The Russian Revolution Why would people want to

The Russian Revolution

Why would people want to rebel against their government?

What was the Russian Revolution? The revolution in the Russian empire in 1917, in which the Russian monarchy (Czarist regime) was overthrown resulting in the formation of the world’s first communist government.

Russia’ Romanov dynasty had lasted 300 years but Nicholas II, who ascended the throne in 1894, turned out to be the last Czar of Russia. How did such an ancient monarchy fall so quickly in 1917?

Rewind -1905

Russia’s Social Structure 1905

Czar Nicholas II Russia's Autocratic Government • • The Last Czar of Russia Descendant of the Russian Romanovs. Absolute ruler with unlimited powers-Ruled alone and unquestioned. Weak personality. Ignored the needs of his people. Czarina Alexandra, wife of Nicholas II was German.

The People • Majority of the Russians were peasants or factory workers. • Most peasants did not own the land they farmed. • Factory workers had to endure long hours, low pay, and horrible working conditions. • About 80% of Russians were poor.

ECONOMY • Economy was based on agriculture. • Russia was not as industrialized as the rest of Europe. • Russia’s war with Japan had devastated Russia’s economy. • Food prices went up, but the wages remained the same. • Many people were starving.

Bloody Sunday The Path to the Revolution

1905 BLOODY SUNDAY –What happened? Sunday, 22 nd January, 1905 On a Sunday afternoon, a large group of over 200, 000 unarmed workers, their families, and supporters along with Father Gapon, a Russian priest led a peaceful demonstration in St. Petersburg. • Demonstrators wanted to present a petition to the Czar regarding better working conditions, more wages, and freedom. • The unarmed demonstrators were shot by the Czar's troops. Many innocent people were killed.

• Bloody Sunday sparked several protests and strikes by the Russian people. • The Czar was forced to create the Duma-the Russian Parliament. • Nothing really changed, Nicholas kept power and if members of the Duma disagreed with the Czar they were

Fast forward to 1917…

WWI (What another War!) The First World War proved to be the last straw for the Czar’s government. • Millions of Russian troops were getting killed. • Soldiers were not well prepared with proper weapons, or supplies. • . Nicholas left the government in the hands of his wife, the Czarina,

RASPUTIN

Overview of Causes Economic differences between social classes. Russo-Japanese War Bloody Sunday, the massacre of unarmed protestors outside the palace in 1905. Weak leadership of Czar Nicholas II . Devastation of World War I—high casualties, economic ruin. Food shortages, widespread hunger low wages, landless peasants. Rasputin

Russia’s Social Structure in 1917 Did anything change?

1917 The Revolutions

Two Revolutions In One February 1917 Revolution October 1917 Revolution THE END OF RUSSIAN AUTOCRACY THE RISE OF COMMUNISM o Three centuries of Romanov Dynastic rule comes to an end. Czar Nicholas II abdicates his throne. Lenin leads the Bolsheviks to power.

The February Revolution • On February 28, 1917, Czar Nicholas is forced to abdicate (give up) the throne. • A provisional (temporary) government takes over. • THE PROBLEM: • Provisional government supports the war. • Peasants are still without land.

The October Revolution “Peac e, Lan d, Bread !” “All p ower to the S oviets !” • Bolsheviks gain support from peasants with promise of land. • Led by Lenin with slogans such as “Peace, Land, Bread!”, the Bolsheviks take over the provisional government. The Bolshevik Party will be later

What does Lenin do when he comes to power?

Lenin redistributes land to the peasants. Where did Lenin get the land from?

In 1918, Lenin officially pulls Russia out of WWI. Note: Russia stopped fighting in 1917

In 1918 Bolsheviks order the deaths of Nicholas II and his family.

To sum it up… Russia shifts from the rule of one (Czarist Regime) to a rule of a few (Bolsheviks).

RISE OF COMMUNISM

WHAT IS COMMUNISM ? • Communism is theory that all people should be equal and there should be no classes. Everyone should work for the good of the country and wealth would be equally shared amongst all citizens.

1923 CIVIL WAR In the following years after the two revolutions, the Bolsheviks or the ‘Reds’ defeat the Mensheviks or the ‘Whites’ in a civil war. By 1923 all areas of Russia came under communist control and is renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

In 1926, a few years after the death of Lenin the country comes under the control of dictator Joseph Stalin.

In the years to come, the USSR under Joseph Stalin emerges as the world’s leading superpower.

PAUSE We have to head back to central Europe…something horrific is brewing in Germany.

LEARNING CHECK

1) A major cause of the Russian Revolution of 1917 was the A. German defeat in WWI. B. marriage of Czar Nicholas II to a German princess. C. existence of sharp economic differences between social classes. D. Russian victory in the Russo-Japanese War.

Read the statements in the box, and then answer the next question. • • Led the Russians in a second revolution (1917) • • Promised “Peace, Land, and Bread” • • Redistributed land to the peasants. 2) Which leader is being described by these statements? A. Czar Nicholas II B. Vladimir I. Lenin C. Nikita Khrushchev D. Mikhail Gorbachev

Read the statements in the box and answer the next question. • “Czar Abdicates! Provisional Government Formed” • “Peasants Promised ‘Peace, Land, and Bread’” 3) Which event is the focus of these headlines? A. Bloody Sunday B. October Revolution C. February Revolution D. Both B and C.

4) In the view of this cartoonist, Russia under Lenin’s rule was characterized by A. a continuation of traditional life B. the introduction of capitalism C. support for a constitutional monarchy D. rejection of the czarist system

5) Which statement best describes the relationship between World War I and the Russian Revolution? A. World War I created conditions within Russia that helped trigger a revolution B. World War I postponed the Russian Revolution by restoring confidence in the Czar C. the Russian Revolution inspired the Russian people to win World War I D. World War I gave the Czar’s army the needed experience to suppress the Russian Revolution

6) Revolutionary supporters of Lenin were known as_____ • A) the Bolsheviks • B) the Duma • C) the Cheka • D) the Whites

7) The Russian Parliament established after the 1905 Revolution which was given no real power to challenge the czar was known as _____. A. the Duma B. the Winter Palace C. the House of Windsor D. Petrograd

8) Mysterious advisor who used his influence over the czar and czarina to gain power and control the Russian autocracy was _______. A. Nicholas II B. Lenin C. Stalin D. Rasputin

9) Humiliating war in 1905 in which Russia lost to an Asian Imperial Power was the ______ A. B. C. D. WWI Russo-Japanese War WWII Bloody Sunday

10) A march in 1905 that led to the death of hundreds of Russians protesting poverty, poor working conditions, and starvation. A. B. C. D. October Revolution February Revolution Bloody Monday Bloody Sunday