BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION

BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION

¨ Nicholas II and Alexandra Romanov– Doomed from the day of their wedding– 1300 people died on that day– The couple went ahead and attended a ball

given by the French embassy.– Already the people began to loathe the

seemingly callous couple

In the Beginning

¨ The Tsar was cursed from birth– Did not want to be tsar– Tortured psychologically by his father

¨ His priorities were his family not his country.

¨ Would rather go on a cruise with his family than deal with the problems brewing in his country.

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY

LONG TERM REASONS¨ People were angry with the government.

– Russia was an autocracy.– Peasants wanted more land– Bread lines were long, – Working conditions (factory workers) were

poor.

BLOODY SUNDAY

¨ January 22, 1905 ¨ Proletarians (factory workers) protested at

the Tsar’sWinter Palace– Working conditions were bad

¨ The guards began to fire into the crowd.¨ Many were killed¨ Tsar was nicknamed“Bloody Nicholas”.

BLOODY SUNDAY

STRIKES AND REVOLTS

¨ Bloody Sunday caused many revolts and strikes.

¨ Tsar did not care about the people¨ Gap between upper and lower class

widened.¨ Ideas of revolution began to stir.

BAD DECISIONS

¨ Russian-Japanese war 1904-1905¨ 15,000,000 soldiers who were cold, had no

shoes, or sufficient supplies¨ Navy destroyed at Battle of Tsushima

straights¨ Infantry destroyed at Yula River.¨ Portsmouth treaty ended war in 1905¨ People wanted Freedom of speech as well

as political freedom.

DUMA¨ Imperial Manifesto made promises to the

people for civil rights¨ The Duma-elected government body

– Seemed Nicholas was making an effort.¨ Tsar would not keep his bargain.

THE GREAT WAR

¨ Russia a united front¨ Transportation was inadequate ¨ food shortage around the country¨ Soldiers were only allowed 3 bullets a day¨ Morale started to nosedive with the Russian

people¨ Protest and strikes started up again¨ Nicholas commanded his army to put an end to all

disorderly conduct in the streets of the capital

LENIN

¨ In the background was a man named Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov or Lenin.

¨ Exiled to Siberia in 1895 for joining a communist ring

¨ He returned in 1900 and begin to fuel the fire of revolution.

¨ Leader of the Bolshevik party which believed in a five year socialist state in a conversion to communism.

¨ War cry was “Peace, Land, and Bread.”

Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov “Lenin”

MARCH REVOLUTION

¨ Lenin created a new Bolshevik– the red army

¨ The Menshevik Party – the white army.

¨ The red army beat the white army¨ Ended in the abdication (giving up power)

of Nicholas and his son.

END OF THE ROMANOVS

¨ As a result of March Revolution, the family exiled to Siberia.

¨ Bolsheviks took control¨ The family was assassinated on July 16-17,

1918¨ In 1918 a peace treaty was signed to end

WWI.¨ And so began the communist state of Russia

which would last 74 years.

END OF AN ERA¨ 1918 peace treaty signed to end WWI.¨ The white army was defeated by the Reds

in 1920.¨ Communist state of Russia would last 74

years.

Summary & Reflection

¨ Why would authors during the time Russia was ruled by a Tsar, Nicholas II, need to be very careful with their literature?

¨ How could they produce and publish social commentaries without getting caught?