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Russo-Japanese War
Japan challeneged Russia for power in Korea and Manchuria. Japan's armies defeated Russian troops in Manchuria and almost destroyed an entire Russian fleet. They made the Treaty of Portsmouth which entitled Japan to control Korea as well as rights in parts of Manchuria. -
Bloody Sunday
News of military disasters caused pent-up discontent created by years of oppression. Protesters poured into the streets and went on strike. As the crisis went on a young Orthodox priest organized a peaceful march for Sunday, January 22, 1905. They marched toward the tsar's Winter Palace. The tsar fled the palace and called in soldiers. As the marchers got closer to the square gunfire was shot. Hundreds of men and women were killed. This forever changed Russian's faith and trust in tsars. -
The Revolution of 1905
Discontent exploded across Russia in the months to follow "Bloody Sunday". Workers would take over local governments, peasants revolted and demanded land, terrorists targeted officials, and so on. Assassins were now looked upon as heroes among the Russian people. Nicholas II was forced to announce reforms. In the October Manifesto, he promised freedom of person, conscience, speech, assembly, and union. Nicholas agreed to summon a Duma. -
Russia Joins World War I
Germany declared war on Russia August 1st, 1914. Russia entered the war because of this and because of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. They wanted to defend the Slavik peoples in Serbia. -
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Gregory Rasputin
Nicholas II went to the front of of the battle line to take personal charge. He left tsarina in charge and she relied on Gregory Rasputin. He was an illiterate peasant and self-proclaimed holy-man. He was said to help the tsar's son who suffered from hemophilia. Rasputin's influene over Alexandra weakened confidence in goverenment. Fearing for the monarchy, a group of Russian nobles killed Rasputin on December 29, 1916. -
February/March Revolution of 1917
There werer disasters on the battle field caused by the tsar being as conpetent as many of his generals. On the home front there were food and fuel shortages which eventually brought the monarchy to a collapse. Workers were going on strike in St. Petersburg(later renamed Petrograd) and mainly women were marching through the streets yelling "Bread! Bread!" The troops refused to fire on the demonstrators. This eventually led to the tsar abdicating. -
The Abdication of the Tsar
The monarchy in Russia was brought to a collapse in March 1917. Troops began to refuse to fire and the government was helpless. This led to military and political leaders to tell the tsar to abdicate from his position. After this a provisioal government was set up. -
October/November Revolution of 1917
The provisioal government continued with war effort and failed to deal with land reform. Most Russians were tired of war and troops in the front were deserting in droves. Peasants wanted land and city workers demanded an end to the desperate shortages. During this time the army was said to be a huge crowd of tired, poorly clad, poorly fed, enbittered men. The peasants eventually seized land nad drove off their landlords. -
Russia Officially ends it involvement in WWI
At the end of the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin quickly sought peace with Germany. Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. This caused Russia to lose a huge chunk of its territory and population. The Russian withdrawal from World War 1 affected the hopes of the Allies and the Central Powers. -
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Russian Civil War
During the three years of the civil war Communists were known as The Reds and the counterrevolutionaries were known as The Whites. The Whites wanted to overthrow the Communists and put the tsar back on the throne. The Allies supported the Whites in their fight against the Reds and the Germans. Other countries sent their own troops to help the Whites. The Reds encouraged nationalism and urged the Russians to drive out the foreigners. Result: Communists win and Tsar and family killed. -
The Death of the Romanovs
After his abdication, Nicholas II and his family had been put under house arrest outside of St. Petersburg. During the civil war his family was sent to two different places to stay and ended up permanently staying inEkateringburg. Nicholas still had many supporters who wanted him on the throne and this would threaten Lenin. Ekateringburg was threatened by the Whites or Nicholas followers. The Bolsheviks decided they would kill Nicholas and his family. They were killed on July 17, 1918. -
Formation of the USSR
In 1922, LeninsCommunist government united a lot of the old Russian empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR). They produced a constitution that seemed both democratic and socialist. There was an elected legislature known as the Supreme Soviet. The Soviet Union was a multinational state made up of European and Asian peoples. The Communist party, not the people, reigned supreme. They used the army and the secret police to enforce its wills. Russia now dominated other republics. -
Lenin's Death and the Competition to Replace Him
Lenin died on January 21, 1924 at the age of 54. This death set off a power struggle among Communists leaders. The chief contenders were Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. They were total polar opposites. Stalin eventually isolated Trotsky within the pary and stripped him of party membership. A Stalinist agent murdered Trotsky in Mexico. Stalin had used ruthless measures to win dictatorial power in Russia.
