The Russian Revolution Czar Nicholas II: was the leader of Russia as World War I broke out He had no military training but insisted on taking control of the Russian armed forces -there were no more competent military leaders Russia’s lack of industry kept it from being able to create the weapons and supplies needed for Total War -Russians soldiers trained with broomsticks -Many Russian soldiers sent to the front without rifles, hoping to find one from a dead comrade

The Russian Revolution Between 1914 and 1916, over two million Russian soldiers were killed Another 4-to-6 million Russian soldiers were wounded or captured By 1917, the Russians had lost their will to fight

The Russian Revolution Nicholas II relied on his army to maintain power Alexandra: the czar’s German-born wife -she was determined and stubborn Rasputin: a Siberian peasant who had convinced Alexandra that he was a holy man and had some prophetic powers

The Russian Revolution With Nicholas II away at war, Alexandra made all of the important decisions She insisted on consulting Rasputin, who did not hesitate to interfere A series of military and economic disasters made Russian population upset with the monarchy Rasputin was assassinated in December, 1916, but it was too late as revolutionary movements that had already begun could not be stopped

The Russian Revolution March 1917: price of bread skyrockets, bread is rationed by the government, and a series of strikes breaks out in Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) Many of the women who were striking were also factory workers who worked 12-hour days, many had sick and starving children at home

The Russian Revolution March 8, 1917: about 10,000 women marched in Petrograd -they demanded “Peace and Bread” -other workers joined them and a general strike was declared which shut down all of the factories in the city

The Russian Revolution Alexandra called on Nicholas for support -he ordered troops to break up the crowds and shoot the strikers if necessary Large numbers of soldiers actually joined the strikers and refused to shoot at the crowds The Duma: the Russian legislature -Nicholas had tried to dissolve this group -they met on March 12 and set up a provisional government -they urged Nicholas to step down as czar because he no longer had military or aristocratic support March 15, 1917: Nicholas steps down, ended 300 years of Romanov rule

The Russian Revolution Alexander Kerensky: led the provisional government He chose to keep Russia in World War I to “preserve its honor” This was a blunder because neither the workers nor the peasants supported the war -they were tired of years of suffering

The Russian Revolution Soviet: councils composed of representatives from the workers and soldiers -were a threat to the new government -soviets rose up throughout Russia, were mostly Socialists, and represented the more radical views of the lower classes Bolsheviks: came to be one of the most powerful soviets

The Russian Revolution V.I. Lenin: took control of the Bolsheviks He believed that violent revolution was the only way to destroy capitalism Lenin had been out of Russia but saw this as an opportunity for the Bolsheviks to gain power The German government helped return him to Russia, hoping he would create disorder there

The Russian Revolution Lenin thought that the soldier, worker, and peasant soviets could help the Bolsheviks overthrow the provisional government Lenin made the following promises which gave him support: An end to the war Redistribution of all land to the peasants Transfer of all factories and industries from capitalists to committees of workers Transfer of government power to the soviets

The Russian Revolution Three main Bolshevik slogans: Peace, Land, Bread Worker Control of Production All Power to the Soviets

The Russian Revolution By October, there were over 240,000 Bolsheviks Leon Trotsky: leader of the Petrograd soviet November 6, 1917: Bolsheviks seized power over the provisional government with very little bloodshed Lenin turned over all power to the Congress of Soviets Lenin headed the Council of People’s Commissars

The Russian Revolution The Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communists In order to fulfill his promise for peace, Lenin knew he would lose much Russian territory Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: signed March 3, 1918 -Russia agreed to give up eastern Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces to Germany Lenin hoped this would bring peace to Russia, but instead the country sank into a civil war

The Russian Revolution Many people in Russia were opposed to the Communists Groups loyal to the czar Anti-Lenin socialists The Allies: were extremely concerned about the Communists The Allies sent thousands of troops and aid to anti-Communists The Communist (Red) Army also forced to fight on many fronts

The Russian Revolution The anti-Communist (White) Army attacked and moved as far as the Volga River before the Reds pushed them back

The Russian Revolution In 1919, White forces attacked from the Baltic and Ukraine regions and almost reached Moscow before they were stopped

The Russian Revolution By 1920, the Red Army had pretty much defeated the Whites -they retook Ukraine and the Caucasus states of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan Black Sea

The Russian Revolution The Romanov family had been held captive since 1917 April, 1918: they were moved to a remote mining town July 16, 1918: members of the local soviet murdered the czar and his family and burned their bodies The Mystery of Anastasia: soon after this event, rumors spread that some family members survived. In 1921, a woman claimed to be Anastasia Romanov. This woman spent much of her life in German court trying to gain the inheritance of the Romanovs. She died in 1984, and DNA tests in 1994 revealed she was not Anastasia Romanov.

The Russian Revolution Reasons why the Red Army was successful: Trotsky insisted that soldiers were well-disciplined -he reinstated the draft, and anyone who deserted or refused to obey orders was executed on the spot The anti-Communist forces were distrustful of each other and lacked unification -the Whites had no common goal The Reds used war communism in which the government took complete control of most banks and industries, seized the grain supply from the peasants, and centralized local government under Communist control (very efficient)

The Russian Revolution Cheka: Red secret police that terrorized all who opposed or were not in total favor of the new regime The installed fear The presence of foreign armies on Russian soil enabled the Communists to appeal to Russian patriotism -the Whites at one time had over 100,000 foreign troops on their soil (mostly Japanese, British, American, and French) -Communists called on patriotic Russians to help fight off foreign attempts to control their country By 1921, the Communists had complete control in Russia -they were a highly centralized state dominated by a single party -very hostile to the Allies because they aided the anit-Communists

The Russian Revolution Russian legislative body in 1917 Trotsky Duma Soviets War communism Bolshevicks

The Russian Revolution Representative councils of workers and soldiers Trotsky Duma Soviets War communism Bolshevicks

The Russian Revolution A small faction of the Russian Social Democrat Party Trotsky Duma Soviets War communism Bolshevicks

The Russian Revolution Red Army’s commissar Trotsky Duma Soviets War communism Bolshevicks

The Russian Revolution Temporary suspension of Communist practices Trotsky Duma Soviets War communism Bolshevicks

The Russian Revolution Russia was unprepared for war in all of the following ways except No competent military leaders Weak armament industry Poorly armed military No czar, or government leader Dominating navy

The Russian Revolution Women workers in Petrograd marched in protest, then Organized a general strike Began to bake bread Consulted with Rasputin Joined the czar’s army Returned to work and produced record amounts of wartime supplies for the Russian army

The Russian Revolution Outwardly, Lenin turned over power to the all-Russian Congress of Soviets, then Invaded Poland with a mercenary army of peasants Signed a peace treaty with the czar and became deputy czar Passed real power to the Council of People’s Commissars that he controlled Retired from politics and settled in the Ukraine Proclaimed himself as Czar of the Soviets

The Russian Revolution Military opposition or other forms of challenges to the Red Army came from all of the following except Siberian anti-Communists Italian royalists who supported Lenin Allied material aid given to the White Army The Ukrainians American troops who fought in Russia following World War I

The Russian Revolution Kerensky’s provisional government made the fatal mistake of deciding to Continue the war Sign a peace treaty with Germany Assassinate the czar Continue the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty Surrender to the Austro-Hungarians