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Explore the events leading to the Russian Revolution, the rise of the Bolsheviks, the civil war, and the establishment of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin's rule.
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Russian Revolution
Russia in WWI • Czar Nicholas II of the Romanov Dynasty went to the Eastern Front to oversee Russia’s activities in WWI. • His wife Czarina Alexandra was left in charge of the country. • Had 4 daughters and one son, Alexis. • Had hemophilia. • Blood does not clot.
Rasputin • In Siberia, a monk named Rasputin made himself famous as a prophet and healer. • Was believed to be a very holy man. • Alexandra invited him to her home, the Winter Palace in Petrograd. • During the visit, Alexis (son) injured himself. • In danger of bleeding to death. • Rasputin somehow stopped the bleeding.
Alexandra quickly named Rasputin as her advisor. • Gave Rasputin control over Russian gov’t. • Rasputin began to ruin the government. • Russian nobles wanted Rasputin gone. • Plotted to assassinate him. • Poisoned, beaten, shot, stabbed, drowned. • Rasputin was dead, but the damage to the gov’t was done.
Start of Revolution • Czar Nicholas II came home from the war to starving people. • Czar tried to use army to crush rebellion, but army joined rebellion. • Czar was forced to step down, and Romanov family was placed under house arrest. • A temporary gov’t took over, but were unable to do the job.
October Revolution • Vladimir Lenin was living in exile in Switzerland. • Anti-Czar writer who was kicked out of Russia. • Saw his chance to bring Communist rebellion to Russia. • Lenin snuck back into Russia and formed the Bolshevik Party. • Communists. • Lenin and Bolsheviks took over temporary gov’t.
Civil War • Many were not happy to see the Bolsheviks in power. • Nobles, royalists, people who supported the Czar. • Led to a civil war. • Bolsheviks – Communists - Reds • Mensheviks – Royalists – Whites. • War lasted 2 years, with 4 million dead. • Bolsheviks won, and Lenin is now in control of Russia.
The New Russia • Lenin ordered the execution of the entire royal family. • Renamed the Bolsheviks the Communist Party. • Moved the capital from Petrograd to Moscow. • Changed the name of Russia to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. • USSR, Soviet Union.
Lenin had a stroke in 1923, and died in 1924. • Two possible successors: • Josef Stalin. • Communist Party official; knew all the dirty secrets of Communist leadership. • Leon Trotsky. • Leader of Red Army, best choice to succeed Lenin. • Both fought for control. • Stalin won. • Assassinated Trotsky in Mexico City.
Joseph Stalin Leon Trotsky
Stalin took power and began to reorganize the economy. • Created Collective Farms – took over all private land and forced peasants to work on huge farms. • Did not work. Farms did not produce and at least 10 million starved. • Started Five-Year Plans – Major programs to increase industrial production. • Forced workers to work in any job available, not what they were trained for. • Soviet economy increased, but at tremendous cost.