Russian Revolution

Revolution #1: March 1917

• overthrow of tsar (Nicholas II) by Duma establish Provisional Gov’t.

• Causes:– war exhaustion– divide b/t gov’t. and people

Revolution #1 continued…

• Events:– Sept. 1915: Progressive Bloc calls for new gov’t.

responsible to Duma– Nicholas adjourns Duma & goes to warfront

Tsarina Alexandra & Rasputin run government– March 1917 – revolution! • Petrograd bread riots • Duma declares provisional government• Tsar Nicholas abdicates

Revolution #2: Nov. 1917

• Bolsheviks overthrow Prov. Gov’t. (PM Kerensky)

• Causes:– socialists want more radical reforms– cont. war exhaustion

Revolution #2 continued…

• Events:– April: Lenin returns– May: Petrograd Soviet issues Army Order No. 1

army in chaos– Sept.: Kornilov’s failed attack on the Prov.

Government weakens the gov’t. and strengthens the Bolsheviks

– Oct.: Bolsheviks gain majority in Petrograd Soviet (over Mensheviks)

– Nov.: Bolsheviks seize power from Prov. Government

Questions

1. How did Lenin’s ideas veer from Marxist theory?

2. Russian Civil War:a. Who fought in it?b. Who won?c. Why? (what factors helped that side to win)

How did Lenin veer from Marx?

1. He argued that revolution could happen in Russia (vs. Marx thought it would happen in a more industrialized nation, like Britain or Germany)

2. He argued that a vanguard party was needed to lead the revolution (vs. Marx thought it would happen spontaneously)

Russian Civil War (1918-1921)

• Reds (Bolsheviks) vs. Whites (opposed to Bolsheviks)• Winner: Reds• Reasons why the Reds won:– controlled the center– more united, defined ideology– better army (Trotsky)– war communism– Cheka destroyed opposition– foreign intervention on behalf of Whites wasn’t helpful to

the Whites and did ignite nationalism that helped the Reds

Timeline Exercise: Put the following events in chronological order.

a) Lenin adopts war communism and creates the Chekab) Revolution of 1905c) The czar accepts the creation of the Dumad) March Revolution – Provisional Government replaces

the tsare) Rasputin is assassinatedf) Civil War between Reds and Whitesg) Nicholas II becomes czarh) World War I beginsi) Lenin returns to Russiaj) November Revolution – the Bolsheviks take over Russiak) Riots in Petrogradl) Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Timeline Exercise Answers

g, b, c, h, e, k, d, i, j, l, f, a