Revolution and Civil Warin Russia

Chapter 11Section 5

Russia Pre-Revolution1913 marked the 300th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty ruling in Russia.Nicholas II, the tsar of Russia, was a weak and ineffective leader.Russia was controlled by landowning nobles, priests, and an autocratic tsar.The majority peasant population suffered stark poverty.As Russia began to industrialize, a small middle class emerged.

Unrest DeepensModerates pressed for a new constitution and social change.Nicholas II blocked attempts to limit his authority.He relied on his secret police to impose his power.Revolutionaries plotted radical plots to lead peasants to overthrow the tsarist regime.Marxists (revolutionaries) tried to ignite revolution among the proletariat- the growing class of factory and railroad workers, miners, and urban wage earners.A revolution would occur when the time was right!

Impact of World War IWWI quickly strained Russian resources as factories could not produce enough military supplies.Many soldiers had no rifles or ammunition, causing millions to die.In a patriotic gesture, Nicholas II went to the front lines to take charge of the military.His decision was a disastrous mistake.He left all power to his wife, tsarina Alexandra to make decisions in domestic affairs.Alexandra relied on the advice of Gregory Rasputin, an illiterate peasant self-proclaimed “holy man.”Alexandra believed Rasputin had miracle healing powers after he helped her son, who suffered from hemophilia.Fearing the monarchy would end, a group of Russian nobles killed Rasputin on December 29, 1916.

The Fall of the Tsar

Rasputin Alexis Alexandra Nicholas II

The March RevolutionRead pg. 376 The Tsar Steps DownAnswer:

1. - What caused the monarchy to collapse?2. - What left the government helpless and

caused the tsar to abdicate?3. - What did revolutionary socialists set up

outside of the provisional government?

4. - What radical socialist group took charge?5. - Who was their leader?

Witness History Video

The Fall of the Tsar

Lenin and the Bolsheviks

Class ActivityLenin and the Bolsheviks The November Revolution

Brings the Bolsheviks to Power

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AssignmentRead: Lenin and the Bolsheviks1. Answer: Why did Germany want Lenin to return to Russia in 1917?2. Answer: How did Lenin adapt Karl Marx’s theories of communism to fit the Russian situation?Read: The November Revolution Brings the Bolsheviks to Power

3. Answer: How were the Bolsheviks able to seize power from the provisional government?4. Answer: What changes did the Bolsheviks make immediately?Read: Russia Plunges into Civil War?

5. Answer: Who were the “Reds” and the “Whites?6. Answer: How did the Red Army defeat the White Army to end the civil war?Read: Building Communist Soviet Union?7. Answer: How did Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP) address some of the devastation caused by years of warfare?8. Answer: Who came to power in Russia after Lenin’s death? 9. Answer: How did Stalin differ from Trotsky? What happened to Trotsky in Mexico?

HomeworkAnswer:

-pg. 381 (#3-6)