THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Enduring Understandings 1. International conflict often leads to domestic changes. 3. In times of crisis, people often turn to strong leaders in search of stability. 5. Conflicts of the 20th Century were rooted in political and ideological differences around the world. THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Key Questions Describe the long-term and short-term causes of the Russian Revolution. Focus particularly on ideology, social, economic, military and political conditions. Are all revolutions the same? Compare the Russian Revolution to the French Revolution.

Day 1 – Crisis leads to Revolution Watch The Origins and Ideas of Communism and Socialism – answer the questions (page 1) to understand the ideologies of socialism and communism. Read (page 2) and answer the questions to understand the problems that Russians faced. Complete (page 1 part A) to understand the factors that led to the Russian Revolution while we go through the slide show.

Marxists Communism explained video – as you watch, answer the questions on the sheet.

Unrest Begins in Russia due to the Czar Russia was a large empire and largely unindustrialized. (Not modern) Peasants lived in poverty, with a small elite in charge who mistreated them. The Czar was very autocratic (dictatorial) Used harsh police tactics to put down opponents Czar Nicholas had tried to improve conditions only following a revolution in 1905, but had no real effect. Nicholas was a weak and ineffective leader.

Industrialization helps Unrest to Continue in Russia As industrialization occurred, urban workers began to feel mistreated and angry because: Low wages Bad working conditions Child labor Outlawed labor unions No political power Huge gap between rich and poor Many radical groups attempted revolutions, including Marxists, who tried to ignite revolution among the proletariat (growing class of factory workers and miners, etc). Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Like this guy,

Unrest Continues in Russia – Russia loses to Japan The Czar makes a bad choice to mess with Japan. Japan beats up on the Russians Russia loses life, land and money People are unhappy and begin to protest.

Unrest Continues in Russia – Czar makes things worse on Bloody Sunday In 1905, workers marched in St Petersburg to demand better working conditions and a say in government. The Czar had them shot by soldiers – hundreds were killed – this was Bloody Sunday But a Duma – a legislature – was created to give people a voice – the Czar had it dissolved 10 weeks later.

Impact of WWI The beginning of WWI fueled national pride and temporarily stopped calls for revolution. By 1915, many troops were poorly supplied and starving, and casualties reached 2,000,000. In an effort to increase morale, Nicholas went to the front to lead his troops, leaving Czarina Alexandra in charge. She relied on the advice of Rasputin, a self-proclaimed holy man. After realizing this, Russian nobles murdered Rasputin in 1916.

Somebody was Crazy

The March Revolution forces The Czar to Step Down As WWI got worse for the Russians, many soldier mutinied or deserted People demanded change A huge protest and strike occurred in March 1917 in St Petersburg The protests spread across the country. The Duma (legislature) set up a provisional (temporary) government to deal with the war, strikes and starvation Revolutionaries began creating soviets (local councils of a democratic nature) outside of the provisional government to deal with these problems on a local level. The Czar was forced to step down in favor of the provisional government.

The Last Czar and why

Lenin and the Bolsheviks Lenin, born to a middle class family, was familiar with the works of Karl Marx. He spread Marxist ideas to factory workers, which got him exiled from Western Russia. Lenin adapted Marx’s ideas because Russia did not have a large urban proletariat. He wanted an elite group to lead the revolution instead. He established the Bolsheviks, meaning majority, as a group supporting socialism.

The Provisional Government’s Mistakes Led by Alexander Karensky, the provisional government continued to concentrate on the war effort in World War I and neglected to deal with land reform. These became fatal mistakes. Lenin, along with Leon Trotsky, gained support of many who were angry with the provisional government.

The Bolshevik Takeover In November of 1917, the Red Guards, who were armed factory workers, attacked the Russian government. Seized control within days, and continued to takeover other cities. Land redistributed to peasants and control of mines and factories given to workers. Bolsheviks renamed Communists.

The Russian Revolution Begins

Civil War Reds (Communists) vs. Whites (counterrevolutionaries) The Allies intervened by helping the Whites because they needed Russia’s assistance in WWI. Reds win after 3 years

The New Government Russia became the USSR (Soviet Union) The Communist Party reigned supreme Lenin’s New Economic Policy Allowed some capitalist ventures Retreated from war communism State controlled large industries and banks Peasants controlled small plots of land and their own crops Lenin saw this as a temporary retreat from Communism

Stalin Takes Over When Lenin dies, there are two possible successors, Trotsky and Stalin. Stalin strips Trotsky of party membership and returns the USSR to pure Communism.

QUICKWRITE How did War Communism differ from the New Economic Policy? Give at least three specific differences. Allgyer, 2007