russian revolution
TRANSCRIPT
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
a. CZAR NICHOLAS II ROMANOV: a strict ruler who 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 NICOLAS
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
MORE PROBLEMS •Rasputin helped
Alex make bad decisions, causing military & eco disaster &making people angry w/ Czar.
•Aristocrats kill Rasputin.
DON”T WRITE: LISTED AS WEAKNESSES IN PACKET
•Russia not ready for WWI. No weapons
•Czar had no military training,
• no competent military leaders
• no armament industry
•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 headed by ALEXANDER KERENSKY
•Made mistake of staying in WWI, upseting 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 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