1. The Russian Revolution

2. WWI Sets the Scene for Discontent By 1917 the Russian army is nearly broken They are out of supplies and morale is low

3. End of the Czar The monarchy (Czar Nicholas II and Alexandra) were unpopular because they were viewed politically incompetent Food and fuel shortages led to strikes and rebellion With no way to crush the riots, the czar abdicated

4. The Romanov Family

5. The New Government Provisional Gov’t  temporary central gov’t A rival for power in this new gov’t soon came about There was a call for immediate peace, transfer of land to peasants and control of factories by workers This 3 pt. plan gained popularity, but dealing with the war meant that it could not be carried out

6. Lenin

7. Lenin (cont’d) Leader of the Bolshevik revolutionary group He wanted to take the provisional gov’t out of power and would introduce a socialist gov’t by force

8. The Man Behind the Legend… Came from middle-class background His brother was killed for his work in an assassination plot and this affected Lenin greatly He tried to promote revolution and was exiled to Siberia When released, traveled Europe where he wrote and kept an eye on events in Russia

9. Time for Action After March 1917 revolution, he knew it was time to seize power from provisional gov’t Promised “Peace, Land and Bread” and to provide one, stable gov’t for Russia

10. Bolshevik Revolution The Bolshevik Revolution Nov 1917: Bolshevik coup: claim absolute power A bloodless revolution They take over the gov’t and lay the foundation for a socialist state Adopt political viewpoint: communism Based on Marx and Lenin

11. Civil War Lenin wants peace w/ Germany Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Mar 1918) Withdraw from WWI Lost lots of territory, population

12. Reds vs. Whites War b/t communists & their political opponents Reds = communists Whites = royalists, liberal democrats, moderate socialists Red Army under Leon Trotsky Whites want to re-enter WWI receive aid from the Allies & U.S. Increases communist distrust of the West

13. The Terror Communists take direct control of industries; force peasants to send food to the cities Imprison czar The Cheka: arrest anyone considered an “enemy of the revolution” Restrictions on Russian Orthodox Church Reds win war by 1921