Image BorisMikhailovich Kustodiev The BolshevikA.Nair- Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson 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.
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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?
A.Nair Dickerson Rewind -1905
A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson Czar Nicholas II 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.
• BothA.Nair were Dickerson very unpopular.
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• 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. A.Nair Dickerson • .
• 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.
A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson Sunday, 22nd 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.
A.Nair Dickerson • 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 sent away…
A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson 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, and the monk, Rasputin. A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson 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 A.Nair Dickerson
A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson February 1917 October 1917 Revolution Revolution THE END OF RUSSIAN THE RISE OF AUTOCRACY COMMUNISM o Three centuries of Romanov Lenin leads the Bolsheviks to Dynastic rule comes to an power. end. Czar Nicholas II abdicates his throne.
A.Nair Dickerson • 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. A.Nair Dickerson
• 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 named The Russian Communist Party.
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In 1918, Lenin officially pulls Russia out of WWI. Note: Russia stopped fighting in1917 A.Nair Dickerson In 1918 Bolsheviks order the deaths of Nicholas II and his family.
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Russia shifts from the rule of one (Czarist Regime) to a rule of a few (Bolsheviks).
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• Communism is the 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.
A.Nair Dickerson In the following years after the two revolutions, the Bolsheviks or the ‘Reds’ defeat the Mensheviks or the ‘Whites’ in a civil war . CIVIL WAR By 1923 all areas of Russia came under communist control and is renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
A.Nair Dickerson A few years after the death of Lenin in 1924 the country comes under the control of dictator Joseph Stalin.
A.Nair Dickerson In the years to come, the USSR under Joseph Stalin emerges as the world’s leading superpower.
A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson A.Nair Dickerson 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.
A.Nair Dickerson • • 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
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• “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. A.Nair Dickerson
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
A.Nair Dickerson 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
A.Nair Dickerson • A) the Bolsheviks • B) the Duma • C) the Cheka • D) the Whites
A.Nair Dickerson A. the Duma B. the Winter Palace C. the House of Windsor D. Petrograd
A.Nair Dickerson A. Nicholas II B. Lenin C. Stalin D. Rasputin
A.Nair Dickerson A. WWI B. Russo-Japanese War C. WWII D. Bloody Sunday
A.Nair Dickerson A. October Revolution B. February Revolution C. Bloody Monday D. Bloody Sunday
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