Russia From Czars to Communism

Long history of czars centralizing power Taking power from nobles by force Trading power over Russia in exchange for nobles’ power over serfs 1700s & 1800s - Serfdom increased in Russia

Russia in the 1800s Czars had virtually complete autocratic rule over the nobles Nobles had complete rule over the serfs Serfs were closer to slaves than peasants

Decembrist Revolt Failed revolt of military officers for a constitutional monarchy Made Nicholas I more committed to autocracy

Czar Alexander II = Czar Liberator Experimented with some reforms abolished serfdom Few were satisfied - too much or too little Assassinated in 1881

Czar Nicholas II - Last of the Romanovs Came to power in 1894 Married to Alexandra Four daughters, one son, Alexis

Russia under Nicholas II He was not very bright or skilled Peasants increasingly upset Problems with newly freed serfs Minorities persecuted Middle class reformers called for a constitutional monarchy

Russia under Nicholas II cont… Beginnings of industrialization (but way behind the rest of Europe) Large numbers of people moving to cities - overcrowding & food shortages Poor industrial conditions Growing Socialist groups Problems with Japan - Russo-Japanese War

Bloody Sunday, January 22, 1905 Palace Soldiers opened fire on 200,000 workers protesting conditions - several hundred died Led to riots across the nation & formation of SOVIETS (workers’ councils)

Bloody Sunday

October National General Strike Nicholas II agreed to create the Duma (parliament) and the October Manifesto for civil rights BUT Nicholas continued to act violently to protect his power using his secret police the Cheka

Other Problems for the Romanovs Alexis - hemophilia Influence of Rasputin (the Mad Monk) over the Czar and especially Alexandra

Russia’s problems with World War I unprepared militarily or industrially demoralizing defeats like Tannenberg severe food shortages economic collapse

Czar Nicholas “Helps” Heads to the front lines and meddles with military affairs Leaves Alexandra in charge of the government (with the help of Rasputin)

End of Rasputin Murdered by a cousin of the Czar

February Revolution Set up by the workers’ Soviets March huge protests over food shortages, the WAR, & the CZAR March 11 & 12 - Troops joined the protestors March 15 - Nicolas II abdicated

The Duma created a provisional government split b/t 2 groups of Socialists Mensheviks – more moderate & wanted to keep fighting the war & gradually move toward communist revolution Bolsheviks – more radical! Wanted to end the war & have a small group of professional revolutionaries lead an immediate revolt!

Problems with WWI led to growing popularity for the Bolsheviks

Germany helped Lenin return to Russia –“they turned upon Russia the most grisly of all weapons. They transported Lenin in a sealed truck like a plague bacillus into Russia” ~ Winston Churchill

Lenin “Peace, Land, and Bread”

November 1917 Lenin led the Bolsheviks in a coup d’etat of the provisional government

March 1918 Russia leaves WWI early with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Russian Civil War Reds (Bolsheviks) v. Whites Leon Trotsky led the Red Army 3 years of brutal fighting & violence

End of the Romanovs 1918 Communist (Bolshevik) soldiers killed Czar Nicholas II and his family Conspiracy? Did they survive?

End of the Russian Revolution Lenin and the Bolsheviks victorious Russia becomes completely communist