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THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917
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Causes of the Revolution Autocratic government gave no political outlet to the people Conservatism & incompetence of Tsar Nicholas II Embarrassing defeat in Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) Failure of 1905 Revolution Stillborn Duma Growth violent political opposition among factory workers
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Causes of the Revolution WW1 revealed the incompetence of the aristocrats and military Average soldier had little enthusiasm for the war Government was unable to properly supply the army or provide decent hospitals Russia suffered massive casualties leading to high rates of mutiny & desertion
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Causes of the Revolution Tsarina Alexandra was extremely conservative Guided by “holy man” Rasputin During the war Alexandra and Rasputin basically ran the government Scandals involving Rasputin discredited the entire monarchy Rasputin is assassinated in 1916
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March Revolution Mismanaged wartime economy led to rampant inflation and food shortages Cities flooded with refugees March 8-11, 1917: increasingly large demonstrations in Petrograd demanding bread and democracy Factory workers went on strike and joined Army was ordered to fire on the crowds but refused
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Provisional Government March 12: Duma established the Provisional Government March 15: Tsar Nicholas II abdicated Provisional Government headed by Prince Lvov and Alexander Kerensky Decided to carry on the war Favored gradual political and economic reforms and eventual land redistribution Little actual control of the country
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Petrograd Soviet Soviet: council of workers or workers Sprang up in army units, factories, villages and major cities Dominated by socialists and demanded radical change Petrograd Soviet Claimed to be the legitimate govt Urged Russians not to fight, work or pay taxes to the Provisional Government
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Vladimir Lenin Political terrorist Devoted to Marxism Helped found Bolshevik Party in 1902 Believed that a revolutionary vanguard must bring about revolution Dedicated to violent revolution Exiled to Switzerland before the war Germany allowed him safe passage to return to Russia in April 1917
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Lenin Steps Into the Vacuum March: PG releases all political prisoners April: Lenin arrives in Petrograd Preached a message of “Peace, Land, Bread” “All Power to the Soviets” “Worker Control of Production” Bolsheviks rapidly recruited workers and soldiers
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November Revolution Workers frustrated with the slow pace of reform Army tired of fighting desertions skyrocket Attempted army coup leads PG to arm the soviets to stop the coup Bolshevik membership grows 5 x in one year November 6-7: Bolshevik forces seize the Winter Palace in Petrograd and the PG flees Bolsheviks quickly move to consolidate control over the civil service, transportation and communications Army mostly joins the Bolshevik revolution
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November 1917 to March 1918 Duma is disbanded and replaced with a Council of People’s Commissars Private property abolished and divided among peasants Most factories entrusted to soviets Political police called the Cheka established Red Army created under command of Leon Trotsky Bolshevik Party renamed Communist Party Trotsky signs Treaty of Brest Litovsk to end the war
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Civil War Enemies of the Bolsheviks begin to organize a civil war against the new regime Opponents of the Bolsheviks are called the “Whites” Old aristocracy Liberals Moderate socialists 8 foreign countries intervene on the side of the Whites including France, Japan, Britain & US Minorities such as the Ukrainians, Poles, Finns and Georgians also fought against the Reds Lenin’s forces are called the “Reds”
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Civil War 1918 Kolchak invades from Siberia Balts and Finns attack from the west Ukrainians attack from the south Allies invade from the north Royal family is murdered 1919 Deniken invades from the south Poles attack from the west 1920 Reds defeat Deniken and retake Ukraine 1921 Reds reconquer Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan
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How did the Reds win? Reds controlled central Russia Whites were extremely politically divided Peasants feared that the Whites would take away their land Trotsky imposed strict military discipline on the Red Army Cheka terrorized any and all opponents of the regime Foreign intervention aroused Russian patriotism Communists made very effective use of propaganda Communists established firm control over the economy (war communism)
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New Economic Policy (NEP) By 1921 the economy was devastated and Western countries wouldn’t trade with Russia Forcing peasants to turn over their grain had led to unrest, hoarding and famine 1921: NEP allowed peasants to sell grain in a free market and keep profits Small businesses could be privately owned Grain production skyrocketed, prices came down, and famine ended 1922: Russia renamed “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”
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Changes to Russian society Govt tried to end the domination of ________________ Made it easier to _______________ Encouraged all women to get an education and enter the work force Established free ______________ Legalized ___________________ Govt encouraged educational and recreational clubs Govt tried to improve _____________ Campaigns to eradicate epidemic diseases Many doctors were trained and hospitals built ____________________ rose rapidly Say NO to the oppression and vacuity of household work!
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Changes to Russian society Equal rights were given to all ethnic and __________ groups Govt promoted ____________ Almost all churches and monasteries were closed and property confiscated Priests and monks were publically humiliated and/or sent to prison camps All schools were secularized _______________________ sporadically prohibited
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