Test on Friday Absolute monarchies Spain France Prussia

Test on Friday Absolute monarchies: (Spain, France, Prussia, Russia) Scientific Revolution Enlightenment American Revolution French Revolution Russian Revolution Format: 20 MC & two long answer (one on Revolution & one on Enlightenment/Scientific Revolution/Absolute Monarchies)

Academic Discussion due Monday!!! Be prepared to share your points! Must hand in your notes, your notes should be clear for me to mark! Will have Wednesday & Thursday to prepare for the discussion. This preparation will better prepare you for the test. Use Brinton’s “Anatomy of a Revolution” to better understand the role of violence.

Geography of Russia Early 1800 s 60 nationalities 100 different languages Slavs, Europeans, Middle Easterners, & Asiatic peoples Largest country in the world ¾ of its population live in Europe ¾ of its land lies in Asia Trans-Siberian railroad takes 10 days (11 time zones) Autocracy Government in which one person rules with unlimited authority

Societal Composition in Russia Aristocracy Landowners Intellectuals Urban Workers Peasants (82%) Urban 13%, Rural (87%) All governed by an Autocracy!

Background to Nicholas II Took over as Czar in 1894 Land problems Affected 80% of the population (over 100 million peasants) Peasants were burdened with heavy taxes and tied to the land Called on the Czars for an improvement in conditions, but it never happened Civil Liberties Limited Rapid Industrialization Left very little in workers rights

Background to Nicholas II Russification Centralized Russia and forced Russian culture on the ethnic minorities of the Russian empire comprising almost half of the empires population Eastern Expansion Chinese empire is disintegrating and it pushed Russia and Japan to fill the void in the East. Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed in 1899 Opens up the East for settlement All in all: A fragile state

Russia & Japan At War 1903 Russia and Japan negotiate over claims to land in Korea and Manchuria 1904 Russia & Japan go to war (Russo-Japanese War) Similar to Pearl Harbour

The War In Brief February 8, 1904 Japanese surprise Russian Naval Fleet at Port Arthur Russian troops had to travel for a long time Russia forced to abandon war practices Teddy Roosevelt encourages Russia to accept peace talks

Significance of Japanese Victory in 1905 Exposes a BAD internal Russian government: Corrupt Inefficient Oppressive Citizens in Russia were striking Walked out of factories Inflation & unemployment Russian citizens embarrassed, critical, and angry!

Growing Dissent Rapid industrialization led to growing number of urban working class Revolutionary mood encompassed Russia (Socialism based on Karl Marx): Mensheviks Sizable working class = socialist revolution Bolsheviks Revolutionary leaders could bring socialist revolution

Revolution of 1905 “Bloody Sunday” January 22, 1905 Outside of Tsar Nicholas II’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Father Gapon leads protest of working-class citizens calling for better pay and working conditions

Bloody Sunday Grand Duke Vladimir, chief of Security Police, ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed, peaceful demonstrators (over 100 innocent individuals killed)

Civilian Response Urban Workers & Peasants revolt Peasants seized land livestock from landlords Some of the Army & Navy mutinied

Results of the Revolt Nicholas II promises to meet the needs of urban workers and peasants (October Manifesto) Drafts a constitution with regards to civil liberties Organized democratically elected duma (national assembly) Organized democratic election of a prime minister

Results of 1905 Revolution Was Russia democratized? NO Once order had been restored, the duma was dismissed and Nicholas II returned to autocratic rule Revolutionary/Socialist leaders leave Russia and seek safety abroad to escape persecution Stage set for future revolutions in Russia “dress rehearsal for 1917” Lenin First legal political parties Millions of people participating actively in political life

Russia in the Early 1900 s Russo-Japanese War Revolution of 1905 Results: Alienation of the lower classes Debts, taxes, & rent kept peasants & urban workers bound to poverty

Russia & World War I Military was ill-equipped & inefficient Losses: 1. 7 million soldiers dead 5 million soldiers wounded 2 million civilians dead Food supply within Russia scarce soldiers & civilians starving Nicholas’ wife runs gov’t who is manipulated by Rasputin Ends up being killed by nobility

Ra, ra, Rasputin…lover of the Russian queen…

Ra, Rasputin…lover of the Russian queen… Ra Ra Rasputin. . . .

Famine & Food Shortages Mobilization of 15 million men dislocated the Russian economy Industry was shifted from consumer goods to war production Exports decreased while imports for military supplies increased Military blockade on Russia by Germany, Russia was unable to break the blockade because of a weak navy. Inflation

Spring 1917 Demonstrations commemorate Soldiers & peasants protest & revolt (some soldiers followed orders, others joined revolt) Housewives joined by workers protest food shortages. March, 1917 Duma declares a provisional government (after Nicholas postponed a meeting of the Duma) Czar Nicholas II abdicated (step down from rule), Romanov dynasty after 304 years of rule

The Provisional Government Established in 1917 with Alexander Kerensky as prime minister Unpopular with masses due to preoccupation with World War I Failed to deal with social reform Life in Russia did not improve!

Response to Provisional Government Rival Power: Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies Mild Revolutionaries = Petrograd Soviets Socialists = Mensheviks Radical Socialists = Bolsheviks Gained wide support among the masses Called for peace, land reforms, & better working conditions

Lenin Biography Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov = V. I. Lenin Intelligent, radical, & passionate Middle-class background (studied law) After brothers execution by regime of Alexander III, he dedicated his life to radical revolution (Bolshevik) Exiled for beliefs

Return of Lenin 1917 Lenin returns to Russia (escorted by the Germans) Goals: Organize Bolsheviks (turns them more radical) Seize power from provisional government “Peace, Land, Bread, and power to all Soviets” Soviets: the name given to Russian political organizations, a council, collective, or union of sorts.

Bolsheviks Seize Power Effects of World War I worsen: Ukraine wanting autonomy November 6, 1917 Bolsheviks overthrow provisional government “Bloodless” coup d’etat Kerensky = resign; Lenin = assumes control Bolsheviks assume absolute power Lenin announces the first Soviet government While Bolsheviks have a fairly easy time taking over in the West, the East proves to be a bit more difficult to gain support

A Socialist State Bolsheviks become the Communists End private ownership of property Distribute land among the peasants (owned by the state but had to be cultivated by those using it) Workers control factories & mines Workers enthusiasm vs. managing experience Nationalization of the economy Officials: Leon Trotsky = Foreign Affairs Joseph Stalin = National Minorities

The Cheka The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage “Since the first massacres of Red prisoners by the Whites, the murders of Volodarsky and Uritsky and the attempt against Lenin (in the summer of 1918), the custom of arresting and, often, executing hostages had become generalized and legal. Already Cheka, which made mass arrests of suspects, the was tending to settle their fate independently, under formal control of the Party, but in reality without anybody's knowledge. ” Victor Serge “Memoirs of a Revolutionary”

The Cheka (Chesvychaika), or GPU, is the instrument of the red terror, organized in 1918, through which the Soviet government, the Communist party and the Third International, Russia's indivisible trinity, maintains itself in dictatorial power to this very day. The years have brought a change in name, less activity, more secrecy. George Seldes

Russia Leaves World War I March 1918 Lenin seeks peace with Germany Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Russia accepts terms of Germany Loses Poland, Ukraine, Caucasus, etc. Loses ¼ of land, ¾ of iron & coal, 40% of population Was hard for Russia to accept, but were forced to

Elections in 1918 Bolsheviks win a minority of seats “The voting represented the first free, unfettered, and democratic elections in Russian history. ” “Thus ended in less than twenty-four hours the first democratically elected parliament in Russian history. ” Once it was clear that the parliament was going to go against the work of the Bolsheviks, Lenin cleared the parliament.

Russian Civil War 1918 Political opponents contest Communists Taking Sides: Reds = Communists Whites = Moderates (assistance from Allies) Fighting destroys Russia for 3 years Starvation & economic depression

Outcome of Civil War Lenin & Communists maintain power & defeat the Whites in 1921 1922 Communists rename Russia the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U. S. S. R. or Soviet Union) Communists remain in power until end of the Cold War (1989)