Revolution in Russia ( )

Early 20 th Century: Russian Social Hierarch y Early 20 th Century: Russian Social Hierarch y

There were actually two (2) Revolutions in Russia Textbook: pg. 702

Who was in charge in Russia before the revolution? Czar (Tsar) Nicholas II of the Romanovs was in power in Weak and ineffective as a leader = he failed to solve Russia’s political, economic, and social problems. He did NOT want his power limited. He went to the ‘front’ during World War One and left his wife, Czarina Alexandra, in charge. The Czarina started listening to Rasputin, a strange ‘holy man’. Many people did not trust the Czarina or Rasputin.

Last of the Romanovs

Gregory Rasputin: A hard man to kill Dec. 29, 1916 Group of nobles tried poisoning him with cakes and wine laced with cyanide. Then he was shot in the chest with a revolver. Rasputin ran away and was shot again. They beat him until he was unconscious and threw him into the river! He officially died from drowning!

What happened? In March of 1917 (only a few months after Rasputin was killed!) the Russian monarchy collapses! Nicholas II abdicates (gives up his power). A temporary government is established to deal with World War One! The Russian people had no faith in this new temporary government  they wanted a strong leader!

April – November of 1917 A MARXIST follower by the name of Lenin returns secretly to Russia and gathers support for a COMMUNIST Revolution! Lenin takes over the temporary government! And he and his friend Trotsky set up the Bolshevik Party. BOLSHEVIK means ‘majority,’ even though they were the minority! Lenin signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March of 1918 and Russia is officially out of World War One but had to give up a lot of territory.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks and the first leader of Communist Russia. Lenin became a revolutionary at age 17 after his older brother was executed for attempting to assassinate Tsar Alexander III. His true name was Ulyanov, Lenin is an alias used to hide from the Tsar’s police. Lenin was smart, organized, hard working, and greatly respected by his followers.

Leon Trotsky Trotsky was generally considered Lenin’s second in command and was the leader of the Communist Army that was known as the Red Army. He was an idealist- someone who felt being true to beliefs was more important than practical matters.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Shortly after gaining power, Lenin made good on his promise for peace. He signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in March 1918 to remove Russia from WWI. The treaty was very much in Germany’s favor; it surrendered Poland, Finland, and Ukraine to Germany. Lenin felt the loss was okay since after the worldwide Communist Revolution he foresaw the treaty would be meaningless. The West was upset to lose an ally in WWI.

Land Russia lost after World War 1