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The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution
Background
Russia’s military had very little training before World War I. Czar Nicholas II was the sole military leader of the
Russian army. Due to the lack of technological advances in Russia,
many soldiers trained with broom sticks because of the lack of weapons.
While the Czar was away from the throne during the war his wife, Alexandra, made all of the important decisions.
Background
She had little experience in political matters so she relied on Grigori Rasputin to give her guidance on political matters.
Rasputin was a self proclaimed holy man that had supposedly stopped Alexandra’s sons bleeding and saved his life.
Assassination
Rasputin gained much power and influence by becoming Alexandra’s counselor.Many who supported the throne saw a need for change.A political group that supported the Czar, shot Rasputin three times and tied him up and threw him in the river.
The March Revolution
Women factory workers were standing in line waiting for bread. Bread had begun to be
rationed out because of the war efforts.
Exhausted from working 12 hour shifts, the women became uneasy.
A series of strike lead by working class women broke out in Petrograd.
Continued
Factory workers came together and called a strike demanding for peace and bread.By March 10th all factories had been shut down.Nicholas II ordered the military to disband the crowds and to shoot them if need be.
The Duma asked the Czar to step down. Nicholas stepped down
on March 15th.Alexander Kerensky
became ruler and kept Russia in the war to preserve her honor.
Did not sit well with the people of Russia.
Soviets
Soviets were groups that represented the working class in Russia.
They began to challenge the government’s authority.
Mostly made up of socialists.
Socialism is an economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy.
Bolsheviks
Began as a small faction of a Marxist party called the Russian Social Democrats
Their leader was V.I. Lenin.
Believed in a violent Revolution to destroy capitalism.
With the provisional government in place Germany sent Lenin to Russia to try and create more disorder in Russia.
The Bolsheviks promised: End to the War Redistribution of land to
the peasants Transfer of factories and
industries from capitalists to committees of workers
The transfer of government power from the provisional government to the soviets.
Bolsheviks Seize Power
Leon Trotsky was a dedicated revolutionary and head of Petrograd Soviet.
November 6 Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace. Seat of provisional
government Seized power with
little or no bloodshed
Lenin turned over power to the Congress of Soviets
However real power was passed to the Council of People’s Commissars which was headed by Lenin.
On March 3, 1918 Lenin signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and gave up eastern Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and Baltic Provinces.
Civil War
Many in Russia were opposed to the Communist government.
Allies sent thousands of troops to Russia to try and keep them in the war.
First threat to the Communist was in SiberiaAnti-Communist movement attacked
westward and advanced to the Volga River and was stopped.
The Communist would eventually overpower these movements.
Royal Family
Royal family had been taken into captivity after the takeover.
In April 1918 they were moved to a small town in the Ural Mountains.
On the night of July 16, members of the local soviet murdered the czar and his family and burned their bodies in a nearby mine shaft.
Communist Victory
Due to the organizational genius of Trotsky.Trotsky reinstated the draft and built a well
disciplined army.The lack of unity among the non-Communist forces.War of Communism- government control of banks and
most industries, seizing of grain from peasants, and the centralization of state administration under communist control.
By 1921, the Communist were in total command of Russia. Russia now did not like the Allies because they had tried to help their enemies during the Civil War.
