1. Russian Revolution

2. Russia was unprepared for the total war of World War I
Militarily and technologically
No competent leaders
Industry could not produce weapons
Suffered huge losses 2 million died between

3. She had become influenced by Rasputin
Czar Nicholas II was increasingly cut off from events by his wife, Alexandra
She had become influenced by Rasputin
With Nicholas involved in the war, Alexandra made many government decisions
She consulted Rasputin; this gave him power in government
People became more and more upset. They assassinated Rasputin.

4. Rasputin

5. In March 1917, Government began to ration bread
A series of strikes led by women, started in Petrograd
They demanded “peace and bread”, “down with Autocracy”
Nicholas ordered troops to break up crowds by shooting if necessary
Guards eventually joined the crowds too and refused to shoot

6. The Duma, legislative body, asked Nicholas II to step down
He agreed this ended the 300 year dynasty
A provisional government was put in place
Alexander Kerensky was in charge and decided to carry on the war efforts
This did not please anyone

7. The Bolsheviks were a Marxist party called Russian social Democrats
A socialist group, the soviets, represented the radical interests of lower classes
The Bolsheviks were a Marxist party called Russian social Democrats
The Bolsheviks came under the leadership of V.I. Lenin
They became a party dedicated to violent revolution
“Peace, land, bread” summed up the Bolshevik program
“Worker control of Production” and “all Power to the Soviets”

8. Soviets gained power went from 50,000 to 240,000
On November 6, 1917 the Bolsheviks seized the winter palace
Lenin gave power to all-Russian congress of Soviets however..
Real power stayed with the council of people’s commissars, headed by Lenin
March 3, 1918 Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Gave up eastern Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and Baltic provinces

9. Many people were opposed to the Bolshevik or Communist regime
Groups who were loyal to the czar, liberals, and anti-Lenin communists
The Red Army was forced to fight opponents (white forces) on many fronts
Serbia, Ukraine, Baltic regions
By 1920, major opposition to the Communists had been defeated
Communist regime took over Georgia, Russian Armenia, and Azerbaijan
On July 16, 1918 soviets murder Czar Nicholas and his family

10. Lenin and the Communists triumph in the Civil War
Leon Trotsky organized a well-disciplined Red Army
Reinstated the draft
Soldiers who refused to obey were executed on the spot
White forces were unorganized and did not have a common goal
The Communists had a single-minded sense of purpose
Used a policy of war communism
Government control of banks, industries, grain from peasants, and centralized administration under communist party.
Secret police, checka, began a red terror aimed at crushing dissent
Presence of foreign armies appealed to Russian patriotism

11. 1921- Communists were in total control of Russia
Centralized state dominated by a single party