-
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese war was the first war of the 20th century, it was a conflict carried on by force of arms between nations. When the war broke out between Russia and Japan, Nicholas II called on his people to fight for "the faith, the Tsar, and the Fatherland." Despite all the efforts they put towards the war, the Russians suffered one humiliating defeat after another. The Russians were poorly organized and the Japanese defeated them in a series of battles on the land and at sea. -
Bloody Sunday
Though the streets of St. Petersburg marchers went towards Tsar's winter Palace while chanting prayers and singing hymns while some carried holy icons and pictures of Tsar. Fearing the marchers, Tsar called in soldiers and suddenly gunfire rang out. Hundreds of men and women fell dead or wounded. The slaughter marked a turning point for Russia and killed the people's faith and trust inTsar. -
Revolution of 1905
The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a time of mass political and social unrest that spread through many areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, as others were directed to other parts of the economy. It included terrorism, worker strikes, peasant unrest, and burned houses of landowners. Tsar Nicholas II set up the Duma and other reforms in order to end the violence. Despite reforms, consequences were inequality and repression still remained. -
Russia Joins WW1
Russia joined WW1 with the largest army in the world, in August, 1914 they had 1,400,000 soldiers. Russia became involved in WW1 because Seria, an allie of Russia was attacked and accused of an assassination by Austria-Hungary. About 15 million served in the Russian Army during the First World War. Casualties totalled an estimated 1.8 million killed, 2.8 million wounded and 2.4 million taken prisoner. -
Grigory Rasputin
Nicholas II took charge and left domestic affairs o the tsarina, Alexandra. In Nicholas' absence, Alexandra rlied on the advice of Gregory Rasputin. The tsarina came to believe that Raputin had miraculous powers after he helped her son of whom suffered from hemophilia. Rasputin's influence over Alexandra had reached new heights and weakened confidence in the government. Fearing for the monarchy, a group of Russian nobles killed Rasputin on December 29, 1916. -
February Revolution, 1917
In the February Revolution of 1917, strikes and riots erupted in Petrograd. Angry crowds protested the war and the shortage of food. When the protests began to spread, military action was put down. Troops refused to fire the demonstrators, leaving the government helpless. Finally, on the advice of military, and political leaders, the Tsar abdicated. Leaders of the Duma set up the Provisional Government that was powerless. -
The Abdication of the Tsar
Tsar Nicholas gave up his power of the throne just a week after the Petrograd roits of the March Revolution. This brought many consequences for Russia. Leaders of the Duma set up a Provisional Government with freedom of speech and religion and written laws. However, the new government proved powerless, angered peasants and lost much support by continuing the war with Germany. -
November Revolution, 1917
In November 1917, squads of Red Guards armed factory workers joined sailors from the Russian fleet to attack the provisional government. Soon afer, Lenin's forces overthrew the provisional government without a struggle. The November Revolution brought the Bolsheviks to power. -
Russia offically ends its Involvement in WW1
Russia's involvement in the war with Germany ended on March 3, 1918 with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.Russia pulled out of World War l because Lenin and the Bolsheviks had promised that they would end Russia's involvement in the war. Lenin tried to drag the peace negotiations out hoping Germany would surrender, but it didn't. Germany caught on and Lenin had to sign a quick peace treaty or Germany would have conquered Russia militarily and replaced the Bolshevik government. -
Russian Civil War
Lenin sought peace with Germany after the Bolsheviks Revolution. Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March of 1918. With the treaty being signed, they gave up a huge part of it's territory and population. The cost to have peace was extremely high but they knew it needed to be done. For three years, Civil War raged between the communists and the counter revolutionarys also known as the Reds and Whites. -
The Death of the Romanovs
The Romanov family was murdered at Ekateringburg on July 17th, 1918. In the summer of the 1918, Ekateringburg was threatened by the advancing Whites. The decision was taken by the Bolsheviks to kill Nicholas and his Romanov family. The family was awoken and led to the basement because they told them they would be safer down there.12 Red Army soldiers shot them down there. Lenin defeated his major problem of Russia and now had all the power. -
Formation of the USSR
In 1922, Lenin's Communist Government united much of the old Russian empire into the USSR. The Communists produced a constitution that seemed both Democratic and Socialist. In the end, the Communists won control over the whole Russian empire. Also in 1922. they reorganized Russia into a union of four republics called the Union of Soviets Socialist Republics also known as the USSR. -
Lenin's Death & The Competition to Replace him
The death of Lenin in 1924 set off a power struggle among communist leaders. Joseph Stalin and Trostsky were the Chief contenders. Trostsky was a brilliant Marxist thinker, a skillful speaker and an architect of Bolshevik Revolution. While Stalin was a shrewd political operator and behind-the-scenes organizer. Stalin went to great measures in competition for Lenin's stop. In 1940, a Stalinist agent murdered Trotsky.
