-
Revolution of 1905 and the October Manifesto
The Revolution of 1905 resulted from rising discontent amongst the population with the Tsar, chiefly due to the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. On Jan 22, 1905, the Revolution officially began. The October Manifesto declared a constitutional monarchy, meant to appease the public, and maintain some level of authority for the tsar. [Picture] The crowd celebrates the deliverance of the October Manifesto in Petrograd. -
Czar Nicholas II takes sole control of military operations
To improve morale and end Russia's string of defeats, Tsar Nicholas II travels to the front to take control of the military in September 1915, leaving the Tsarina in control of Russia. The plan fails however, Russia continues to lose soldiers and lad, and eventually, the people lose faith in the Czar and he is forced to abdicate. [Picture] Nicholas II command troops. -
Beginning of WW1
Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which Austria-Hungary takes as a reason to declare war on July 28, 1914, after having received a declaration of unconditional support from Germany. German involvement leads to the involvement of Russia, Great Britain, and eventually escalates into a “world war”. [Picture] Archduke Ferdinand assassinated. -
Brusilov Offensive
The attack was organized by General Alexei Brusilov and wound up forcing Austria-Hungary to withdraw from the war. This was overshadowed by the ultimate failure of the offensive. The lives and resources the attack had consumed led to an increase in dissension and desertion rates and drove the revolution. [Picture] Fatigued Russian troops fighting in the Brusilov Offensive demonstrated the downside of the attack. -
Assassination of Rasputin
The people of Russia were becoming fed up with Tsarina Alexandra, specifically how much she was being influenced by the monk Grigori Rasputin in her ruling of Russia while Nicholas II was commanding the military. On December 30, 1916, Rasputin was shot by three nobles. [Picture] The room in which Rasputin is killed. The man is the Noble-assassin. -
Provisional Government formed
Following the 1905 revolution and October Manifesto, Tsar Nicholas II allowed a provisional government to be established on March 2, 1917. The Dumas were meant to appease the general public and prevent a peasant revolution due to discontent with autocratic rule, while at the same time allowing the Tsar to retain power. [Picture] A Duma assembly. -
International Women’s Day March in Petrograd
Women in Petrograd had been left as the sole providers for their families as husbands and sons were called to fight the war, and they could no longer feed their families. Thousands of women, mainly textile workers, began a general strike on March 8, 1917, taking to the streets to demand bread. This event sparked the beginning of the February-March revolutions. [Picture] Women marching in Petrograd. -
Nicholas II Abdicates
Tsar Nicholas II abdicated after a failed plan to take control of the military and bring Russia a win. Russia continued losing money, soldiers, and land, and the people quickly lost faith in the Tsar’s leadership, feeling he cared more about war than about them. He abdicates and goes into exile on March 15, 1917. [Picture] After his abdication, the Romanovs go into exile in Siberia. -
April Theses published
Though the April Theses was originally published on April 7, 1917, Lenin announced his Theses to the Russian public on April 16, the day of his return to Russia. The document included 10 points which included renouncing the Provisional Government, withdrawing from the “imperialist” WWI, and establishing a Marxist revolution. [Picture] Lenin declaring his April Theses to the public, when he called for a proletarian revolution. -
Return of Lenin from exile
Lenin returned to Russia on April 16, 1917, following a decade of exile. During his time in western Europe, Lenin planned to transform Russia into an ideal state for the working class. Germany assisted in returning Lenin to Russia in hopes that he would end Russia’s involvement in WWI. Lenin was able to take advantage of Russia’s instability during the 1971 revolution to return. [Picture] Taken the day of Lenin’s return, this car is where Lenin declared “peace, bread, and land!”. -
First All-Russian Congress of Soviets meets
The assembly was formed by the National Conference of the Soviets and met on June 16th, 1917 in Petrograd. It was dominated by Social Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, and Bolsheviks. It became the governing force of Russia. [Picture] The first gathering of the All-Russian Congress, attended by delegates of several parties. -
July Days
A spontaneous uprising in July 3rd through July 20th, 1917. The uprising failed since Soviet and Bolshevik leaders were unprepared to seize control. The Bolsheviks were blamed for the event and were forced to flee Russia. [Picture] A depiction of street fighting and demonstrators fleeing, showing the lack of support demonstrators had from either Bolsheviks or Soviets. -
Kornilov Affair
Occurred in August 1917 when Kornilov planned to overtake the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government overheard plans for the attack and called upon the Bolsheviks, who prevented the uprising, for help. This exposed the weakness of the Provisional Government. [Picture] The Red Guard assisted in preventing the Kornilov Revolt. -
Trotsky organizes Red Guard to defend Petrograd
The Red Guards were formed in March 1917 following the February Revolution. The state military has largely disbanded, so a military force was necessary. The group was made up of workers and peasants. Trotsky organized the Red Guard to defend Petrograd on October 25, 1917. [Picture] Trotsky, the leader of the Red Guards, addressing the Red Guards. -
Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government and take control
October 26, 1917; the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government, led by Alexander Kerensky. Very few casualties occurred. The Sovnarkom, created by Vladimir Lenin, then declared itself authority over Russia. [Picture] Lenin’s forces marching in Petrograd before the October Revolution, October 25, 1917. -
Cheka formed
December 7, 1917; The Commission for Suppression of Counter-Revolution, more commonly known as the Cheka, was a secret police utilized by the Bolsheviks. It had great authority to hunt and execute enemies of the Bolsheviks, such as class enemies, members of other political parties, and religious groups. The Cheka was led by Felix “Iron” Dzerzhinsky. [Picture] Bolsheviks executing counter-revolutionaries. -
Constituent Assembly meets and is disbanded
January 5, 1918; After the November elections, Bolsheviks were only 24%, right SRs 41%, showing the Bolsheviks did not have popular support. After meeting on January 5, 1918, and rejecting Lenin’s proposals, the assembly was forcibly removed by armed Bolsheviks. [Picture] Votes and seats in constituent assembly by party. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
December 1917 negotiations. February 1918, Trotsky walked out; Lenin made them return, to make peace however possible, and on March 3, 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland gained independence. Russia lost ⅙ of its population (62 million), 2 million square miles of land, ⅓ of its agriculture, 26% of railroads, and 74% of its iron and coal. This caused more opposition to Lenin. [Picture] The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. -
Wartime Communism created
June 1918-March 1921; War communism introduced during the Russian Civil War, a centralized command economy. Railways, shipping, and factories were nationalized under Bolsheviks. December 1919 the Vesenkha economy council was formed and enforced work and grain requisition, through passports and punishing unproductive workers. By 1921, industrial output was 20% pre-war and harvest 48%. Later replaced by the NEP. [Picture] Carrying two dead, result of famine in October 1921 in Volga. -
Red Terror
September 1918-October 1921; Red Terror used by the Cheka to terrorize and execute political and class enemies during the Russian Civil War. Half a million shot from 1918-1921. 500 SRs and Menshevik “traitors” were shot in Petrograd. 1918, Sovnarkom allowed Cheka to pursue the family of suspected traitors. Priests, Jews, Catholics, and Muslims were targeted. Many false confessions were made under torture by the Cheka. [Picture] Anti-Bolshevik propaganda showing sacrifice to Marxism. -
Kolchak (one of the White leaders) begins serious attacks against Reds from Siberia
March 1919 triple offensive; For Whites, the Siberian army had 52,000 men, the Western army (attacking to the North) had 48,000 men, and the cossacks (attacking the South) had 12,000 men. The Reds had a total of 111,000 men in a centralized position. On March 4, 1919, the Whites, under Kolchak, began their attack and pushed the Reds back, when they were met with a counterattack. By 1920, the Bolsheviks had the upper hand. [Picture] Kolchak with British officers on the Eastern front. -
Poles move toward Kiev
April 24-June 13, 1920: The Poland army led by Józef Piłsudski and the Ukraine leader Symon Petliura attempted to seize the territory of modern Ukraine after it became a part of the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik Revolution. [Picture] Antoni Listowski and Symon Petliura following an alliance with the Poles. -
Soviets attempt to take Warsaw
August 12-25, 1920: This was a battle where the Polish were being attacked by the Red Army. Poland almost lost, however, they came back and crushed the Red Army. [Picture] Polish soldiers displaying captured Soviet battle flags after the battle. -
Tambov Rebellion
19 August 1920–June 1921: The Tambov rebellion was organized by Alexander Antonov. This rebellion was one of the best peasant-organized rebellions during the Russian Civil War which challenged the Bolshevik Government. This rebellion resulted through the forced confiscation of grain. The Red Army soldiers brutally suppressed the rebellion by mass killing peasants. [Picture] Alexander Antonov in the center, surrounded by his staff. -
Kronstadt uprising
March 1-18, 1921: This was an insurrection of the Soviet soldiers against the single party Bolshevik regime. The sailors demanded to bring back other political parties and they wanted freedom of speech and press as well. This disobedience shocked Lenin, he set Red Army soldiers to attack the sailors in 3 different directions by surrounding them on the ice. [Picture] The Red Army laying in ice caps to surround the Kronstadt to suppress the rebellion. -
Ending of Wartime Communism
March 1921: Lenin decided to stop the requisitioning of grain and to introduce the New Economic Plan. The NEP included the addition of bridled capitalism and allowed free trade within the Soviets. [Picture] Peasants requisitioning less grain than before due to the installation of the New Economic Plan. -
Treaty of Rapallo
April 16th, 1922: Was an agreement between Germany and Russia that renounced all financial and territorial gains that were compromised after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and World War 1. [Picture] Chancellor of Germany Joseph Wirth with the Russian delegation. -
Ukraine brought under Soviet control
December 1922; Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic went under Soviet control, in December 1922, when Russia officially became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union). It had a population of 25.5 million. This occurred after the 1920 Treaty signed between Russia and Ukraine already establishing their unity. [Picture] Bolshevik ministers (commissars) meeting in Ukraine. -
Formation of Soviet Union
December 30, 1922: A treaty between Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Transcaucasia formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This newly established political party was led by Lenin and controlled the government. [Picture] The signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR. -
Lenin dies
January 21, 1924: He died at the age of 53 of a massive stroke. He had a lavish funeral. Joseph Stalin took over as the next leader of the Soviet Union. [Picture] Lenin in his casket resting peacefully.