1. The Russian Revolution and the Major Players 1905-1917

2. Pre-Revolution
Russia had been oppressed for centuries by tyrannical czars (Russian Kings)
Ended with Nicholas II. From the beginning of Nicholas’ reign he failed;
Coronation-- hundreds were killed because of poor crowd control.
Poor harvest in the late 1890’s led to civil unrest, Many without enough food or wages.
Wasn’t ready for the Japan-Russo war

3. Russo-Japanese War (1904)
Dispute over Manchuria (a part of China and Korea) with Japan
Russia suffered an embarrassing loss to Japan in short unorganized war
Shook national confidence in their progress and rule of Czar.

4. Russia and World War I Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary
War becomes unpopular
Rationing leads to starvation
Nicholas II leaves St. Petersburg to head to the war front

5. Rasputin with Admirers

6. Rasputin

7. Rasputin He was a “Natural Healer” and Medicine man
Won the trust of the Royal family do to “being the only one” who could help the Czar’s son who had a blood disorder
He ended up having a huge impact of political decisions which were bad ideas and destroyed the country

9. Russian Revolutions
Revolutions were actually several protests (people revolting) against the Czar over a 12 year span, finally ending with the October Revolution of 1917.
It ended hundreds of years of oppression from the Czarist Regimes.
It paved the way for the totalitarian communist governments to exist for the next 70 years and created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.)

10. Background: Causes of Revolution
Repressive and aristocratic regimes of the Romanov dynasty: Nicholas II
Severe economic and social crisis in Russia
Russia in WWI: Unpopular war, many Russians were being killed.
Corruption in Government
Numbers of Poor and Rich

11. Causes Continued 1. Revolutionary was mostly in the Middle Class
2. Nicholas II refused to allow any type of government reform and refused to let go of total control
3. New Ideas of Marxist Communism in Europe
4. A new leader of the visionary Revolutionary class named Vladmir Lenin

12. Causes
Due to Russia’s economic problems, the lower classes looked for an answer.
They tried to overthrow government for a first time in 1905, this failed also known as “Bloody Sunday”
They wanted No social classes!
They wanted Wealth to be shared
among all people!
They wanted what Lenin said
“Peace, Land, and bread”

13. Karl Marx and Communism
Karl Marx- Invented idea of communism where all things are state owned and equal among all people
Marxist Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production (farms, factories, etc.)
Wealth to be shared among the society

14. Communism A Form of Socialism
Central Planning of the Economy by the State
Gov’t (Communist Party) makes decisions on individual jobs and pay

15. Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov or Lenin Vladimir Lenin for short
Supporter of Marx’s ideas of Communism and wanted to overthrow the Czar
Weak Government paved the way for Lenin to rise to power.
Lenin appealed to the masses “Peace, Land, Bread ”
Led group known as the Bolsheviks (Social Democrats) in the revolution.
First leader of the new communist Russia
Lenin

16. October Revolution October 25 1917
Trotsky’s “red army” took over the government in St. Petersburg
Lenin seized power immediately with Trotsky and Joseph Stalin by his side.
First 2 acts:
End Russian involvement in WWI.
Give peasants land. “private ownership shall be abolished forever”.

17. Russia withdrew from WW1 after
Russia withdrew from WW1 after Revolution in Russia.
Russia signed a treaty with German to not fight in the war known as the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty gave land away, and withdrew from war “helped Germany”

18.
The revolution split the country between those loyal to the Czar (whites) and those loyal to Lenin and Communism (reds) or Bolsheviks
-1919 White Armies (Royal and Menshevik troops) attack the Reds (Bolsheviks) from all directions.
1920- Reds defeat Whites

19. Rule of Lenin
After the “Whites” defeat the king and his family were killed
Economic Reforms included the New Economic Plan (NEP)
-moderate mix of capitalism and socialism
Political Reforms
-Bolshevik party became Communist Party
-Russia becomes the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

20. Trosky
Leon Trosky
Leader of “Red Army” powerful leader that helped Lenin fight the revolution and organize those involved
He would battle Stalin for power following Lenin’s death

21. Joseph Stalin “Man of Steel”
Took control of the government after Lenin died of a stroke 1924
Lenin had actually wanted Trotsky to lead. He distrusted Stalin.
Stalin was popular with the people. He seemed like a regular guy and spoke in a way that people could understand.
Stalin Began to implement a Totalitarian government.

22. Characteristics of a Totalitarian State
Dictatorship- Absolute Authority
Dynamic Leader- Vision for the nation
State Control Over All Sectors of Society
Business, Family Life, Labor, youth groups, housing, religion, education, the arts
State Control Over the Individual
Obedience
Denies basic liberties
Organized Violence
Uses force to crush opposition

23. Trotsky Flees the Country
Stalin fears Trotsky will take his power
Uses secret police to threaten and attempt to assassinate Trotsky
Trotsky flees the country and hides in various countries
Tries to work against Stalin from “outside”
Eventually moves to Mexico

24. Trotsky in Mexico: Leon Trotsky was hunted down by Stalin’s agents and killed in his hotel room in Mexico City with an ice pick in 1940.

25. Joseph Stalin

26. Leon Trotsky

27. Karl Marx
Vladimir Lenin

28. Lenin’s tomb in Moscow!