2.  During the late 1800’s – early 1900’s, Russia goes from being one of the foremost great powers of the world to an economic and military disaster.

3.  Russia is slow to industrialize in the late 1800s-early 1900’s, trailing Europe by half a century.  Eventual industrialization brings harsh working conditions and low wages.  To add to that, Russia has also become involved in World War I.  The peoples’ unrest and anger with Czar Nicholas II grows.

4.  Due to a lack of experienced military leaders and technology, Russia was unprepared for World War I.  The Russian army was poorly trained and equipped and suffered terrible losses.  It was said that Russia did not have enough boots or guns to supply their army.  Though he had no military experience, Czar Nicholas II insisted on commanding the army in the field and was away from the capital.

5.  Czar Nicholas II came to power in 1896.  His wife was Czarina Alexandra.  They had a large family, four daughters; Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia.  Nicholas had hoped for an heir to his throne.  Finally came a son, Alexei.  Alexei, however, was born with a rare blood disease known as hemophilia.

6.  The royal family used many doctors to try and cure Alexei’s ailment; however, all treatments failed.  Desperate for a cure, Czarina Alexandra turned to mystics and holy men.  One of these men was Grigori Rasputin.

7.  Rasputin was believed to have healing power through prayer.  The Czar and Czarina believed Rasputin could actually speak with god and was able to heal Alexei.  It seemed as though it was working as Alexei did seem to find relief in Rasputin.  Rasputin would then play an important role in the royal house, so much, in fact, that he was said to have had a strong influence on the Czar and Czarina’s decisions concerning politics.

8.  Czar Nicholas II relied on heavily on his army and government to keep him in power.  While out on the battlefield, Czarina Alexandra made important political decisions with the help of Rasputin.

9.  The Russian people became increasingly upset with the czar and his wife due to military and economic disasters.  The people of Russia suffered greatly. They were cold and starving as Russia’s economy was in a depression.  Many people feared that Rasputin’s influence was affecting the Czar’s decision making.  A group of nobles decided that Rasputin's influence over the Czar had made him a far too dangerous threat to the empire.

10.  The legends surrounding the death of Rasputin are perhaps even more mysterious and bizarre than his life.  The nobles lured Rasputin to one of their homes and led him down into the basement where they fed him cakes and red wine laced with cyanide.  Rasputin was unaffected even though there was enough poison to kill five men!  Determined to finish the job, a noble shot Rasputin in the back.

11.  They left his body in the basement and came back for him hours later.  To their surprise, Rasputin’s eyes re-opened and he lunged at them.  The men opened fire and shot Rasputin three more times.  As they went to check on his body, they were again surprised to find that he was still alive and struggling to get up.  They clubbed him into submission and even castrated him (gross!).  They then bound his body, wrapped him in a carpet and threw him into the icy Neva River.  Three days later, Rasputin’s body was found. Bloody, badly beaten, poisoned and shot 4 times.  He had broken loose from his bindings and the carpet and it appeared that he had been trying to claw his way out of the river.  An autopsy revealed that the official cause of death was drowning.

13.  In 1917, conditions in Russia had become extremely bad and a collapse was imminent.  The government continued to concentrate on the war effort while the people at home suffered.  There were food and supplies shortages.  Inflation was at an all time high. An egg cost four times as much as it did just a few years prior.  The government was also challenged by the soviets– councils representing workers and soldiers–who came to play an important role in Russian politics.  The final straw came when the government shut down public railroads to use for war.

14.  In Moscow, the shortage of food and severe winter caused a mob of people to start breaking into stores.  People marched through the streets with red banners screaming “Down with the government! Down with the Czar!”  The riot was soon a full fledged revolution as disgruntled soldiers in the army soon joined in.  They wanted Czar Nicholas to abdicate, (step down).

15.  Czar Nicholas had no choice but to step down as Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik party seized power.  The Bolsheviks were a socialist political party that represented the proletariat (working class) of Russia.  They saw a quick rise to power as the economic crisis plagued the country in the early 1900’s.  The preached discipline and strong military.

16.  Vladimir Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik party who overthrew the Russian government in 1917.  He headed the new Soviet state in its initial years.  Following his death in 1924, his body was preserved and put on public display in a mausoleum next to the Kremlin in Red Square where it remains today.

17.  The Czar and his family were exiled to a mansion in the Ural Mountains.  There, they were held captive and guarded by soldiers.  At 2:00 AM one night in 1918, the Czar was told to head to the basement with his family. They were told that revolutionaries were marching towards the mansion and it may be fired upon.

18.  Once they were in the basement, the executioners then came in.  It was then explained to them that they were condemned to death.  They then shot and killed the royal family.

19.  Following the execution, there were many rumors around that members of the family had survived.  In 1979 the bodies of Czar Nicholas II, the Czarina and three of their daughters were found in a grave in central Russia.  Missing were the bodies of Alexei and Anastasia.

20.  It was believed that at the time of the execution, the royal family was wearing garments with jewels sewn into them.  It is possible that bullets did not mortally wound Anastasia and she was able to escape.

21.  Over the years, many women came forward claiming to be Anastasia but none could prove it and/or DNA evidence would prove they were in fact not related to the royal family.  In 2007, two more bodies of a young boy and girl were discovered.  In 2008, DNA evidence proved that the bodies were in fact Alexei and Anastasia.

22.  The revolt in 1917 ends the reign of the czars.  Vladimir Lenin’s communist party assumes control of the government and the economy.  Communism is a social and political structure in which classes are abolished and property is commonly controlled. It advocates and aims to create a common society in which everyone is has equal share.  - central government makes major economic decisions  - controls the wealth: land, mines, factories, banks, transportation  - decides what products, crops are produced; sets prices

23.  Communist Party in Russia then organizes diverse peoples of Russian empire  Forms Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)