Russian revolution

The Russian Revolution

By mmcdonald
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    Reign of Czar Alexander III

    • Alexander III was a very conservative leader who kept using autocracy, censored documents, and micro-managed the government.
    • Halted all reforms in Russia.
    • Wanted to create race and religion unity.
    • He contributed to the Revolution because radical and moderate groups did not like the way he was ruling.
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    Reign of Czar Nicholas II

    • He continued the tradition of autocracy, and helped move Russia forward.
    • Outlawed trade unions, so workers organized strikes, which eventually turned into revolutions.
    • Continued to make people unhappy, and they revolted against him.
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    Russo-Japanese War

    • Russia and Japan signed a series of agreements over Korea and Manchuria, but Russia broke them, so Japan attacked at Port Arthur, Manchuria, and the Russians kept losing.
    • Japan wins; adds to Czar Nicholas' negative rep.
    • Revolts broke out when people learned of the losses and a proof of weakness.

  • Establishment of the Duma

    Establishment of the Duma
    • Established after the revolts from Bloody Sunday.
    • Elected Legislature, that limited Czar's power.
    • He did it to try to please the people.
    • They were somewhat appeased, but he really was still holding power.

  • Bloody Sunday

    Bloody Sunday
    • Workers and their families approached the czar's Winter Palace and petitioned for better working conditions, more freedom, and the Czar told his soldiers to fire on the crowd.
    • 100 killed, 3,000 injured.
    • Czar wasn't even there.
    • This caused revolts with the angry citizens and added to Nicholas' negative reputation.
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    Russia's participation in WWI

    • Nicholas II dragged Russia into WWI, and went to the war front to fight. Left rule to his wife.
    • They began to lose many troops and the war revealed the weaknesses of Czar leadership causing people to get upset, leading to revolts.
    • Russian soldiers mutinied, deserted, or ignored orders, causing the revolution to break out.

  • Death of Rasputin

    Death of Rasputin
    • Rasputin was a self proclaimed "holy man" who seemed to ease Czarina Alexandra's son's symptoms of hemophilia. He was a peasant who was uneducated.
    • She allowed him to make key political decisions.
    • He opposed reform efforts and made his friends have high political positions, and eventually a group of nobles murdered him after several tries.
    • They were unhappy with the decisions that were being made, so eventually the Romanov family was killed.

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

    Abdication of Czar Nicholas II/est. of Provisional Government
    • The series of events that did not go well for the czar erupted into a revolution, and he was forced to step down.
    • WWI caused losses of men, resources, and losses altogether.
    • People were still angry about Bloody Sunday.
    • The provisional government was supposed to be temporary.
      • It was unpopular because they kept fighting in WWI.
    • Vladimir Lenin returns when the provisional gov is formed, and he appealed to the people with communism.
    • Lenin created Cheka (secret police)
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    Bolshevik Revolution

    • Lenin ends Russia's involvement in WWI, but gives up some land to Germany, which angers some.
    • The provisional gov fell.
    • The Bolsheviks took power.
    • Leaders saw nationalism as a threat so Lenin organized Russia into several self-governing states under a central republic. (the USSR)
    • Ends when the Bolsheviks win the civil war.
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    Civil War

    • Bolsheviks (Red Army) vs. White Army
    • White army was diverse, but they were united by the desire to defeat the Bolsheviks. (Conservatives, Allied powers)
    • Ultimately the Bolsheviks won.
    • The White army was not united, so they could not crush the Red army, but the Bolsheviks held the industrialized areas, so they were better equipped.
    • This overlapped with the Bolshevik revolution, which caused the USSR to form.
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    Stalin's Rise to Power

    • By 1928, Stalin had complete control over the Communist Party.
    • In 1929, Trotsky was forced into exile.
    • With no threat, Stalin led as a dictator.
    • He controlled many aspects of people's lives.
    • Women had greater roles in society.

  • Establishment of USSR

    Establishment of USSR
    • Established by Lenin in 1922.
    • In 1937, Stalin launched the Great Purge, which eliminated Bolsheviks and people who were supposed traitors to the USSR.
    • His government had control over everything that the public saw, especially newspapers, radio, and other sources of information.
    • The USSR brought poverty to many people, and hurting the economy of Russia.

  • Lenin's Death

    Lenin's Death
    • Lenin suffered a stroke in 1922, and the Communist party began looking for a new leader to replace Lenin when he died.
    • The two options were Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin.
    • Before he died, Lenin expressed concerns about Stalin as the leader.
    • Stalin was a very harsh leader who ruled every part of life.

  • Leon Trotsky's Exile

    Leon Trotsky's Exile
    • Stalin exiled Trotsky to Mexico, and later had a Mexican kill him with an ice pick.
    • With Leon Trotsky no longer a threat, Stalin had nothing holding him back from doing whatever he wanted, whether it be good or bad.