Revolution in Russia: The March and November Revolutions

Section 1 – Two Revolutions in Russia Chapter 15 – Revolution in Russia

Setting the Scene Geography had long favored the growth of the Russian empire. The vast plains stretching from Moscow had few natural obstacles to halt the advance of Russian armies. For nearly four centuries, the empire grew steadily and by 1897, more than half the people under czarists rule were not Russians. Nationalism led to the rise of new political parties among these peoples. In addition to social and economic reforms they hoped for self-rule and independence, revolutionary ideas that contributed to unrest in the Russian empire.

I. The March Revolution In 1914, Russia was a unindustrialized country dominated by nobles, priests, and an autocratic czar

I. The March Revolution After the Revolution of 1905, czars made some reforms and established an elected Duma Bloody Sunday 1906 – The First Duma

I. The March Revolution Marxists revolutionaries tried to stir up revolution among the working-class proletariat

I. The March Revolution WWI drained Russia’s resources and in 1915 Czar Nicholas II went to the front to take charge

I. The March Revolution Nicholas left control of domestic affairs to the czarina Alexandria, who knew little about government

I. The March Revolution German-born Alexandria was distrusted by the Russians and began to rely on the advice of Gregory Rasputin

I. The March Revolution Rasputin’s negative influence weakened the government and in December1916, a group of nobles killed him

I. The March Revolution In March 1917, Czar Nicholas abdicated and the Duma set up a provisional government Newspaper Headline Source: The Age Date: 17 Mar 1917

I. The March Revolution Revolutionaries set up democratic soviets, but radical socialists called Bolsheviks soon took control One of the 10,000 Soviets

II. Lenin and the Bolsheviks The Bolshevik leader was V.I. Lenin, a Marxists who had been exiled and then returned to Russia by the Germans

II. Lenin and the Bolsheviks Lenin adapted Marxist ideas to fit Russia and believed only revolution could bring about changes Long Live World October [revolution]! The workers conquered power in Russia and will conquer power in the entire world

III. The November Revolution In November of 1917, Lenin, Leon Trotsky and the Bolshevik Red Guards overthrew the provisional government The "Red Guard" of the Petrograd Soviet

III. The November Revolution The Bolsheviks distributed land to the peasants and gave control of the factories and mines to the workers

IV. Russian Civil War Lenin sought peace with Germany and signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 A treaty was signed between the central powers (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria) and the Soviet government. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia lost Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, most of Byelorussia, and Russian Poland. The treaty was annulled under the terms of the German armistice.

IV. Russian Civil War Civil war raged for 3 years between the Reds (communists) and the Whites (czarists), along with other national groups Russian Civil WarWhite Army recruitment poster "Did you volunteer?" -- a Red Army recruiting poster

IV. Russian Civil War Brutality was common and the communists assassinated Czar Nicholas and his family

IV. Russian Civil War The Allies sent troops to support the Whites, but the Russians united and drove out the invaders

IV. Russian Civil War The Communists adopted a policy of “war communism” – the taking over of the economy by the state

IV. Russian Civil War Trotsky organized the Red Army into an effective force under the control of political commissars

IV. Russian Civil War By 1921, the Communists had won the civil war but Russia remained in chaos

Revolution in Russia: The March and November Revolutions