RUSSIAN REVOLTS AND REVOLUTIONS

Revolts & Revolutions

• 1800s: Russia was full of tension

• Society had become more educated & wanted radical change– Serfs– Nobles

Alexander I

• 1801: Alexander I took the throne – Eased censorship– Promoted edu. – Talked of freeing

serfs

• Took back reform ideas after Napoleon’s invasion

Decembrist Revolt

• 1825: army officer uprising – Took liberal ideas

from Napoleon – Demanded

constitution

Decembrist Revolt

• Lack of proper planning doomed the revolt

• Nicholas I - put down revolt – 150,000 exiled to Siberia – Banned books from W. Europe

• Revolutionary leaders became heroes in Russian society

Alexander II

• Initiated a series of measures to Modernize Russia – Improved infrastructure

• 1861: freed all serfs– Problem: freed serfs had to buy land

Alexander II

• Many groups were angered by reforms he tried to make

• Several attempts were made on his life

• March 1881: Alexander II was assassinated

Marxism

• German philosopher • Wrote the Communist Manifesto with

Friedrich Engels • Believed that workers or the proletariat

should unite & overthrow capitalist governments

• Communism: a classless society where everyone’s needs are taken care of

Revolution of 1905

• 1904: Russo/Japanese war – Stunning defeat of Russia

• News of military loss led to protest by workers – Strikes for better wages & hours

Bloody Sunday

• Father Georgi Gapon

• Sunday: Jan. 22 – Organized workers

for a peaceful march

• Czar Nicholas feared marchers & fled – Fired on by guards

The Revolution of 1905

• Discontent Across Russia due to Bloody Sunday – Strikes – Workers took over

local government – Peasants looted &

burned homes

Revolution of 1905

• Nicholas was forced to make reforms

• October Manifesto

Effects of Revolution

• Nicholas failed to solve Russia’s basic political & economic problems

• Discontent sparked new revolts

Affects of Revolution

• 1914: World War I broke out

• United Russians together – Army went to war – Russia’s resources

were strained

World War I

• 1915: Many soldiers had no ammo or supplies – 2 million casualities

• Nicholas went to the front lines – Left his wife Alexandra in charge

Affects of WWI

• Alexandra began to rely on Rasputin – Both threw the

government into chaos

Rasputin

Revolution of 1917

• March • Origins: food riots & strikes • Czar ordered soldiers to intervene

– Instead they joined the rebellion – Forced to abdicate on March 17

• Duma set up a provisional government • Soviets or councils were set up to

challenge the government

LENIN

Lenin & The Bolsheviks• Vladimir Lenin

– Began hating the Czar’s government as a teenager

• During college read Marx & began spreading ideas

• 1895: arrested & sent to Siberia – Exiled to Switzerland

A new view of Marx

• Marx predicted the working class would overthrow capitalism – Russia didn’t have a large proletariat

• Lenin called for an elite group to lead revolution – Bolsheviks or “majority”

Lenin & Germany

• March 1917- Germany saw a chance to weaken its enemy – Help Lenin return home

November/Bolshevik Revolution

• Red Army (factory workers pro-revolution)– Joined by sailors to help

overthrow provisional government

• Fell without a struggle

• Bolsheviks came into power – Ended private ownership of land – Workers gained control of factories &

mines

Brest-Letovsk Treaty

• Lenin Quickly sought peace with Germany – Signed treaty

• Gave up land & population

THE TREATY

NEW BOARDERS

Russia Civil War

• Red Army v. White Army

• 1918-1922

LENIN CLEANING THE EARTH OF FILTH

OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE WAITED TO SAY LAST GOOD-BYE

LENIN’S MAUSOLEUM IN RED SQUARE