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Russia in WWI
• Czar Nicholas II of the Romanov Dynasty went to the Eastern Front to oversee Russia’s activities in WWI.
• His wife Czarina Alexandra was left in charge of the country.– Had 4 daughters and one son, Alexis.
• Had hemophilia.– Blood does not clot.
Czar Nicholas II
Czarina Alexandra
Rasputin
• In Siberia, a monk named Rasputin made himself famous as a prophet and healer.– Was believed to be a very holy man.
• Alexandra invited him to her home, the Winter Palace in Petrograd.
• During the visit, Alexis (son) injured himself.– In danger of bleeding to death.
• Rasputin somehow stopped the bleeding.
Rasputin
D
• Alexandra quickly named Rasputin as her advisor.– Gave Rasputin control over Russian gov’t.
• Rasputin began to ruin the government.
• Russian nobles wanted Rasputin gone.– Plotted to assassinate him.
• Poisoned, beaten, shot, stabbed, drowned.
• Rasputin was dead, but the damage to the gov’t was done.
Start of Revolution
• Czar Nicholas II came home from the war to starving people.
• Czar tried to use army to crush rebellion, but army joined rebellion.
• Czar was forced to step down, and Romanov family was placed under house arrest.
• A temporary gov’t took over, but were unable to do the job.
October Revolution
• Vladimir Lenin was living in exile in Switzerland.– Anti-Czar writer who was kicked out of
Russia.– Saw his chance to bring Communist rebellion
to Russia.
• Lenin snuck back into Russia and formed the Bolshevik Party.– Communists.
• Lenin and Bolsheviks took over temporary gov’t.
Vladimir Lenin
Civil War• Many were not happy to see the
Bolsheviks in power.– Nobles, royalists, people who supported the
Czar.
• Led to a civil war.– Bolsheviks – Communists - Reds– Mensheviks – Royalists – Whites.
• War lasted 2 years, with 4 million dead.• Bolsheviks won, and Lenin is now in
control of Russia.
The New Russia• Lenin ordered the execution of the entire
royal family.
• Renamed the Bolsheviks the Communist Party.
• Moved the capital from Petrograd to Moscow.
• Changed the name of Russia to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.– USSR, Soviet Union.
Anastasia
Moscow
• Lenin had a stroke in 1923, and died in 1924.
• Two possible successors:– Josef Stalin.
• Communist Party official; knew all the dirty secrets of Communist leadership.
– Leon Trotsky.• Leader of Red Army, best choice to succeed
Lenin.
• Both fought for control.– Stalin won.
• Assassinated Trotsky in Mexico City.
Lenin’s Tomb
Joseph Stalin Leon Trotsky
• Stalin took power and began to reorganize the economy.– Created Collective Farms – took over all
private land and forced peasants to work on huge farms.
• Did not work. Farms did not produce and at least 10 million starved.
– Started Five-Year Plans – Major programs to increase industrial production.
• Forced workers to work in any job available, not what they were trained for.
• Soviet economy increased, but at tremendous cost.