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Marxists Split
The Marxists, started in Russia with Georgy Plekhanov, believed that proletariat, workers, would someday overthrow the czar and rule he government. They split into the Mensheviks who were more modrate and wanted lots of popular support and the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin who were more radical and wanted a small number of very committed revolutionaries. This allowed there to be yet another revolutionary group in the fight to win power in Russia. -
Russo-Japanese War
After years of battling for control over Korea and Manchuria, Russia and Japan made an aggreement which Russia later broke. This led Japan to attack the Russians at Port Arthur, Manchuria which led to a war. Since Russia did not do so well in this war Russians became less confidence in their leadership and tensions were building. -
Bloody Sunday
Around 200,000 workers and their families marched on the czar's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg because they wanted better working conditions, an elected national legislature, and more personal freedom. Nicholas II's soldiers shot into the crowd killing several hundred and wounding over 1,000. This lead to many other strikes and violence. -
March Revolution
Women textile workers organized a citywide strike in Petrograd in which many other people joined in because there was a shortage of bread and fuel also they were angry with their involvement in World War I. Even the soldiers ordered to shoot at them joined. It was so powerful that it forced Nicholas II out of his throne ending czarist rule in Russia. -
Civil War
Many people who did not like the Bolshevik government formed a White Army to go against the Red Army. Leon Trotsky commanded the Red Army very well proving that the Bolsheviks can get and maintain power. About 14 million Russians died from the war and the following famine. -
The Provisional Government is created
Alexander Kerensky led the provisional government and kept them in World War I which greatly decreased his support. Soviets, local councils of workers, peasants, and soldiers, had greater power than the provisional government in some cities. Conditions greatly decreased in Russia during this time. -
Rise of Bolshevik Power
Armed factory workers, who called themselves the Bolshevik Red Guards, stormed the Winter Palace in Retrograd. They arrested the leaders of the provisional government and took the government offices claiming Bolshevik rule. This is yet another example of people overthrowing the government. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
This treaty ended Russia's involvement in World War I, but, it also gave a large part of Russian territory to Germany and it's allies. People blamed this humiliation on the Bolshevik government. It fueled the fighting passion against the Bolsheviks. -
New Economic Policy
Lenin changed to a small version of capitalism called the New Economic Policy. It allowed small businesses to operate under private ownership and peasants to sell their surplus crops. This new policy shifted Russia more away from communism. -
Stalin gained total control
In 1924 Vladimir Lenin died which allowed Stalin, who was already General Secretary of the Communist Party, to become the leader of the USSR. Trotsky was forced into exile in 1929 to get rid of Stalin's competitors. With Stalin in power the Soviet Union came into a phase of terror and death.
