Russian Revolution

By laurenwhelan

  • Reign of Czar Alexander III (1881-1894)

    • Goals: one man (autocracy), one religion (Eastern Orthodox), one race
    • censored press
    • police sent to schools - teachers provided detail report on every student
    • Russian official language
    • Targeted Jewish (pogrom - government supports harming Jews or destruction of Jewish property) - Anti-Semitism - hatred of Jews
    • stopped reforms
    • protected nobility *Czar Alexander prevented Russia from industrializing which caused Russia to fall behind, causes people to revolt
  • Period: to

    Russian Revolution

  • Reign of Czar Nicholas II (1894-1917)

    • ruled with autocracy
    • hired people that moved the country forward with industrializing
    • dragged Russia into World War 1 and caused Russia all sorts of problems *weakened Russia by entering the war

  • Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

    • Russia and Japan competed for Korea and Manchuria
    • signed agreements but Russia broke them
    • Japan attacked Russians at Port Arthur, Manchuria (Feb 1904)
    • Russians lost *caused Russians unrest and led to a revolt - proof of weakness, blamed on czar Nicholas II (leads to Duma)

  • Bloody Sunday

    • Jan 22, 1905 200,000 workers and families carried a petition to the czar's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg - czar not there
    • Petition asked for better working conditions, more freedom, and an elected national legislature
    • Nicholas II's generals ordered soldiers to fire at the crowd
    • Over 3,000 people were wounded and several hundred killed *provoked violence that spread across the country, made people more mad at Czar Nicholas II (leads to Duma)

  • Establishment of the Duma

    • Russia's first parliament
    • Leaders were moderates who wanted Russia to become constitutional monarchy
    • Czar hesitant to share power to Duma dissolved *people never got more freedom

  • Death of Rasputin

    • During WWI, the czar moved headquarters so his wife Czarina Alexandra ran the government
    • Rasputin - "holy man", magical healing powers, born as a peasant, uneducated
    • She fell in love with Rasputin and let him make key political decisions because he saved her son from hemophilia
    • He opposed reforms and obtained powerful positions for friends
    • 1916 a group of nobles murdered him because they feared his role in government affairs

  • Russia's Participation in WWI (1914-1917)

    • 1914 - czar Nicholas II decided to enter Russia in the war
    • Russia not ready - unprepared to handle military and economic costs, weak generals and troops
    • czar at war - moved headquarters (wife in control) *Caused Russia 4 million deaths, injuries, or prisoners - blame on czar

  • Bolshevik Revolution

    Vladimir Lenin - leader of Bolshevik (Communist) Party, exiled during Nicholas II's rule, returns after - "Peace, Land, Bread" - leads Bolshevik (October) Revolution, creates Cheka (secret police)
    Soviets - favored Marxist Revolution, local govs
    *caused civil war because White Army (conservatives) wants to go back to imperialism so they are angry with Red Army (Bolshevik Party - communists)

  • Abdication of Czar Nicholas II / Est. of Provisional Government

    • czar and wife not able to handle war and damage caused by it
    • March revolution - 2,000 rioters and soldiers protested down the street for czar to abdicate throne
    • Nicholas II to steps down
    • Provisional Government replaced his rule - provisional: temporary, no rev changes *caused Bolshevik Revolution - people not happy with Provisional Government

  • Civil War (1918-1920)

    • White Army - democrats, socialists, want imperialism - united over defeat of Lenin - allies come in to stop communism
    • Red Army - Bolshevik revolution, lead by Trotsky, communists
    • 14 million Russians died in war and in famine that followed - left Russia in ruins *end of Bolshevik Revolution - establish USSR

  • Establishment of USSR

    • Bolshevik party thought nationalism was a threat to unity and loyalty
    • Lenin organized Russia into republics under the government - Russia renamed USSR
    • Bolshevik Party renamed Communist party - 1924 Communists created constitution based on socialist and democratic principles but communists had all power *Communists had total power which caused people to be angry

  • Stalin's Rise to Power (1922-1927)

    • 1922 - Lenin has stroke - opens up positions to rule communist party
    • Stalin and Trotsky competing
    • 1922 Stalin secretary of Communist Party and moved supports into power positions
    • 1924 Lenin dies - 1928 Stalin controlled Communist Party entirely
    • Stalin ruled Communist Party fully, exiled Trotsky

  • Lenin's Death

    • 1922 - Lenin has stroke but survives - opens up power position for Stalin who climbed to power quickly - Lenin thought Stalin was dangerous
    • 1924 - Lenin dies *gives Stalin full power to rule USSR as a dictator

  • Leon Trotsky's Exile

    • Lenin dies so Stalin has full power and exiled Trotsky because Trotsky trying to become head of Communist party - threat to Stalin *leaves Stalin with full power of Communist Party and to rule USSR