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The Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution. Autocratic Alexander III. Autocracy: absolutist government where ruler has all power Anyone who questions authority of czar, worships outside Roman Catholic church, or speaks language other than Russian is labeled dangerous Alexander III (Sasha) Censors documents

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The Russian Revolution

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  1. The Russian Revolution

  2. Autocratic Alexander III • Autocracy: absolutist government where ruler has all power • Anyone who questions authority of czar, worships outside Roman Catholic church, or speaks language other than Russian is labeled dangerous • Alexander III (Sasha) • Censors documents • Secret police • Spying on schools, teachers, students • Political prisoners sent to Siberia • Pogroms (organized violence against Jews)

  3. Industrialization of Russia • Number of factories double in 40 years • Foreign investors make Russia 4th largest producer of steel (behind US, Germany, Britain) • Trans-Siberian Railway (1891-1916) is longest worldwide • Industrialization brings discontent • Poor work conditions, low wages, child labor • Marxist followers believe industrial class will overthrow czar • “Dictatorship of the proletariat (workers)” • Two Marxist organizations • Mensheviks want broad base of popular support • Bolsheviks support few revolutionaries to sacrifice all • Led by Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin)

  4. Sunday, Bloody Sunday • Jan. 22, 1905: Bloody Sunday • 200,000 workers approach czar’s palace • Petitioning better working conditions, more freedom, elected national legislature • Nicholas II’s army fires on crowd, killing many and wounding 1000 • Leads to strikes and violence across Russia • Followed by creation of the Duma (parliament) wanting Russia to become constitutional monarchy • Czar dissolves Duma

  5. How World War I ended the Czar • Nicholas II brings Russia into WWI • Russians slaughtered by Germans due to lack of modernization and industrialization • WWI kills/wounds 4 million Russians • Nicholas moves his rule to front lines • Rasputin (healing holy man) takes control of political decisions, opposes reform, gets powerful positions for friends • Russia continues to decline, can’t be fixed by Nicholas

  6. The March Revolution • Women textile workers revolt in March, 1917 • Riots over bread and fuel shortages • Soldiers shoot rioters, later side with them • Riots force Nicholas to abdicate his throne • Nicholas is executed in 1918 • Socialist Revolutionaries form local councils consisted of workers, peasants, and soldiers called Soviets • Lenin takes control of Russia by controlling the Soviets

  7. Bolshevik Revolution • Bolsheviks storm czarist palace, arrest leaders of Russian government (Red Guard) • Lenin orders all farmland distributed equally, gives power of factories to workers • Bolsheviks give land to Germany, angering peasants • Civil war erupts between Bolshevik Red Army (led by Trotsky) and peasants (White Army) • Kills 14 million Russians

  8. Lenin Restores Order • New Economic Policy instated (NEP) • Peasants sell surplus crops • Government control of major industries, banks, communications • Allows for recovery of economy • Russia reorganized into small republics under central government to prevent nationalism • Named Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) • Bolsheviks rename party Communist Party • Party holds all power • Goes on assumption that workers would hold power

  9. Man of Steel • Lenin has a stroke, needs to be replaced • Leon Trotsky or Joseph Vissarionovich? • Vissarionovich gains power, renames himself Stalin • “Man of Steel” • Lenin is hesitant of Stalin taking over, fears he will abuse his power • Trotsky is exiled, Stalin takes over Communist Party

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