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Russian Revolution. Czar Nicholas II. Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov dynasty Was a shy, quiet man who assumed his subjects loved him because he was czar Wife, Alexandra, was German People thought she was overbearing & held too much influence over her husband. Alexi.
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Czar Nicholas II • Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov dynasty • Was a shy, quiet man who assumed his subjects loved him because he was czar • Wife, Alexandra, was German • People thought she was overbearing & held too much influence over her husband
Alexi • Alexi was the only son of Nicholas & Alexandra, so was heir to the throne • Alexi was a hemophilia • Family consulted a “holy man” named Rasputin to help cure Alexi from his disease
The “Mad Monk” • Rasputin had a strange hold over the royal family, especially Alexandra • Alexandra began to seek Rasputin’s advise for ruling Russia • Russian people deeply resented this • Began to plot against Rasputin • Eventually was shot, poisoned, then thrown in a lake to drown
Causes of the Revolution • Industrialization of Russia • Used foreign investment to build factories • Poor working conditions lead to urban unrest • Russo-Japanese War • Russia was embarrassed by loss to Japan • Revolution of 1905- “Bloody Sunday” • Russian soldiers fire on unarmed protestors • 500-1000 people were killed • Led to the creation of the Duma • Duma- Russian national legislature
Resistance Movements • Workers began to support the ideas of Karl Marx • Believed that industrial workers would overthrow the czar • The Bolshevik Party was formed in 1903 & was led by Vladimir Lenin • He was exiled to Siberia, then lived in Britain, Germany, & Switzerland after his release
Lenin • When he was young, his brother had been executed for an attempt on Alexander III life • Lenin never forgot this & dedicated his life to promoting a revolution • Lenin returned to Russia in 1917 with the help of Germany
Causes of the Revolution • Russia supported the Serbs & entered WWI in their defense • Russia was consistently defeated by Germany & had 4 million casualties the first year • Demonstrated the weakness of czarist rule as Nicholas led the troops • Defeats destroyed the moral of Russian troops • Soldiers mutinied, deserted, & ignored orders
February Revolution • Women in Petrograd led a citywide strike in February 1917 • 200,000 workers joined the strike • Soldiers sent to stop the strike, joined it • Led to a general uprising in Russia • Czar Nicholas, realizing that all was lost, abdicated the throne (he resigned) • The Provisional Government was established & led by Alexander Kerensky
The Bolshevik Revolution • Dissatisfied with the provisional government, Lenin & the Bolsheviks seize power • Motto was: “Peace, Land, Bread” • Immediate Reforms • Ordered all farmland be distributed to peasants • Control of factories given to workers • Withdrew from WWI • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Russia & Germany • Russia gave up land to get out of WWI