THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION: A QUICK OVERVIEW

Mrs. Mills

THIS LESSON ADDRESSES STANDARDS:

CCSS 8.4: PRODUCE CLEAR AND COHERENT WRITING IN WHICH THE DEVELOPMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND STYLE ARE APPROPRIATE TO TASK, PURPOSE, AND AUDIENCE.

STANDARDS FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS: 1.1.2 USE PRIOR AND BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AS CONTEXT FOR NEW

LEARNING.

Why are we learning this? What are we learning? How do I know I have learned this?

What was the Russian Revolution? The Russian Revolution occurred when

Russia’s political, economic and governmental system completely collapsed. Differences between upper class and peasants caused discontent and the country was soon involved in a bloody war in which dictators ignored human rights.

“…the Russian revolution took place because the patience of the Russian people broke down under a system unparalleled in inefficiency and corruption. No other nation would have stood the privations which Russia stood for anything like the same length of time.”

-British Consultant, Bruce Lockhard

In the beginning…

Before Russia collapsed in 1917, the empire had been ruled by a single powerful family, the Romanovs for 300 years. 140 million people lived in Russia including many Armenians, Finns, Jews, Poles and Germans.

Russia copied a group called the “Mongols.”

Mongols were brutal nomadic attackers from Asia who influenced Russia with its autocracy, or one absolute monarch called a czar.

The czar made laws, commanded armies, controlled the churches, factories, schools, railroads, universities and all of life was ruled by this one man.

How bad were the conditions?? Children were forced into labor in factories

and beaten. Average salary was $2 a month for working 5

a.m. until 8 p.m., 70 hour weeks and in polluted factories. People would have to be on their hands and knees all day on cold cement or splintered wood.

No freedom of speech People who spoke out were “crushed brutally” While Czar lived in lap of luxury, families

starved.

Czar Nicholas II

Czar Nicholas married a woman who was not Russian, but German. Alexandra was viewed as overbearing and domineering.

Czar Nicholas got Russia involved in a war with Japan in hopes that it would raise Russia’s morale. He thought that if they won the war, people would be proud of Russia. Unfortunately, they lost.

Peasant discontent due to the war, food reparations, and political groups set the stage for the event in January 1905, which would later be called “Bloody Sunday”. Sunday, after church in January 1905 a group of protestors (many women and children) proceeded to the Winter Palace to demand from the Czar food and better working conditions.

Czar Nicholas ordered that his army open fire on the peasants and thousands ended up dead on the front lawn of the Palace.

Soon, the people of Russia lost all faith in the Czar and shut down shops, businesses and soldiers refused to follow orders.

Everyone soon realized that a new government would have to take over.

Karl Marx

Marx was a man, who by the time the Russian Revolution was getting underway, was dead. However, his ideas were the basis for what a new Russian government would look like.

Marx, a “radical thinker” was exiled from Paris in 1844 for his ideas about what a government should be.

Marx wrote that people were free to leave his or her low paying jobs but were forced to go to another horrid job. He pointed out that people, especially what he called the bourgeoisie, or middle class, could never own their own business.

Marx believed that private ownership of land must be abolished.

He believed in a “communal” way of life where everyone shared in the prosperity.

He said that the “workers of the world should unite” and take over the government.

He wanted a government where all people were considered equal and that while the government owns everything, the people own the government.

Let’s focus on a political figure named Vladimir Lenin and how his support of Marxism helped shape a new government.

Back track a few years…In 1887, an assassination attempt was planned for Czar Alexander.

The assassination plot was discovered and the “planners” were hung.

Among these “planners” was a boy named Alexander Ulyanov.

Alexander Ulyanov’s sister was banished to another village 40 miles away.

Now, Alexander’s grief stricken brother, Vladimir Lenin, decided that he would make the Czar pay for his brother’s death and his sister’s banishment.

Lenin lived for many years in Russia and became interested in Marx’s ideas. Marx’s book Das Kapital and another book, a novel, What is to be Done? inspired Lenin.

He started working on revolutionary propaganda but was arrested and exiled to Siberia.

Lenin then wrote a pamphlet and had it smuggled into Russia. It is claimed that 3 out of 5 workers in Russia read the pamphlet or had it read to them, teaching the workers the basic ideas behind Communism and how it would benefit Russia.

Lenin eventually returned to Russia and continued to raise support for his ideas. He wrote for underground newspaper. An underground newspaper is one that is secretly printed and distributed.

The trouble continues…

As Lenin is gaining more support, Czar Nicholas is facing more trouble.

The mystery of Rasputin

A strange man makes his way into the Czar family when he saves the Czar’s son from bleeding to death.

Soon there is talk that Rasputin is romantically linked to the Czarina.

Now there it is thought that due to their affair and the Czar’s incompetence, Rasputin was making political decisions.

A plan to kill Rasputin is put into action. Rasputin is poisoned, shot, clubbed and drowned before finally dying in a frozen river.

As World War I began, Czar Nicholas takes over the army and it is a disaster! Nicholas has a “duma” or provisional government to help make reforms.

Czar Nicholas falls ill. He asks his brother to take over the thrown. His brother refuses and the Romanovs are overthrown.

Meanwhile, Lenin goes…

To start working for a newspaper. Starts clearly outlining his ideas for

government. Lenin starts to win over people including

a man named Leon Trotsky, who becomes his partner in crime.

1917

Lenin becomes the head of the Bolshevik revolt. Bolshevik’s enter Winter Palace, overturn provisional government and take control of country. This was called the October Revolution and was led by Lenin, Trotsky and another man named Joseph Stalin. All three would become leaders in Russia.

In 1918, Lenin imposes Communism.

1918…

Nicholas and his family are executed. It is believed that Lenin ordered this execution.

Some people in Russia did not like Communism and soon a civil war broke out among people. Some fought for the Red Army (the communists) and others for the White Army (traditionalists).

Trotsky, who as the head of the Commissar for Foreign Affairs favored a world revolution.

In 1919, Trotsky thought it was time to push forward and move Communism on to other countries.

From 1918-1921, the civil war continued. Foreign countries like Britain, France and the US were alarmed at the spread of communism.

Stalin, however, opposed Trotsky and didn’t want to move forward to other countries.

Bye, Bye Lenin

Lenin was on his death bed in 1924. Since he began his rule, 7 million people have died from disease and as a result of war.

Lenin wrote in a letter before his death that he thought Stalin would wipe out the population if he came to power. The letter was lost until years later.

Stalin, an average man, who didn’t want to follow Marx’s ideas craved power and was willing to kill for it.

He got the Propaganda Department to support his image and lied to get more supporters. He benefited from education being controlled.

To secure his power, he had Trotsky exiled in 1929. This was helpful to Stalin because he could blame all of the problems and difficulties that Russia encountered on Trotsky.

Beginning in 1929, Stalin began to “exterminate” the Kulaks.

The kulaks were peasants who did not want their farms to be collectivized (taken by the government) after the revolution. Stalin felt many of the kulaks were gaining too much wealth. He killed most of the kulaks by firing squads. As he killed them, farming suffered and there were more food shortages.

The Five Year Plan

A five year plan was introduced by Stalin. He wanted to increase literacy rates, improve factories and health care and murder anyone who did not like him.

The five year plan worked because… Stalin built 500 new factories. U.S. becomes Russia’s rival. Russia becomes a major nation. Gains were made in health care, literacy,

nutrition, living standards. Murdered an estimated 8 to 15 million

people. Did help Europe during WWII, which

prevented Hitler from taking over.

“Raised as a poor peasant, Stalin must have hated the rich and desired all to be equal. Communism appeals to this and a desire for wealth and control pushed him to power. Stalin did much to help Russia and the world in WWII but killed millions in pursuit of his ideas and dictatorship. To his calloused heart, ‘A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.’”

Simmonds, George http://www.grolier.com/wwii/wwii_stalin.html “Joseph Stalin” Scholastic. Accessed October 22, 2012

Now, let’s start Animal Farm andsee how the real life events and the book go together in a fantastic allegory!