USSR 1924-57INTRODUCTION

First impressions!

• When you hear the word “Russia:” What do you think of? Write down two things that come to mind

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4qk8VHyTY&feature=related

Geography

Is 17 075 400 Square kilometres in size

Covers more than a ninth of the earth’s land area

Spans over 9 different time zones

General History

• From the earliest beginnings of the Russian State, Russia was ruled by Tsars.

• Tsars had absolute power, which meant they did not have to answer to anybody

• Under this strong rule, Russia grew into a large empire but was very backward compared to the rest of Western Europe. There was a vast disparity between rich and poor.

Task:• Read the worksheet on Peasants and Factory

workers.• Condense the information into concise notes

in the form of a T chart• On page 12 of the Text book, draw the

diagram showing society in TsaristRussia

• Nicholas II was the last Tsar of Russia. He did not care for politics and was oblivious to the plight of his people.

• His son, Alexei the Tsarevich (heir to the throne) had the disorder called haemophilia (this means your blood doesn’t clot, so the smallest cut could kill)

• Nicholas turned to a Siberian ‘healer’ called Gregori Rasputin to help. Rasputin soon became a regular visitor to the Royal household, and his influence in political affairs started to show

• When World War One broke out in 1914, the country was united with the Tsar to fight Germany.

• Soldiers were badly trained and poorly equipped. Russia was not industrialised enough to win a modern war. The Russian army suffered horrendous defeats.

• Tsar Nicholas decided to go to the front and lead the army. This was one of his worst decisions, as this made him responsible for the defeats AND the shortages

• While Nicholas was away at the front, his wife Alexandria took over running Russia, with disastrous consequences

• Alexandria had been born in Germany, so the Russian people became uneasy at her power

• She relied heavily on advice from Rasputin, who was a serial alcoholic and womaniser.

• The Russian people did not trust Alexandria or Rasputin, and rumours began to circulate that they were seeing each other

• In 1916, a group of nobles decided to kill Rasputin, to help Russia’s cause

• They lured him to one of their homes, and served him cakes and red wine laced with enough cyanide to kill 5 men. Rasputin was completely unaffected!

• The nobles then shot him, and he still didn’t die, so they shot him 3 more times, bound him up and threw him in the River Neva

• The autopsy showed that Rasputin had died from drowning, not his injuries!!!

• By 1917, there had been more than 6 million Russian Casualties.

• The cities were starving, and in February 1917 bread riots in Petrograd led to a general strike.

• The Tsar’s troops refused to shoot the rioters, and Nicholas realised that there was no one to keep him on the throne, so he abdicated….

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxAUQnh8-4o&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6v8JM4Fe1