russian revolution
TRANSCRIPT
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
a. CZAR NICHOLAS II ROMANOV: autocrat: all power rests w/ strict ruler. Relied on army & huge govt to hold power.
b. Had 4 daughters, 1 son & wife ALEXANDRIA
• *Alex was German & kept him cut off from events during war
THE CZAR & FAMILY
CZAR NICHOLAS
ALEXANDRA
THE LOVE STORY
• I never dreamt that our married life would have been so perfect, such utter happiness you have brought me.Alexandra’s letter to Nicholas, 20 September 1898
• (don’t write)
ANASTASIA
ALEXEI
ALEXANDRA & RASPUTIN
•Alex was under the influence of GRIGORI RASPUTIN, a Siberian peasant who claimed to be a holy man & could supposedly stop bleeding of son Alexei
THE ONE AND ONLY RASPUTIN
MORE PROBLEMS •Rasputin helped
Alex make bad decisions, causing military & eco disaster &making people angry w/ Czar.
•Aristocrats kill Rasputin.
PROBLEMS:1.Too big! 125 mil people, little
communication2. Russia not ready for WWI.
Few weapons & few factories 3. Czar had no military training,
few competent military leaders, major losses
4. Out of date farming, poor working conditions
5. 90 % poor, uneducated serfs6. Lost war w/ Japan in 1905
Bloody Sunday (don’t write)• No political parties, no constituion• In Jan 1905, 200000 people went to
place with petition for better working conditions, legislature, vote & freedoms. They sang “God
Save the Tsar” & were led by a priest)• Soldiers open fire, kill 500-1000?• Duma created
•The DUMA, (legislative body), met March 12th 1917 even though Czar had gotten rid of Duma
• Set up a provisional govt & asked Czar to step down.
•MARCH REVOLUTION-10,000 female factory workers strike in Petrograd, upset w/ bread rationing.
•Call for general strike. •Soldiers sent to stop it, end up joining in.
MARCH REVOLUTION
•New Provisional Govt created by Duma headed by ALEXANDER KERENSKY
•Gave freedom of assembly speech press, vote
•Made mistake of staying in WWI, upsetting peasants, workers.
•The SOVIETS- city councils of workers & soldiers, challenged new govt over decisions
VLADIMIR LENIN was the leader of the Bolsheviks (Communists)
•Believed in book COMMUNIST MANIFESTO by
KARL MARX which said Proletariat (poor workers) will overthrow bourgeoisie (rich owners)
•Most Bolsheviks were lower class
& had new radical ideas.
•Bolsheviks want: 1. violent overthrow of govt. 2. control of Soviets 3. Lenin saw Provisional govt as chance for Bolsheviks to take over
Bolsheviks promise to end war, redistribute land to poor, give factories to committees & govt power to Soviets (the councils).
•Oct 1917, the Bolsheviks had a majority in 2 important Soviets (Moscow & Petrograd, led by Leon Trotsky).
•Bolsheviks seize Winter Palace on Nov. 6th & destroy Provisional Govt.
• All Russian Congress of Soviets meets in Petrograd, but Lenin fakes turning over power (kept
it for himself)
•Bolsheviks (now called Communists)
•Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gave Germany land to get out of war humiliating Russia : Poland, Finland, Ukraine & Baltics.
•Many oppose Communists
(Cossacks, liberals, socialists).•Allies send troops & supplies to fight Communists.
•April 1918 royal family jailed. Murdered on July 16th
(or are
they?)
COMMUNIST RED ARMY
• 1918-1921: Communist Red Army fights against Anti- Communist White Army.
•By 1920, White army is defeated.
& Communists take over Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan & Armenia
RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR
WHY DID THE COMMUNIST REDS WIN?
•Communists used WAR COMMUNISM- govt control of banks, industry, wheat & centralization
of govt to get supplies for army.
THE CHEKAUsed Red secret police – called the CHEKA- to destroy anyone against the new govt.
•DON’T WRITE•Trotsky was brilliant
•Had single-minded purpose
•Anti-communist disorganized & not united
•Allies were hated for supporting anti-communists