The Russian Revolution

1917 - 1921

Fall of the Tsar (Czar?)• The Duma

– Russia’s Congress

• Criticizes the war effort in 1916

• Tsar Nicholas II closes it down

Rasputin

– Grigori Rasputin

• Mystic monk

• Claimed to be able to heal Alexi’s hemophilia

• Influenced royal couple

–Nicholas goes to the front, leaving wife and Rasputin in charge

• December 29, 1916

–Relatives invite Rasputin to dinner

Creepy?

While at Dinner

• Relatives poison and shoot Rasputin

– HE DOESN’T DIE

– Throw his body in the Neva River

Problems Continue

• Food Shortages

– Where’s my Beef Stroganoff?

• Fuel Shortages

• Military told to fire at protestors

– won’t fire and join protestors

Tsar Steps Aside

• March 15, 1917

–Tsar Nicholas II ends the Romanov dynasty and steps down

• Romanovs had been in power for 300 years

Provisional Government

• Liberals call for elections– Mostly members of the Duma– Saw the need for support from the Petrograd

Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies• Socialistic groups

– Mensheviks – moderates– Bolsheviks – radicals

• Run by Alexander Kerensky– Member of the Petrograd Soviet

Kerensky

Provisional Government (con’t)

• Does not pull out of WWI– Desertion grows, economy drops– Could not make changes that the Soviets

wanted – BIG PROBLEM

Lenin to the rescue

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

• Big Brother, Alexander tries to kill Nicholas’ father Tsar Alexander III– Fails and is hanged

• Vlady vows to lead revolution

• Exiled to Siberia in 1895– Leaves Russia after his release

• Germany sends him back after Nicholas abdicates the throne (Why?)

Lenin’s Work

• Promised “Peace, Land, Bread” – Get out of WWI– Peasants would get land– Everyone gets enough to eat

• “ALL POWER TO THE SOVIETS”– Soviets (committees) should be the nation’s

only government

The Revolution

• Summer 1917– Gov’t issues warrants

for Bolshevik leaders

• Fall 1917– Bolsheviks control

Petrograd Soviet through elections

• November 1917– Storm communication,

train, and electric hubs– Turn the guns of the Aurora on the Tsarist palace

– Provisional Government surrnders

What Happened Next

• Elections held– Social Democrats - 420 seats– Bolsheviks - 225 seats

• Bolsheviks dissolve gov’t the next day– Seize power under Lenin

• Signs Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany– Russia gives Baltic provinces, Ukraine, and Poland to

Germany

Civil War

• White– Opposed Bolsheviks– Could be

• Tsarists – want to restore the Romanovs

• Liberals – want a capitalistic democracy

• Moderate Socialists – want democracy and state run economy

• Red– Bolsheviks

• Begin to call themselves communist

• Choose red as color of revolution

Whites get help

• Allies want to get rid of Bolsheviks– Bring Russia back into the war with Germany– Give soldiers and money to Whites

Why the Reds Win

• Leon Trotsky– Reorganized the army

• Restored discipline• Fostered loyalty

– Taught soldiers how to read an write

• Lack of unity on White side– Different groups didn’t trust one another

• Lenin used terror– Cheka – secret police arrests anyone who is “enemy

of the revolution”

What Happens to the Romanovs

• July 1918– Lenin orders Tsar and his family killed

• Were in Siberia– Taken to basement of their home and shot

The Royal Family

Lenin and Religion

• Lenin sees religion as against the revolution– Places severe restrictions on the Russian

Orthodox Church

Ending the Civil War

• Many socialist that support Lenin flee Russia

• Communists control entire country by 1921

• White armies surrender in 1921 due to disorganization, lack of equipment, etc.

• LENIN WINS

Problems for Lenin

• Rebellion at Krondstadt Naval Base (1921)

• Saw Lenin as a dictator – not true to promises

• Quickly crushed by Red Army

–Survivors are publically hanged

Lenin’s Plans

• New Economy Plan– Slows down Revolution

– Allows agriculture and retail to remain private

– Brings heavy industry (coal, oil, steel, etc.) under government control

Lenin’s Plans

• Changes country’s name to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics– Attempt to incorporate non-Russian

people

• Forms All-Union Communist Party– Only party allowed

– Allows Lenin to control everything

Lenin’s Downfall

• Starting in 1921, Lenin suffers a series of strokes– Gradually removed from having power

by colleagues

• “keeping him from stressing”

• Dies on January 21, 1924

Lenin’s Tomb

Next Up

•STALIN!!

Stalin’s Background

• Joseph Dzhugashvili – Son of a shoemaker

– Studies in seminary

– Exiled for revolutionary activity

• Robs banks, prison breaks, etc.

–Becomes known to Lenin

Stalin’s Rise to Power

• Positions– Politburo – policy committee

– Orgburo – organization committee

– General Secretary of the Secretariat

• Seen as busy work by others

• Control Party membership and positions

Stalin’s Rise to Power

• Trotsky’s Decline– 1925 – gives up Commissar of War

position

• Thinks he will succeed Lenin

– 1927 – forced from Politburo and the Party

– 1928 – exiled abroad (Kazakhstan)

Stalin’s Rise to Power

• Without Trotsky – Stalin becomes undisputed ruler

Stalin’s Economic Policies

• Five Year Plan– Sets targets that have to met within 5

years for industry and agriculture

• Hard to increase everything at once

• Leads to famine

Stalin’s Economic Policies

• Collectivization– Consolidates all farms into state-run

collectives

• Problems

–Compensation

–Animals

–Gardens

Stalin’s Economic Policies

• Collectivization (con’t)– Policy is discontinued during the ’29-’30

winter.

– Re-started at harvest 1930

Stalin’s Terror

• Politburo– Of the six original members only one

survives – Stalin

• 4 ordered dead by Stalin

– Packed with Stalin supporters

Stalin’s Terror

• Army– 20% wiped out

– 40,000 officers killed

• Seen as possible threat to Stalin

Stalin’s Terror

• Peasants– If opposed to Stalin’s policies:

• Deported to Siberia

• Killed

–2,000 killed a day in Moscow for one summer

Stalin’s Successors

– At time of death• “conspiracy” of Jewish doctors trying

to kill him– planning to execute all Soviet

Jews• Beria controlling doctors

– Dies of cerebral hemerage on March 6, 1953

Stalin’s Death

Stalin’s Successors

• Georgi Malenkov and the Presidium (Politburo)

– Kill Beria, who had tried to take power

– Sees the USSR as weaker than thought

• Wants to compete with USA without fighting them

– Forced out in 1955

Malenkov

Stalin’s Successors

• Nikita Khrushchev– Named Party Secretary in 1953– Becomes Premier in 1956– “Secret Speech”

• given to Congress of Communist Party (1956)

• denounces Stalin’s policies• leaves out anything he had a part in• CAUSES PROBLEMS

Secret Speech

Stalin’s Successors

• Khrushchev’s Foreign Policy– Eastern Europe

• signs Warsaw Pact

– gave Eastern block countries some control

• Patches relationship with Yugoslavia

Stalin’s Successors

• Khrushchev’s Foreign Policy– Eastern Europe

• Poland–riot demanding change

»threatens military action, but backs down

• Hungary–wants free elections–want to withdraw from Warsaw Pact

»USSR tanks roll in to crush protests

Hungary Uprising

Stalin’s Successor

• Khrushchev’s Foreign Policy– World

• Looking for Allies

• brokers deal between Czechoslovakia and Egypt

• offers aid to Afghanistan, India, and Burma

Stalin’s Successors

• Khrushchev’s Foreign Policy– USA

• Berlin Wall• meets with Kennedy in Vienna (1961)• wants USA out of East Germany

– Kennedy increases military presence in West Berlin» USSR builds Berlin Wall» cut of flow of people moving from

East Berlin to West Berlin

Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

Stalin’s Successors

• Khrushchev’s Foreign Policy– USA

• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

– USA finds missile silos built in Cuba

» blockades Cuba

» USSR backs down

Cuban Missile Crisis

Stalin’s Successors

• Khrushchev’s Domestic Policy– Lessens grip but keeps control

• Allows more freedom of press– not complete

– economic ideas• de-centralization

– relaxed collectivization of farms• opened “virgin land”• initially work and then decline

Stalin’s Succesors

• Khrushchev’s Downfall– 1964

• many think he does too much, too soon, and did it poorly

– “resigned”

• October 1964 – voted out of power

• Told to resign

“Stalin” Characters

What They Really Looked Like and What Happens

Kirov

Trotsky

Kamenev

Zinoviev

Bukharin

Sergo Ordzhonikidze

Voroshilov

Voroshilov

• Not a professional soldier

• Liked the spotlight– Often out with Medals on

• Whipping boy for Stalin

• Becomes President of USSR after Stalin’s death

• Pardoned by Khrushchev

• Dies in 1970 at the age of 89

Kaganovich

Kaganovich

• Ruthless– Sent to bring Ukraine under control– Big during Purges

• Expelled from Politburo in 1957

• Khrushchev accuses him of crimes– Even though he helped Khrushchev

• Appointed manager of cement works

• Dies in 1991 at 98 years old in Moscow

Molotov

Molotov

• Molotov means “hammer”– Was used to smash opposition

• Signed “Non-Aggression” pact with Germany• Opposes Khrushchev after Stalin’s death• Ambassador to Ulan Bator• Delegate to International Atomic Energy Agency

in 1960• Thrown out of the Party in 1961

– Re-instated in 1984

• Dies in 1986 at 96 years old

Yagoda

Yezhov

Beria

Beria

• Slowed down Purges

• Placed in charge of USSR nuclear program

• Possible target of Stalin late in life

• Tried to take power upon Stalin’s death– Others put aside differences and had him

killed in 1953