Russian Revolution

1. 1917 Russian Revolution 1800’s-1917

3. Some Definitions • *Czar/Tsar- the emperor or monarch of Russia • Dynasty- a line or rulers from the same family. Also the period of time they ruled over a nation. • *Autocrat- A person with unlimited power or authority. Absolute power • Czar= autocrat, no one to challenge power, no parliament, assembly, no elections, etc. • Heir- next in line to the throne, or a child who receives inheritance after death of parent's)

4. History • 1800’s- 80% Russian population were serfs bound to their land to oppressive landlords • 1825- Czar Nicholas I refuses to free serfs • 1854- Czar Alexander II freed the serfs- not completely free

5. Nicholas II and Alexandra Romanov • *Nicholas II and *Alexandra- the Czar and Czarina • 4 girls and 1 boy • Tatiana, Olga, Marie, Anastasia, and Alexis (heir to throne) • Alexis was born with a blood disease called hemophilia- blood does not clot

7. *Czar Nicholas II • In power from 1894-1917 • Romanov dynasty- rule for over 330 years • Seemed the ideal man as he took over from his father • He was not cut out to be an autocrat • Not good decision maker, not assertive, avoided arguments, not interested in his people or government affairs • Married Alexandra- foreign, didn’t speak Russian, not a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, strong-willed, dominated Nicholas II • Sound familiar????

8. *Grigori Rasputin • 1870-1916 • A wandering man who thought of himself as a man of God and was called “mad monk” • Peasant from Siberia • Alexandra entrusted her son to Rasputin and would call on him to heal Alexis when he was bleeding • Rasputin was able to stop the bleeding • The Czar and Czarina became increasingly dependent on him- he became a friend, political advisor, and confidant • Many in Russia are distrustful of Rasputin • 3 attempts to kill him- poisoned cakes, shot several times, tied up and thrown in the river • Found dead December 30, 1916- died of drowning

9. Pillars of Autocracy • The power of the Czar • *Orthodox Church- Czar is head of the Church. Church reinforces his/her power. Among the peasant population, the Church is very influential. Official Church doctrine reinforces divine right of the Czar. Any challenge to the Czar was therefore an insult to God. • The Civil Service- administrators and officials who carry out the instructions of the Czar and his ministers. Appointed and paid by the Czar= very loyal

10. Pillars of Autocracy • Police- keep watch for enemies and making arrests (Okhrana- secret police) • Censorship- All books and newspapers were censored to keep out liberal or socialist ideas • The Law- Supports autocracy and Czar authority. Standard punishment= banishment to remote Siberia • The Army- Huge and effective, the Cossacks- an ethnic group used by the Czar as internal police • Size of Russia- majority of population were illiterate and uneducated peasants= difficult to spread ideas, lived in remote regions with inadequate transportation

11. Social Classes under the Czar • Aristocrats- nobles • Peasants- more than 80% of population, few owned own land, highly taxed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • Bourgeoisie- middle class, Enlightenment ideas • *Proletariat- Working class, many peasants moved to the city, no rights, hard work

12. Russian Identity • *Intelligentsias- educated Russians exposed to western European and American ideas that wanted to solve Russia’s massive social, political, and economic problems (many Marxists) • *Westerners- wanted the new Russian society to be heavily inspired by western Europe- emphasis on science, constitutional law, and personal freedoms • *Traditionalists- insisted that Russia should ignore the West altogether and focus on developing a system of governments that reflected their traditional Russian culture

13. Definitions • *Populism- an idea that was adopted by the Traditionalist which believed a revolution should start from below – the peasants were the ones who should start and drive the Czar’s overthrow • *Socialism- a political theory that teaches that society should control production rather than individuals • *Capitalism- an economic and political system based on trade and on individual’s accumulation of wealth and property • *Communism- a system of government based on common ownership of property

14. *Karl Marx and *Marxism • A German philosopher, social scientist, and professional revolutionary • Chief founder of Communism and Socialism • Wrote the book Communist Manifesto • Marxism- an ideology that follows the theories of Karl Marx in which capitalism will ultimately be replaced by communism and shared wealth- calls for a classless society in which all production is commonly owned. • Wrote that capitalism is unfair • Revolution is inevitable • He predicted the final class struggle, in which factory workers would rise up against the middle-class owners of industry to destroy capitalism and it would be replaced by communism • Under Communism, all wealth and resources of society would be jointly owned and shared by all people

15. Social Revolutionaries Believed that the peasants would overthrow the Czar, wanted socialism Social Democrats Were Marxists who believed that the urban workers would overthrow the Czar 2 kinds- Bolsheviks and Mensheviks Radical Groups in Russia- 1900’s

16. Radical Groups in Russia- 1900’s • *Bolsheviks • Majority • Led by Vladimir Lenin • Wanted dictatorship of the workers run by full-time revolutionaries • Immediate revolution • *Mensheviks • Minority • Wanted a popular elected and mandated revolution which would come to force by numbers

17. *Russo-Japanese War • 1904-1905 • Trouble centered from treaty of Russia and China to build a railroad through Manchuria to get to Chinese seaports • Japanese leaders were worried that Russia had secret plans to control Manchuria and Korea • Czar thought the war would unite the country and distract revolutionists • Russia suffered huge losses over 100,000, it sparked anti-war protests that encouraged revolutionaries • Increased anger toward the Czar

18. *Bloody Sunday- January 22, 1905 • A crowd (200,000) of workers and their families went on strike in front of the Winter Palace. They wanted to deliver a petition to Nicholas, whom they believed was kept ignorant of the true condition of his nation and people. • Wanted better working conditions, more personal freedoms, and a elected national legislature • On orders from Nicholas’s generals, the Cossack guards opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators and killed/injured about 1,000 men, women, and children • Shook the nation’s faith in the Czar and provoked a wave of riots, strikes, and peasant revolts throughout the country

20. Reforms after Bloody Sunday • October Manifesto- proclamation by Czar to set up a limited elected assembly called the Duma. It also called for more civil liberties, but supreme power remained with the Czar • *Duma- the main legislative assembly in Russia between 1905-1917

21. *WWI and Russia • 1914-1917 • Disaster for Russia- weak generals, poorly equipped troops (some had no guns), 4 million soldiers die in the first year, drained the government of money, food shortages • Nicholas goes to the front leaving his wife in charge- she relies heavily on Rasputin for help= FURIOUS Russians! Not to mention she is German (the enemy)

22. *March Revolution of 1917 • St. Petersburg, a city wide strike and food riots erupts. The army turns on commanders and joins the rioters- over 200,000 people • “Down with Autocracy” “Down with the War” • March 1, 1917- Nicholas abdicates throne, 1 year later, his family disappears “to Siberia” in 1918- actually been killed by the Bolsheviks and secretly buried- What about Anastasia? • A provisional government headed by Alexander Kerensky is developed- he supports staying in WWI, something very few wanted

23. Anastasia Romanov • Most historians believe she was killed with her family • Many women have claimed to be her and the heir to the Romanov fortune held in a Swiss bank • Most famous- Anna Anderson (DNA disproved her relation to the royal family) • The Romanov bodies were discovered and buried in 1998, but 2 bodies remained missing • 1 was Alexis the other was Marie (not Anastasia, as previously thought) • Missing bodies were found in 2007 and preliminary tests proved they were the missing bodies

24. Bolsheviks feared that the discovery of the Romanov's assassinations would spark anti-Bolshevik feelings. Gunned down in the basement where they were kept then bodies were dumped in a field and buried

25. *Alexander Kerensky • Leader of the provisional government • Government was useless, could not compete or stop the fighting between the various factions within Russia • Less able to govern than the Czar • People became more sympathetic to the Bolsheviks

26. *Vladimir IIyrich Lenin • Revolutionary who spends time in Russia, fleeing, back in Russia, fleeing, etc. • Secretly starts unrest among the “Soviets”- the Russian workers • Fails in an attempt in July to overthrow the provisional government • Germany sees the return of Lenin to Russia as helping create unrest and hurting Russia’s war effort • In October returns to Russia to help with the Revolution

27. After Lenin died in 1924, his body was placed in a tomb in Red Square in Moscow. His preserved body, encased in a bulletproof, glass-topped coffin, is still on display.

28. October Revolution of 1917 • September- Russian Army sent troops to crush Soviets, turned public opinion towards the Bolsheviks • October- Lenin leads Bolsheviks into a revolution • November 7- Bolsheviks take over St. Petersburg, arrested the government, and take over in an almost bloodless coup

29. Bolsheviks • Became popular in Russia with their slogan “Peace, Land, and Bread” • Promised to take Russia out of WWI • 6 months after revolution, they name themselves the Communist Party- not really what Marx had in mind!

30. *Peace, Land, and Bread • Peace- leave WWI with a peace treaty with Germany • Gave up land (territory in Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic, and Finland) • Land- Order the redistribution of noble land to all peasants • Bread- Factories given to the workers

31. *Leon Trotsky • Like Lenin, bounced in and out of exile • Helped Lenin during the revolution • Leader of the Bolshevik army during the civil war • Is 2nd in command to Lenin • After Lenin loses power, Trotsky and Stalin battle for control

32. Civil War 1918-1920 • White Army vs. Red Army • *White Army- supporters of the Czar and opponents of the Bolsheviks- only thing in common= dislike of Red Army, other than that, no cooperation. At 1 point, 3 different White Armies fighting 1 Red Army • *Red Army- led by Leon Trotsky, those who helped Bolsheviks take power during the revolution • The secret police ruthlessly crush the opposition and terrorize enemies of the revolution • 15 million die in fighting and a flu epidemic • Ends in June 1920 when the white armyis defeated

34. Leadership of Russia • Lenin suffers a stroke in 1922 and is removed from power • 2 top communists- Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin • Lenin warns about Stalin in power, believes he is a dangerous man • Stalin works hard to put his supporters in positions of power • Stalin takes power in 1928 • In 1929, Trotsky is forced out and sent into exile where he is later killed by Stalin’s secret police in 1940

35. *Joseph Stalin • Took the name Stalin meaning “man of steel” • Revolutionary and ascended the ranks of government • Becomes dictator in 1929 and rules until his death in 1953 • Exercised complete control over Russia/USSR • Created the myth that he was the country’s father and savior- “The greatest genius of all times” • When he died, the country mourned. Some died of sadness, others committed suicide. Many could not contemplate Russia without Stalin. • His body was preserved and placed next to Lenin. In 1961 his body was removed and buried as a way to erase the false beliefs put in place by Stalin.

37. *Totalitarianism • Absolute loyalty to 1 person and government • Glorify aims of the state • Demand total devotion to leaders and government • Total control of information and media • Used secret police and spies to stop opposition • Examples of leaders besides Stalin • China- Mao Tse Tung • Korea- Kim Il Sung • Germany- Adolf Hitler • Italy- Benito Mussolini • Iraq- Saddam Hussein • 2000- reported 5 totalitarian governments: Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Laos, and Vietnam

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39. Stalin and the Economy • *Industry- Five Year Plan • Impossibly high quotas • Government determined that consumer goods were unimportant= huge shortages • Workers watched constantly- all aspects of production dictated by bosses • Agriculture- collectivization- 25 million farms taken away from owners. Peasants who resisted were killed or sent to Siberia. 5 million killed by 1938. • Overall, women's roles improved, personal freedoms were limited, but overall education was better

40. The Kulaks of Ukraine • The Kulaks wanted independence from Stalin and also fiercely opposed collectivization • Because they made their own living and were financially well-off, they were seen as capitalists and anti-communists • The Kulaks murdered officials, burned collective property and their crops in protest • The govt. took control of Kulak equipment, land, and stores of food. • More than 3 million Ukrainians were shot, exiled, or imprisoned. Another 6 million died in government engineered famines that resulted from the destruction of their food and animals • By 1935, the Kulaks were eliminated

41. Group attacking Kulaks

42. Stalin and Russian Life • All communication monitored- opponents arrested, executed, and “erased” • 1932- Famine in Ukraine, millions die • 1934- *“The Great Purge”- thousands of Bolsheviks and Communist Party members executed for “crimes against the revolution”- as many as 13 million killed • Encouraged everyone to report on everyone (teachers, students, parents, children, etc) • Propaganda everywhere- in school “Thank you Comrade Stalin for this wonderful life.” • Newspapers never said anything negative • No religion- “religion is the opium of the masses”

43. Stalin literally erased rivals from photos. 1- original photo 1926 3- 1949 in a biography of Stalin- 1 guy= unclear why removed, other was killed during the Great Purge 1941 4- never published, but guy was assassinated in 1934 by a student, but official report never released and Stalin was fearful of his popularity Altered Photos

46. Soviet Propaganda • Create a new reality- idealized vision of life

48. The Soviet Union • After the Civil War- Lenin organized the new Soviet republics into the federation to form the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR or Soviet Union) in December 1922 • Continued until 1991

50. Sources • Our textbook • http://jmickelsen.timpacademy.org/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20-%20Russian%20Revolution%20power%20point.pdf