The Russian Revolution

The Reign of Nicholas II Conditions Results Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, hemophiliac son Alexi Nicholas, absolute monarch, naïve to the dissatisfaction in society. Russia under Nicholas politically unstable Liberals wanted a democratic government Repressed minorities wanted independence Peasants wanted land reform; workers wanted better working conditions Military lost war with Japan in 1904 Many Russians questioned the tsar’s system

The 1905 Revolution Conditions Results On Bloody Sunday the tsar’s police killed hundreds of workers marching peacefully in St. Petersburg Revolts and strikes throughout Russia Radicals organized workers’ councils (soviets) Tsar concedes democratic powers, in form of legislature called the Duma, then takes those powers back Tsar’s minister Stolypin attempts land reform and is assassinated

World War I in Russia Conditions Results Russia honors alliances and joins World War I Tsar Nicholas II takes personal command of the army Strange monk, Rasputin, gains power with tsarina back at the court Army suffers many military defeats Discontent of soldiers, peasant, and workers Russia suffers most devastating losses in World War I

The February Revolution Conditions Results Women’s march for “bread and peace” turns into widespread revolt Representatives of workers, peasants, and soldiers lead revolution from Petrograd Soviet The Duma forms the Provisional Government Tsar Nicholas abdicates Kerensky leads the Provisional Government

The October Revolution Conditions Results Lenin, a Marxist revolutionary, leader of the Bolshevik Party, sneaks back into Russia Lenin protests against the Provisional Government; calls for “land, bread, and peace” The Red Guard, under Bolshevik control, gain weapons and power Provisional Government continues to fight in W.W. I Russian Revolution begins October 25, 1917 as Trotsky’s Red Guard seize most of Petrograd Lenin proclaims a socialist state, nationalizes all land Civil War between “Reds” and “Whites” eventually won by Bolsheviks in 1922 In Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia drops out of W.W. I and suffers great losses

Soviet Union Under Lenin Conditions Results Russia was devastated after World War I and Civil War - lost one half its population By 1922, wages dropped to one-tenth of prewar levels Western nations blockaded Russia so nothing could leave or enter Lenin concerned new socialist experiment would fail Lenin described his New Economic Policy (NEP) as “taking one step backward to go two steps forward” The NEP helped to jump start the economy with small-scale capitalism After NEP success, the Communist Party introduced measures to bring about a classless society