Russian Revolution Socialism You have two cows You

Russian Revolution

• Socialism: You have two cows. You give one to your neighbor. • Communism: You have two cows. You give them to the Government and the Government then gives you some milk. • Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. • Naziism: You have two cows. The Government shoots you and takes the cows. • FEUDALISM You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk. • Industrialism: The bourgeoisie has two cows. It hires you to milk them, then sells you the milk

• What is socialism? – What is communism? • What is needed to make this work? • “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. ”

• What was Russia like before WWI? • What happened to Russia in WWI?

March 1917 • February/March Revolution – Russia could not handle WWI • Tsar goes to front (leaves wife in charge) • Alexandra relied on Gregory Rasputin – Destroyed confidence in gov’t

• February/March Revolution – Due to losses, strikes tsar abdicated • Dumas set up provisional government – Led by Alexander Kerensky – Stayed in war • Radicals plotted own government – Set up soviets (councils of workers and soldiers)

Vladimir Lenin • Leader of Bolsheviks (means “majority”) • Rewrite Marx – Thought elite should lead revolution – “Peace, Land, and Bread. ”

November 1917 • November Revolution – Bolsheviks (and armed factory workers) overthrew provisional government • Petrograd first, then other cities • Civil War

• Bolsheviks – Ended WWI • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – Gave significant territory to Germany

• Reds vs. Whites Civil War – Terror – Reds win (Bolsheviks) • 1922 USSR formed – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – (or CCCP: Сою з Сове тских Социалисти ческих Респу блик)

Lenin’s New Economic Policy • War communism brought economy to standstill • NEP – State controlled banks, foreign trade, large industry – Small businesses allowed – Peasants held on to small plots and could sell surplus – Production climbed

• Is the NEP communism? – Lenin’s successor (Joseph Stalin) will return USSR to pure communism

• Comintern – An international community by which third world leaders would learn from the USSR about communism – Socialist movements in Eastern Europe, China, and Latin America