Russian Revolution

Byzantine EmpireLocation: Balkan peninsula, Middle East

and parts of ItalyCrossroads of Europe and AsiaNatural center for trade

Byzantine EmpirePreserved Ancient cultures:

copies of ancient Greek and Roman texts were saved despite destruction in the west.

New Form of Christianity: Eastern Orthodox Church /Great Schism over icons 1054

Code of Justinian: Emperor: Justinian consolidated Roman laws into a single legal code. Strict Code/influenced later western legal systems

Engineering and Architecture: Church of Hagia Sophia

Byzantine Influence on Russia

Byzantine trade with early Russian Cities influenced Russia in significant ways.Cyrillic AlphabetEastern Orthodox ReligionArt and Architecture Style of government

Russia 800 AD Byzantine Empire 800AD

Absolute Monarchy in RussiaPeter the GreatGoal: Modernize and Westernize

RussiaWhy: Isolation by Mongols for 200

years. Missed out on Renaissance and Scientific Revolution.

How: visit western Europe; send Russians to study in Western Europe; hire western experts

Effect: modernize roads, ports, infrastructure: changed the way Russians dressed and ate.

Modernize military

BackgroundBIG IDEA: Long Term Causes

Industrialization and reform came more slowly to Russia than Western Europe:

Problems Political Economic Social

Reforms did not satisfy Russians

Absolute rulers feared losing control (Alexander III, some Nicholas II)

Serfs in debt to nobles

Urban workers worked long hours in cities, low pay

Rigid social structure

Persecuted all non – Russians including Jews (pogroms)

Small middle class (no power)

Leading to Revolution

Russian loss in Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)Japan emerged as a major threat to Russian interests in

the east Russia, lost confidence in the old regime.

Bloody Sundaypeaceful marchers were asking for higher wages, a shorter work day, better working conditions, a

legislative assembly, and universal manhood suffragehundreds dead and hundreds more wounded

Revolution of 1905 Duma established (legislative branch): little power

Impact of WWIRussia still not

industrialized

1915 over 2 million Russians die on the front

Soldiers do not have sufficient rifles, ammunition or medical care military defeats

Poor leadership from czar Nicholas II

Russian Revolution 1917(Two Revolutions: March and November)

CAUSES1.Heavy losses of WWI2.Food shortages3.Loss of military defeats4.Return of Lenin (leader of Bolsheviks)

1. Enemy of czar2. Called for classless society3. Communist (Marx)

Bolshevik Revolution 1917Goals1.Overthrow the czar and government2.Ideas of Karl Marx applied to Russia3.Lenin promised..

“PEACE, LAND & BREAD!!!”(slogan)

Bolshevik Revolution of 1917Results1.Bolshevik- run soviets (councils of workers

and soldiers)2.control government3.Ideas of MARX!!!!!!!! 4.End of private ownership of land5.Peace with Germany Treaty of Brest

Litovsk6.Outbreak of civil war

Civil War1. Whites (czar) vs. Reds

(communists)2. Reds win using brutal tactics

(secret police/ murdering of former czar & family)

3. New symbol of government – Red flag with entwined hammer and sickle symbolized union between peasants and workers

4. Bolsheviks renamed Communists…. Sound familiar???

Lenin Rules RussiaPolitical

1. 1922 Union of Soviet Socialists Republics were formed

2. Communist party has real power, not people

3. Communists were only legal party

Lenin Rules RussiaEconomic

1. Took over economy (disaster)

2. New Economic Policy (NEP)Gov’t controlled banks, industry, tradeSome private ownership

Lenin Rules RussiaSocial

1. Enforced will through military and secret police

Lenin TO Stalin

(Soviet Leader 1917-1924)

GOALWants to create classless

society

PRACTICESAllows some private

business, peasants hold land

Standard of living rises

Soviet Leader (1924- 1953)

GOALMake USSR into modern

industrial power with all production under government control

PRACTICESCreates command

economyAll agriculture under

gov’t controlPeasants live on group

farmsStandard of living falls

Stalin

1924 Lenin dies and a fight to succeed him begins.

Creates a Command EconomyCommand economy: government

officials make all basic economic decisions

GOAL???

StalinTotalitarian Dictatorship

One- party dictatorship attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of citizens

Used propaganda to make himself a heroCensored newsAgainst capitalismTried to show good of communism

“Thanks to the Party, Thanks to Dear Stalin for a Happy, Joyful Childhood”

"Long live the great Stalin!" 1938

"Stalin in the Kremlin cares about each one of us!," 1940

Stalin’s Domestic PoliciesWhat is meant by domestic policies?Policies enacted within the borders of a country.

What is meant by foreign policy?Policies enacted outside the borders of a country.

Domestic PolicyWhat was the main goal of Stalin’s domestic policies?INDUSTRIALIZATIONIncrease Industrial output so that the Soviet Union could become a world power

Increase agricultural production

Centralize his control through terror

Stalin’s Five year plan’sWhat were Stalin’s five year plans? What

did they entail?

Increasing Industrial and Agricultural output

In other words produce more goods

How?Through the use of communist principles and

terror.Huge spending plan on modernization.

Stalin’s Five Year PlansWhat type of industry was the focus of

Stalin’s five year plans?Heavy industry such as steel, electricity,

concrete, mines and railroads

Why did he focus on those industries?Necessary to strengthen the Soviet militaryAllowed the Soviets to compete in the worldInfrastructure of a country/roads, buildings,

bridges, tunnels, ports

Did industrial output increase? yes Extremely successful

  1927 1932 1937

Coal35 million

tons64 mt (75 mt

target)128 mt (152 mt

target)

Oil12 million

tons21 mt (22 mt

target)29 mt (47 mt

target)

Iron Ore 5 million tons12 mt (19 mt

target)unknown

Pig Iron 3 million tons6 mt (10 mt

target)15 mt (16 mt

target)

Steel 4 million tons6 mt (10 mt

target)

18 mt (17 mt target)mt =

millions of tons

Agricultural ProductionPolicy of collectivization: forcing peasants

to give up small farms and live on state owned farms

Who were the Kulaks?Wealthy peasants who resisted Stalin’s

orders to collectivize.

Outcome of this resistance?Mass killings and forced migrations. Ukraine

(breadbasket of the Soviet Union)Mass starvationsGenocide killing of one race or ethnic group