CAUSES OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

BACKGROUND : RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Economically behind the West (unindustrialized) Russia is controlled by Czar Nicholas II 1904- Russia at war with Japan (Russo-Japanese War) Horrible loss for Russia 1905- Revolution within the monarchy Creates Duma (aka Parliament)

BACKGROUND : RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Created peace alliance with France & Great Britain Dragged into WWI Army ill led and underfed Suffered heavy losses (3 million more than any country)

BACKGROUND : RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Leaves Petrograd to lead army in WWI Czarina Alexandra is left in charge (German) Has questionable “friendship” with Gregory Rasputin

GREGORY RASPUTIN Illiterate peasant Self-proclaimed holy man Was reputed as a ‘healer’ Czarina came to believe in his power after he helped her son While Nicholas II was away, he heavily influenced Czarina’s decisions for Russia Nobles were suspicious  assassination!

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Czar Nicholas II resigns Food Shortages Fuel Shortages WWI Unemployment Inflation

MARCH (February) REVOLUTION THREE MAIN GOALS - Immediate peace Transfer of land to peasants Workers control factories Overthrows the Czar!!

PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT Temporary government in place after Czar Nicholas II Wealthy middle class Bolshevik Led by Alexander Kerensky Duality of power

OCTOBER (November) REVOLUTION Provisional government = weak + ineffective Forms dictatorship & only represents minority After March Revolution voted to release political prisoners Vladimir Lenin Feels Russia should withdraw from WWI Brest-Litovsk Treaty with Germany successfully withdrawing from WWI in exchange for land

OCTOBER REVOLUTION 1917 - Vladimir Lenin organizes the Bolsheviks and seizes power from the Provisional Government. Slogan was “Peace, Bread and Land”

RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR OPPOSTION - THE WHITES BOLSHEVIKS - THE REDS Royalists Middle Class Liberals Moderate Socialists European powers + Japan + United States BOLSHEVIKS - THE REDS Socialists, Workers, Lower Class 1921 defeat of the Whites by the Reds

RESULTS OF THE CIVIL WAR Famine Unemployment Economic downfall

LENIN’S RULE Used terror as a political weapon Restrictions on the Russian Orthodox Church Assassination of the Czar’s family Secret police (Cheka)

UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS Creating a perfect Communist state 1921-1928 New Economic Policy Lenin turns away from pure Communism (War Communism) Lenin dies before “NEP” can be fully implemented

WAR COMMUNISM Communists took over banks, mines, factories, and railroads Peasants could be drafted to military or factory work Trotsky (Lenin’s right hand man) turned the Red Army into a fighting machine “Shoot every 10th man” If regiment is performing poorly