The Russian Revolution

I. The Beginnings of Upheaval Russia was not prepared for war. Czar Nicholas II led the army, though he did not have military skills, and served at the battlefront. His decisions caused the deaths of millions of Russian soldiers.

Problems: Outcomes: A. Inexperienced generals A. Failure on the battlefield B. Poorly trained military B. Lots of soldiers dying C. Outdated technology C. Lots of soldiers dying Which classes of Russian society will be the most affected & upset by these outcomes?

The czar’s wife, Alexandra, was left in charge The czar’s wife, Alexandra, was left in charge. She was influenced by Grigori Rasputin who seemed to have magical powers to stop her son’s uncontrolled bleeding. Rasputin influenced government decisions through Alexandra.

The Beginnings of Upheaval (con’t) Who wanted him to leave? -Supporters of the czar -Nobles in Russia -Generals in the military Who wanted him to stay? -Czarina – she believes he can heal her son & heir to the throne, Alexi What happened to him? -Assassinated (but it took many attempts) Did getting rid of him solve the problems for the czar? NO!

II. The March Revolution In early 1917, the Russian government started to ration bread. Mothers working in the factories did not have enough to feed their children.

In March, working-class women held strikes in Petrograd (formerly St In March, working-class women held strikes in Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) demanding “Peace and Bread.” Other workers joined them, shutting down all factories in Petrograd. Soldiers refused to shoot at the crowd, joining the demonstrators instead.

Causes: 1. Peasants were hungry 2. Women wanted equal pay in the factories 3. Angry over the war Results: Czar sent out army to disperse the crowd 2. Some troops opened fire (known as Bloody Sunday) 3. Other troops laid down weapons and joined demonstrators 4. Czar’s power was diminished and many despised him

The Provisional Government The Duma, or legislative body, set up a provisional (temporary) government and the czar resigned. The head of the provisional government made the mistake of deciding to keep Russia in the war.

The decision to stay in the war angered workers and peasants due to their years of suffering. Soviets (councils representing workers and soldiers) began to form all over Russia.

What happened to the czar? -Because of Bloody Sunday, he was forced to step down -He & his family were put under house arrest How was the new government created? -The Duma, or Russian legislature, created a temporary government led by Alexander Kerensky -He instituted reforms Why was he unpopular? -Decided to keep Russia in WWI -Angered peasants and workers

IV. Lenin and the Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks began as a small political party that followed the ideas of Karl Marx. Their leader was a radical named Lenin.

Lenin was not in Russia when the revolution began in March 1917 Lenin was not in Russia when the revolution began in March 1917. German leaders, at war with Russia, wanted to cause problems in Russia. Hoping Lenin would cause trouble, they shipped him back to Russia in April 1917.

Once Lenin arrived in Russia, he promised to: Redistribute land to the peasants End the war Transfer ownership of the factories to the workers. By the end of October, 1917, the Bolsheviks made up a majority in the soviets of Moscow and Petrograd.

V. The Bolsheviks Seize Power Leon Trotsky was the head of the Petrograd soviet. On November 6, he led the Bolsheviks as they seized the Winter Palace, the headquarters of the provisional government.

The provisional government collapsed and power passed from the provisional government to the Council of Soviets. Real power belonged to Lenin. He ended the war with Germany in March 1918 by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. This treaty required Russia to give up the territories of eastern Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces. Russia sank into civil war.

VI. Civil War in Russia Many Russians did not support the Bolsheviks (Communists). Liberals wanted a constitutional monarchy; socialists wanted gradual reform and democracy; and czarists wanted the czar to return to power.

What caused the Civil War? -Many people were opposed to the Communists, including: 1. Groups loyal to the czar 2. Liberals 3. Anti-Leninist socialists Who helped those who were against Lenin? Why? -They were aided by the Allies -Wanted Russia back in -They gave them troops and supplies WWI

The Allies (Great Britain, France and the U The Allies (Great Britain, France and the U.S) were very concerned about the Communist takeover. They wanted to bring Russia back into the war, so they sent aid to the anti-Communist forces in Russia. From 1918 to 1921 civil war raged between the Communists (the Reds) and their opponents (the Whites).

The czar, his wife, and their five children were held prisoners of the new government until July 16, 1918 when they were assassinated and their bodies were burned.

VII. Triumph of the Communists The White forces had no unifying goal because the liberals, socialists, and czarists all wanted different things. The Red Army had a unified goal and were able to translate their beliefs into practical instruments of power – such as their policy of war communism, which ensured the Red Army had supplies.

The Red Army had several advantages : Strong leader in Leon Trotsky, commissar of war. They used terrorist techniques through their secret police, the Cheka. Because foreign armies were helping the anti-Communist forces, the Communists could appeal to Russian patriotism.

By 1921, the Communists were in total command of Russia By 1921, the Communists were in total command of Russia. It was a centralized, one-party state. The state was quite hostile towards the Allied Powers, because the Allies had tried to help the anti-Communist forces in the civil war.