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Russo-Japanese War
This war began to highlight the general discontent of the Russian people with the tsar and his government. These grievances became more and more prominent as time went on, and it helped to fuel the Russian Revolution. WEBSITE -
Bloody Sunday at the Winter Palace
This massacre on protesters caused more anger towards Nicholas II, and showed how the government wasn't willing to change the way it was being run even though their people demanded action. An attempt at reform was made by Nicholas after the massacre, but it was largely unsuccessful, which allowed for more socialist ideas to spread. WEBSITE -
October Manifesto
This was created in response to Bloody Sunday, and allowed for a national parliament to be formed (the Duma), which was greeted with satisfaction by many socialist activists. This helped to cool some of the tension that was growing throughout Russia. However, this ultimately didn't work and many revolutionaries saw it as a way for the tsar to get rid of revolutionaries. WEBSITE -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Ultimately kick-started World War I. Because of various alliances throughout Europe, the almost the entire continent quickly declared war with one another, which is what made the war so great. WEBSITE -
Effect of the Start of World War I in Russia
The Russians were largely unprepared to enter the war, and this caused a large amount of discontent as it caused poverty, starvation, and general misery among the Russian people. This discontent helped to make the communist/socialist viewpoint more attractive to many people living in these awful conditions. WEBSITE -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia after ensuring their alliance with Germany was secure. In the following days, the rest of the European countries involved in WWI had entered the war. WEBSITE -
First Battle of the Marne
This was the first significant victory for the allies, where they defeated the Germans. It also ended the allies' hope for a speedy end to the war. WEBSITE -
Second Battle of Ypres
The first battle with the use of chemical weapons. Germany used chlorine gas on the allied soldiers, which cause painful deaths and choking. WEBSITE -
Battle of Verdun
One of the deadliest battles of WWI, and was meant to cause large amounts of casualties for the French. This battle lasted several months, and caused a huge amount of damage throughout the French countryside. WEBSITE -
First Battle of Somme
One of the largest and deadliest battle of WWI. The British were also able to improve some of their tactics, but still suffered massive losses. WEBSITE -
March Revolution
Began as a protest of people asking for bread, and eventually led to a conflict between the protesters and police. In response to the unrest, Nicholas II abdicated from the throne, and a provisional government was formed. WEBSITE -
Americans Enter the War
After the interception of the Zimmerman telegram, the United States joins the war on the side of the allies. This was a turning point in the war, and helped the allies to achieve victory. WEBSITE -
Kornilov Affair
This "affair" was the failed attempt of General Kornilov to take over the provisional government. He wanted a return to before the revolution, and had very traditional views. Despite ultimately failing, this showed that the provisional government was weak and flawed. WEBSITE -
Bolshevik Revolution
Lenin and his supporters took over the provisional government and formed the world's first communist government. This is significant because it shows the definite end of the monarchy in Russia. WEBSITE -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
One of Lenin's promises as he rose to power was go get Russia out of WWI. The involvement of Russia in the war was extremely unpopular among the people, which made Lenin's promise attractive. Russia lost territory, which Lenin didn't like, but the Russian people were finally out of a war that was disastrous to their people. WEBSITE -
Second Battle of the Marne
This was the last major German offensive battle of the war. After the Germans lost the battle, this showed that the Germans were becoming more and more weak, and that the war would likely soon be over. WEBSITE -
Execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family
The deaths of the tsar and his family brought an end to the Romanov dynasty, and also brought the definite end to monarchy in Russia. With the former tsar dead, it would be less likely for him to somehow regain power, which was still a (very unlikely) possibility while he and his family were alive. WEBSITE -
Treaty of Versailles
Created strict punishment for Germany, which caused economic hardships and general anger towards the rest of Europe. These problems created the perfect environment for a dictator to rise to power in, which is what happened with Hitler. He then used this anger to start World War I in the 1940s. WEBSITE -
League of Nations Formed
This was outlined in Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points, but the US did not join. Because the country who suggested the formation of this organization didn't join, the league ultimately was unsuccessful and was unable to prevent World War II.
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Official Formation of the Soviet Union
The formation of the Soviet Union brought general order to a country that had been in governmental turmoil for decades. The Soviet Union was able to become one of the world's most powerful countries, and was the first communist state. WEBSITE
