*Nicholas II – (Last Czar of Russia)

Alexandra – Tsarina

Four Daughters – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia

Tsarevich Alexei – Born with hemophilia (a blood disease)

Rasputin (The Mad Monk)Only person who could heal Prince Alexei.

Rasputin with Admirers

Russian Government Before Revolution

• Monarchy: The Czar (Tsar)

• Until 1905 the Tsar's powers were unlimited.

• Russia had no constitution,

• no political party system to check the Tsar's power

• A strong secret police which terrorized the people.

Russo-Japanese War (1904)

Dispute over Manchuria with Japan. Russian navy defeated

Shook national confidence in their progress and rule of Czar.

Bloody Sunday (1905)

End of the Tsar - July 17th, 1918After a small rebellion in 1905 Tsar Nicholas II created a kind of parliament called the Duma. the tsar was not willing to give up his power and dissolved the Duma after a few months.

During World War I Russia lost many soldiers

Winter of 1916/17 was very harsh and many people had little food to eat and not very much fuel to heat their houses.

They wanted Russia to stop the war.

Russia and World War I• Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary

• War becomes unpopular

• Rationing leads to starvation

• Nicholas II leaves St. Petersburg to war front

March Revolution (1917)• 1917- protests spread through

St. Petersburg and the Royal palace is taken over.

• Czar abdicates

• Provisional government (Duma) takes control lead by Alexander Keresnky

• Provisional government unpopular after decision to stay in WWI

October (Bolshevik) Revolution-1917• Lead by VIadimer Lenin

• “Peace, Land, and Bread”

• Won support of people (especially peasants)

In February 1917 large demonstrations against the tsar started in Petrograd (today’s St. Petersburg).

The Russian army joined the demonstrators and turned against the Tsar . Nicholas II was forced to give up.

After the Tsar had stepped down from power the Duma set up a new government , but it couldn’t manage the problems that Russia had.

Groups of workers set up so-called “Soviets”. First organized in St. Petersburg but quickly spread throughout the country.

As the Duma’s government became weaker the power of the Soviets became stronger.

Many different political groups fought for power.

The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, took over control. Bolsheviks were popular because they promised the people “ peace, land and bread”.

In October 1917 the Bolsheviks took over the government and Lenin became the most powerful man in the country. All other political parties were forbidden.

Bolsheviks put all land under the control of the state. The tsar and the Russian church lost a lot of land.

The new party introduced an 8 hour workday & gave workers more control over the factories.

Soldiers entered the new Red Army.

Lenin pulled Russia out of World War I. Signed a treaty with the Germans at Brest-Litovsk in early 1918.

Soon, the Bolsheviks changed their name to the Communist Party.

1919-1920Civil war broke out between the

Bolsheviks and anti-Communist forces called “White Russians”.

Sides in the Revolution: White: Nobility & Rich Menshevik: Democratic Reformers Red (Bolsheviks): Communists

1919 White Armies (Royal and Menshevik troops) attack the Reds (Bolsheviks) from all directions.

Whites Received help from some foreign countries, like France, Great Britain and the USA.

After three years the Red Army won the war and the revolution that had begun a few years earlier was over.

Nicholas II and his family were taken prisoners and murdered by the Communists in 1918.

In 1922, Russia officially became the Soviet Union.

Nicholas II and his family were taken prisoners and murdered by the Communists in 1918.

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Rule of Lenin 1920-1924

• In 1922, Russia officially became the Soviet Union. • Economic Reforms included the New Economic

Plan (NEP)

-moderate mix of capitalism and socialism• Political Reforms

-Bolshevik Party became Communist Party

-Russia becomes the United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

Communism

• An Extreme Form of Socialism– Central Planning of the Economy by the State– No Private ownership of property

• Government (Communist Party) makes all decisions on: – Individual jobs and pay– Production– Agriculture and Industry