1. Russian Revolution

2. Goal of Today
The goal of today will be to look at the factors surrounding Russia leaving WWI. We also will look at the revolution.
Terms
Nicholas II
Rasputin
Reasons for Russia’s difficulties in WWI
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

3. By the 20th Century A major crisis was due and had to happen
Russia was an unfair society and needed social, economic and political reform.
WHY????

4. Political Nicholas II (tsar of Russia)– autocratic and ineffective
Ruled a country covering one-sixth of the earth’s total land surface
Massive personal wealth
Backed by an army of 1 million and secret police (OKHRANA)
Political parties banned – critics ended up in prison or exile
Press was censored

5. Yet Many Russians worshipped the Tsar and peasants
typically had a picture of the Tsar on a wall of their hut.

6. Alexandra and Alexei
The Tsar & His Family

7. SOCIAL

8. Russia was….. Only 40% ethnic Russians
80% were peasants – subsistence farmers
60%+ = illiterate
Life expectancy = 40
Low tech and low investment
Land ownership rare
Land owned by OBSCHINA (Commune)
It also organised taxes and allotted strips of land to each household

9. Peasants cont’d
Peasants could not leave the commune without the consent of the elders
Discipline and punishments harsh – even to exile in Siberia
Drought and crop failure common
1891 = famine + cholera and typhus = 400,000 dead
1890 – 64 % of peasants called up for military service were declared unfit.

10. Industrial and urban
Russia had grown industrially but living and working conditions were horrendous
Average working day was 14 hours
Trade unions banned but some strikes took place
Potential for hotbed of political activism

11. Unrest prior to 1905 The passivity of the Russian people had limits
May 1896 – riots in St. Petersburg
Street demonstrations in Rostov on Don
arson of manor houses in rural areas became commonplace
1904 – Viacheslav Plehve – Minister of the interior assassinated by Social Revolutionary

12. The 1905 revolution War with Japan Results Background
Tsar becomes more unpopular
Russia is humiliated
Government seen to be weak and incompetent
Conditions for the people get worse
price rises food shortages and unemployment
In 1904/05 Russia and Japan fought for control of Korea and Manchuria
The Tsar expected a quick victory
Russia suffered defeats on Land and sea. Japan destroyed the Russian Navy
War with
Japan

13. The 1905 Revolution Bloody Sunday Results Events
Jan ,00 unarmed workers march to the Winter Palace
Demands - Better living and working conditions - end to war - a parliament
Soldiers fire on crowd killing 500
Tsar undermined in the eyes of the people
Support grows for revolutionaries
set off a wave of riots, strikes and murders
Bloody Sunday

15. Results of 1905 Revolution The October Manifesto -
promise of freedom of speech, right to form political parties
Establish a Duma
No new laws without consent of the Duma
Broken Promises
Voting system was unfair rich had more influence than the poor
Duma had little influence over the Tsar and new laws
First two Dumas were dismissed for demanding reforms
Further changes introduced to excluded socialist

16. Part II: The February Revolution
1917
The fall of the Tsar

17. The impact of WWI Military Defeats
Russian army was big but poorly equipped. As many as one- fourth of the Russian solders had no weapons of their own so they were forced to pick up guns of dead soldiers
Transportation problems left many soldiers short on food
Lost two major battles in 1914
Caused loss of civilian and military morale
Tsar now held responsible for the defeats as he had taken charge of the army

18. Criticism of the Tsar
Poor military commander
Poor political leader
Left the Tsarina in charge of the government
Refused to accept advice from the Duma
Criticism if the Tsarina
Inexperienced and incompetent ruler
Under the influence of Rasputin
Unpopular because she was German
Impact of WWI
Role of Rasputin
Claimed to be a healer. Disliked by many yet held influence over both the Tsar and Tsarina

19. The Tsarina Alexandra relied on Rasputin to treat her hemophiliac son, Alexei.

20. In December 1916, Rasputin was assassinated by Prince Yssapov and others…

21. The Tsar with General Brusilov

22. Economic problems Over 15 million men joined the army
Impact WWI
Impact WWI
Economic problems
Over 15 million men joined the army
not enough workers in factories and farms
caused shortages of food and materials
Railway system very poor
could not supply the troops
could not supply the towns
food prices rose
Every day of fighting in 1915 required an expenditure of 25.7 million roubles. In 1916 this sum had jumped to 41.7 million roubles.

23. Impact WWI
Impact WWI
Social discontent
Food shortages and price rises caused widespread discontent
The war had seen the population move from the countryside to the cities
The cities soon became overcrowded and people lived in terrible conditions

24. Events of the Revolution 1917
Feb 22 20,000 steelworkers on strike
Feb 23 Women take to the streets to demonstrate
Feb 25 Now over half of Petrograd is on strike
Feb 26 Tsar orders troops to fire on crowds- 40 killed

25. Events of the Revolution
Feb 26 Tsar closes the Duma
Feb 27 Soldiers mutiny and establish the Petrograd Soviet with workers and sailors
Feb 28 Tsar returns to Petrograd
March 1 Tsar loses support of army
March 2 Tsar abdicates
March 3 Grand Duke Michael refuses throne

26. Crowds shouted “Down with the Tsar
Crowds shouted “Down with the Tsar.” And, most important, the imperial troops refused to fire on the rioters.

27. Results of February revolution
The Provisional Government
1. A 12 member government led by Kerensky
2. Planned to rule until elections could be held
Dual Government
The Petrograd Soviet
A council of 2,500 deputies.
Determined to share power with the Provisional Government

28. On March 17, 1917, Russia became a republic, and the 300 year old Romanov Dynasty came to and end. The Royal Family was held at their residence, then a year later, they were assassinated at Ekaterinburg, Siberia

29. So How Was the War Going…

30. In July 1917, a new offensive was mounted against the Germans---but the Germans struck back, hard.

31. The Provincial Government also promised wholesale re-distribution of land to the peasants
Things fell apart: the armies at the front “melted away” and made their way home to make sure they got their share of this land redistribution.

32. The Petrograd Soviet opposed the war, and called for its immediate end.

33. Vladimir Lenin arrived in Petrograd on April 3, 1917 aboard a sealed train that had taken him from Switzerland through Germany. At the Finland Station he issued a speech denouncing both positions and demanding the elimination of dual power by the transfer of "all power to the soviets."

34. October 1917 – The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power in Russia and began the communist revolution.

35. · Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk March 3 1918 with Germany and dropped out of the war.
· Germany then sent their troops on the Eastern Front to the Western Front.