was now the dictator of the country. -
Trotsky into exile
Leon Trotsky was a Marxist revolutionary, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army.Trostky was competiting for leadership of Russia with Stalin in 1922, after Lenin suffered a stroke. Finally, Trotsky didn't rule Russia. He was forced into exile in 1929. He went into exile from 1929 to 1940, the year in which he died assasinated.
