Revolutions in the Romanov Empire,

Romanov Empire before WWI Social cleavages:  urban society versus ruling elite  working class versus all elites  City versus countryside  Peasants  Overpopulation  land poor  Nicholas II unwilling to reform Social cleavages:  urban society versus ruling elite  working class versus all elites  City versus countryside  Peasants  Overpopulation  land poor  Nicholas II unwilling to reform

Tsar Nicholas II and family

Russia during the war  Front experience  Soldiers radicalized  Increasingly refused to fight  Home front  impoverished (food and clothing supply)  Tsar and his government losing war and legitimacy  KEY: Summer 1915 Nicholas decided to go to the front  Tsarina Aleksandr  Rasputin  Front experience  Soldiers radicalized  Increasingly refused to fight  Home front  impoverished (food and clothing supply)  Tsar and his government losing war and legitimacy  KEY: Summer 1915 Nicholas decided to go to the front  Tsarina Aleksandr  Rasputin

February (1917) Revolution February 23 (March 8), 1917: International Women’s Day Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Women joined by locked-out workers Police over-reacted Revolution broke out March 2 (15), 1917: Tsar Nicholas II abdicates. March 3 (16): Mikhail declines the throne. February 23 (March 8), 1917: International Women’s Day Petrograd (St. Petersburg) Women joined by locked-out workers Police over-reacted Revolution broke out March 2 (15), 1917: Tsar Nicholas II abdicates. March 3 (16): Mikhail declines the throne.

Dual Power, March-October Petrograd Soviet:  Grass-roots organization  Workers  Soldiers  Radical left parties:  Bolsheviks  Mensheviks  Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) 1. Petrograd Soviet:  Grass-roots organization  Workers  Soldiers  Radical left parties:  Bolsheviks  Mensheviks  Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs)

Petrograd Soviet

Dual Power (cont.) 2. Provisional Government (official government)  Middle classes, urban dwellers  Liberal democratic parties  Prince Lvov  Aleksandr Kerensky  Mistakes: Continued the war effort Refused to give land to peasants Failed to solve food supply problem 2. Provisional Government (official government)  Middle classes, urban dwellers  Liberal democratic parties  Prince Lvov  Aleksandr Kerensky  Mistakes: Continued the war effort Refused to give land to peasants Failed to solve food supply problem

Provisional Government

Peasant Revolutions Seized: Land Forest Fought over the spoils Localism Seized: Land Forest Fought over the spoils Localism

October (1917) Revolution Bolsheviks V.I. Lenin L. Trotsky Marxists Tightly organized Led and followed the masses Slogans: “Bread, Peace, Land!” “All Power to the Soviets!” Bolsheviks V.I. Lenin L. Trotsky Marxists Tightly organized Led and followed the masses Slogans: “Bread, Peace, Land!” “All Power to the Soviets!”

V.I. Ulianov, a.k.a. LENIN,

LEON TROTSKY (born Lev D. Bronstein),

Civil War, Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government Most applauded All-Socialist Coalition Government Lenin refused January 1918: Constituent Assembly March 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government Most applauded All-Socialist Coalition Government Lenin refused January 1918: Constituent Assembly March 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Civil War (cont.)  Reds (pro-Bolshevik troops)  Whites (anti-Bolsheviks from SRs to Army officers)  Greens (peasant insurgents)  Nationalists  Western Allies  Reds (pro-Bolshevik troops)  Whites (anti-Bolsheviks from SRs to Army officers)  Greens (peasant insurgents)  Nationalists  Western Allies

Civil War (cont.) Why did the Bolsheviks win? Strategic, industrial center Red Army (Trotsky) Peasants’ and workers’ support Whites on periphery lacked unity refused to cooperate with nationalists Why did the Bolsheviks win? Strategic, industrial center Red Army (Trotsky) Peasants’ and workers’ support Whites on periphery lacked unity refused to cooperate with nationalists

Civil War (cont.) Nationalists on periphery lacked unity popular support Peasants poorly organized local concerns Sometimes supported Reds “Soviet Power” (local power) Nationalists on periphery lacked unity popular support Peasants poorly organized local concerns Sometimes supported Reds “Soviet Power” (local power)

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics