- In 1914 the Russian Empire was large, slow to industrialize, and peasants lived in extreme poverty.
- Revolution of 1905 due to poor working conditions. Czar agreed to shorten working days and give the people more rights
- Unrest in Russia 1905-1917: Nicholas ll refused to limit his authority, he ignored the Duma (government), relied a secret police, and corruption went rampant
- Russians supportive of war at first
- As the war dragged on, Russia couldn't produce or transport supplies fast enough
- As a result, Russian soldiers died in droves
- To rally the troops, Nicholas ll went to take control of the army and was a disaster because he was an incompetent leader
- He left politics to his wife and Rasputin
- Russians revolted and killed Rasputin
- March and November Revolutions known to Russians as February and October calender
- February Revolution: Bread and fuel shortages in March 1917 and disasters in war forced Nicholas ll to give up his throne
- The Duma set up a temporary government and politicians kept Russia in the war
- As Duma set up provisional government, revolutionaries established soviets to govern.
- Soviets were councils of workers and soldier. There were democratic and worked with the government at first
- Lenin: He was read and was influenced by Carl Marx.
- Lenin changed Marx's ideas to fit Russia, set up a small group called the Bolsheviks.
- Believed revolution and fighting were only way to fix problems
- Mensheviks were moderate and Democratic socialists. Believed in higher wages, voting rights, and socila welfare programs .
- Disagreed with Lenin and Bolsheviks
- After the Revolution, Kerensky led provisional government and kept Russia in WW1
- Civilians wanted land and workers to end shortages
- Kerensky ordered an offensive against Germany which ended up not working. This lead to troops mutinizing
- November Revolution/Bolshevik Takeover: Red Guard (armed factory workers and mutinous soldiers) overthrew provisional government
- Moscow became Bolshevik headquarters
- Bolsheviks redistributed land and gave worker control over factories and mines
- Civil War: Lenin signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany. It got Russia out of WW1 and gave up a lot of land and population
- Three year civil war between Reds (Bolsheviks) and Whites (tsarist sympathizers, etc..)
- Allies intervened in the brutal war. France, Britain and US sent forces to fight in the war
- Allies wanted to overthrow Communist government and have help in WW1. This caused Communists to dislike the West.
- Communists used fear against enemies and supporters
- Checka = secret police that executed citizens
- Used policy of war communism (peasants had to support production for war)
- Former tsar and his family were shot by communists
- Trotsky made Ted Army into strong force
- Commissars: communist party officials assigned to army to teach communist principles
- Red Army won the Civil War
- Birth of the Soviet Union: 1922 Lenin united old Russian empire into Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
- New constitution: 18+ could vote, resources and means of production given to workers
- States should have equal rights
- Communist Party new ruler, not people
- Factories and mines didn't produce much under party control
- New Economic Policy: some small businesses, peasants could control small pieces of land
- Lenin died in 1924 at age 54
- Death caused power struggle on Communist party
- Trotsky vs Stalin: Trotsky- worldwide revolution against capitalism. Stalin- wanted to keep it in Russia
- Stalin gained enough power to oust Trotsky from Communist party
- Trotsky fled USSR in 1929
- Stalinist agent murdered Trotsky in Mexico in 1949
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