The Russian Revolution Causes of the Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution

Causes of the Russian Revolution

1. Oppression of the Romanov Czars • Romanov family ruled Russia Absolutely with total power • Kept individual rights to a minimum • People get tired of having no individual freedom

Anastasia Nicholas II and w/family

2. Industrialization of Russia • As Russia industrialized in the late 1800 s, workers were abused • The gap between rich and poor widened • The majority of Russian people were poor workers • Czar Nicholas II did nothing to help the workers by way of reform

3. Russo-Japanese War • 1904 • Russia took on Japan for control of Korean Peninsula • Embarrassing loss to the Czar (major upset) • People begin to lose faith in his leadership

4. Bloody Sunday: 1905 Revolution • Workers and their families marched on Nick’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to protest poor working conditions, low wages, and an elected legislature • One of Nick’s generals panicked and ordered open fire on the crowd killing and wounding over 1, 000 (many were women and children)

Bloody Sunday Cont’d • As a result Nick created Russia’s first Parliament called the Duma

5. World War I • Nick refused to pull Russia out of the war • Russia suffered the most casualties and people blamed Nick (kind of like Pres. Bush w/ Iraq, he is losing support as more men die)

6. Royal Ties to Rasputin • A “fake” priest who claimed to have mystic powers • Was befriended by Nick’s wife Alexandra because she believed he could help their son Alex who had hemophilia • Was running the country through Alexandra while Nick was away conducting WWI • Rasputin was despised by Russian people

7. The Bolshevik Movement • Started by VI Lenin as an answer to Nicholas’ weak leadership • Organized workers, soldiers, and farmers into groups called Soviets • Spread Karl Marx ideas of communism • Wanted to create a society where all people were equal – no rich and no poor • Will ultimately overthrow Nicholas from power and turn Russia into a communist state