Russian RevolutionMonica Ellen Rizzo

The Tsars

The Long Dynasty• Ivan IV the Terrible1533–15841530• Theodore I1584–15981557• Boris Godunov1598–1605c.1551• Theodore II1605–16051589• Demetrius I21605–1606?• Basil IV Shuiski1606–16103?• “Time of Troubles”1610–1613—• Michael Romanov1613–16451596

Alexis I1645–16761629Theodore III1676–16821656Ivan V1682–16895

1666Peter I the Great41682–17251672Catherine I1725–1727c.1684Peter II1727–17301715Anna1730–17401693Ivan VI1740–174161740Elizabeth1741–17621709Peter III1762–17621728Catherine II the Great1762–17961729Paul I1796–18011754Alexander I1801–18251777Nicholas I1825–18551796Alexander II1855–18811818Alexander III1881–18941845Nicholas II1894–I1801–18251777Nicholas I1825–18551796Alexander II1855–18811818Alexander III1881–18941845

• Nicholas II1894–191771868

Czar or Tsar

• Either spelling is acceptable in English

• The word originated in Russian with the Cyrillic Alphabet

Absolute Monarchy

• The Tsars were absolute Monarchs

• They ruled completely

• They had no Constitution or Parliament

• All power rested in the Tsar or Tsarina

Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution came late to Russia

• While other countries were advancing Russia remained an agricultural society with a system of Lords and serfs

• Much of the peasant population suffered stark poverty

• A few Nobles and Priests lived well

Growing Pains

• As Russia began to catch up with western Europe a small middle class and urban working class began to develop

Revolutionary Movements

• Rapid Industrialization created discontent

• Long hours in factories

• Child Labor

• Low wages

• The government outlawed trade unions

• Workers organized strikes

Competing Marxists

• Marxist revolutionaries believed that the industrial class of workers would overthrow the Tsar

• Then these workers would form a dictatorship of the Proletariat

• The workers would rule the country

1903

• The Russian Marxists split into two parties because they disagreed on revolutionary tactics.

• The moderate Mensheviks wanted a broad base of support for the revolution.

• The radical Bolsheviks supported a small group of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice everything for change.

Why can’t we all just get along?

Vladimir Lenin

• Born Vladimir Ulyanov changed name to Lenin

• Lenin had an engaging personality

• He was an excellent organizer

• And Musician…

OOPS

• Wrong Lennon

Lenin was also

Ruthless

Lenin Flees

• In the early 1900’s Lenin flees to western Europe to avoid arrest by the Tsar

• He maintained contacts with the Bolsheviks

• Lenin waited until it was safe to return

Russo-Japanese War

• Competition for Korea and Manchuria

• Massive Russian losses

• Most of the Russian Navy destroyed

Revolution 1905

• 200,000 workers and their families brought a petition to the Tsar asking for better working conditions

• The Tsar’s soldiers fired killing 1000

• An elected Duma was established but had no real power

• Moderates pushed for a constitution

• The Tsar resisted

World War 1

• At first this united the Russians behind the Tsar

• Soon the war would strain the country

• Millions died

• Losing battles

• Food and fuel shortages

Meanwhile back at the Palace

March or February

• In March of 1917 the monarchy collapsed

• A provisional government was established

Lenin Returns

• Peace Land and Bread

• The Bolsheviks topple the provisional government

• Lenin orders all farmland distributed to the peasants

• Control of factories turned over to the workers

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The Last Tsar

Civil War

•The Whites vs. the Reds (Bolsheviks)

• Whites are very fragmented

• Some want return of Tsar

• Some want Democracy

• Some want Socialism but not Lenin’s

Leon Trotsky• Expertly commanded the Red army from

1918-1920

• 14 million Russians died in the civil war and the famine that followed

Lenin Restores Order

• New economic policy (small scale capitalism)

• Slow recovery

• Political reforms

• Bolshevicks become the COMMUNIST PARTY

• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

• Lenin becomes a dictator

Stalin

• Lenin suffers a stroke and Trotsky and Stalin battle for control

• Lenin says “Comrade Stalin…has concentrated enormous power in his hands and I am not sure that he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution.”

Lenin had no idea…