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Russian Marxists Split
Russian Marxists split into two groups, the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks, over how they wanted to handle revolutionary tactics. The Bolsheviks were brutal radicals that would do anything for change, while the Mensheviks were more moderate and wanted support from the people. This event would ensure that the radical revolutionaries would have influence in the future society. -
Russo-Japanese War
Russia and Japan had signed agreements over territories in Korea and Manchuria, however Russia broke them. Japan was infuriated, attacked a Russian port in Manchuria, and completely destroyed the Russians. A severe loss was suffered, sparking the build up of unrest that would lead to a revolution. -
Bloody Sunday
About 200,000 workers marched to the czar's Winter Palace with a petition demanding more rights. The generals had called for the soldiers to fire on the crowd, wounding over a thousand people. This had provoked a wave of violent strikes as the people became more irritated with the Czar's decisions. -
Russia Enters WWI
Russia was dragged into World War I by Czar Nicholas II, but it was severely unprepared both militarily and economically to handle the costs. The German army had destroyed the Russian army, it was the final straw for the people at home, everyone wanted change. Together these people were united for one thing, a change in rule, this anger and hatred would be the leading cause of revolt. -
March Revolution
Women textile workers went on strike and riots over shortages of bread occurred in the next few days. The protests turned into an uprising that forced Czar Nicholas II to abdicate the throne. This left an opening for a new power to rise up and create a better society for the working people. -
Provisional Government Established
After the Czarist rule fell, a temporary government was formed and led by Alexander Kerensky. Kerensky had decided to continue the war effort and both soldiers and civilians became outraged. A sense of hatred kept piling up and people started to become more radical, they started forming their own groups, and took their lives into their own hands. -
Lenin Returns
The Germans had sent Lenin back to Russia. They had believed that he and his supporters would become a problem and prevent Russia from fighting against Germany. With the return of Lenin, there was now a person willing to ruthlessly push for reforms to help better the society. -
Bolshevik Takeover
Armed factory workers who called themselves the Bolshevik Red Guards stormed the winter palace in Petrograd. They took over government offices and arrested the leaders of the provisional government. The temporary government fell very quickly and the Bolsheviks proved they had the power to takeover and rule. -
Russian Civil War
Opponents of the Bolsheviks formed the White Army, the army was only united by their desire to defeat the Bolsheviks, but they were terrible at cooperating with each other. The Bolshevik Red Army easily defeated the White Army, but it was one of the most deadly as around 14 million Russians had died. The war had left Russia in chaos, but the Bolsheviks proved they could maintain the power they took, leaving them as the supreme power over Russia. -
Lenin Suffered a Stroke
In 1922, Lenin had suffered a serious stroke, but didn't die. However, he lost many of his supporters due to the weakness he showed. This medical event had led to a rise in other competition for leading the new communist party, eventually giving way to a brutal dictator.
