General Overview of Communism & the Russian Revolution

AP World History

Chapter 27b

“The Rise and Fall of World Communism” (1917 – Present)

Communism: A General Overview

Socialism = the belief that the economy should be controlled by society, either directly or through the government

Believe in: a classless society, equal distribution of wealth, gender equality, etc.

How is communism different?

It really isn’t very different think of communists as

“extreme socialists”

Socialists believe their ideal society can be achieved slowly through progression and evolution of the government

Communists believe this society can only be achieved by overthrowing the government

Communism: A General Overview

Cold War = 1946 – 1991

Global rivalry between the Soviet Union and the U.S.

Capitalism vs. Communism

Divided continents, countries, and cities

Spawned the space race

Spawned a dangerous arms race focused on nuclear weapons

Communism: A General Overview

The Soviet Union

Eastern Europe

China

North Korea

North Vietnam

Laos

Cambodia

Cuba

Afghanistan

Major countries/regions in the communist “bloc”:

The Communist bloc is the former Soviet Union and the countries of eastern Europe which had Communist governments and were under Soviet influence, especially between the end of World War II and about 1990

Communism: A General Overview

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and its allies were brought together by:

Warsaw Pact = military alliance designed to counter NATO

Council on Mutual Economic Assistance = tied together the economies of the Soviet Union and those of Eastern European countries

Communism: A General Overview

Communist parties also existed in non-communist countries

1950s = small communist party developed in the U.S.

Sparked fear and political repression

McCarthyism = movement of political repression against communists in the U.S. involved making accusations of

disloyalty and treason without proper regard for evidence

Many people lost their jobs, had their careers destroyed, or were even imprisoned without any evidence that they were communists or communist sympathizers

The Russian Revolution (1917)

Pre-Revolutionary Russia

Only true autocracy left in Europe

No type of representative political institutions

Nicholas II became czar in 1884 Last ruler from the Romanov

family

Believed he was the absolute ruler anointed by God

Russo-Japanese War (1904) = defeat for Russia in this war led to political instability

Russia in WWI

Suffered harsh defeats

Shortages of both food and weapons

Morale in the Russian army = hit rock bottom

Russian civilians suffering at home too

All supplies & food went to the army, not them

Demanded: “PEACE AND BREAD!”

These losses in WWI made Czar Nicholas II very unpopular

Russian soldiers running from

advancing German troops

Czar Nicholas II & Alexandra

Alexandra = Czar Nicholas II’s wife

Both the Czar and his wife = very unpopular because they were politically incompetent and foolish

Both relied on the guidance of a mystic healer named Rasputin This also made them look

weak and silly

Rasputin

Known as the “mad monk”

Wandered around Russia, claiming to have special powers

Czar & his wife asked him to cure their son He had hemophilia

Built up a bad reputation in St. Petersburg Slept with dozens of women

Alcoholic

Alexis: Alexandra’s Son with Hemophilia

Death of Rasputin

Killed by the Czar’s relatives in 1916 to save the monarchy

1st = served cake and wine laced with cyanide No effect – stayed alive

2nd = shot several times No effect – stayed alive; staggering around wounded and bleeding

3rd = the men pushed his body through a hole in an iced-over river Moved about for several minutes before dying

The March Revolution of 1917

People organized strikes and protests demanding food and fuel

Soldiers who were sent to stop the protests ended up joining the protestors

Czar Nicholas II abdicated (gave up) his power on March 15, 1917 End of the 300-year

Romanov dynasty in Russia

The Provisional Government

Provisional Government = temporary central government in Russia after the Czar stepped down

Led by: Alexander Kerensky

Saw the war effort as the #1 priority

Had to deal with: soldiers deserting, transportation problems, low arms production, etc.

The Provisional Government

Russian masses wanted 3 things:

1) Immediate peace & withdrawal from WWI

2) Transfer of land to the peasants

3) Control of factories by workers

Provisional government did not pull Russia out of the war and did not enact any social reforms

Lost popularity

Led to its downfall

The Bolsheviks

Bolsheviks = radical revolutionary group in Russia Wanted a socialist society in

Russia

Led by: Vladimir Lenin

Slogan = “Peace, land, and bread!”

The Russian Revolution

November 1917

Also known as the: Bolshevik Revolution

Bolsheviks staged a coup d’etat in St. Petersburg

Overthrew the provisional government

Members of the provisional government fled or were arrested

Relatively bloodless

Bolsheviks claimed absolute power

The Russian Revolution

Bolsheviks began building a socialist state Ended private ownership of

property Distributed land among the

peasants Gave workers control of factories

and mines

Bolshevik Party = officially renamed the Communist Party in March 1918 Wanted to spread the

Communist revolution throughout the world

Peace with Germany

Lenin’s 1st order of business = get Russia out of WWI

Signed peace treaty with Germany in March 1918 Russia lost much of its

western territory and 1/3 of its population Peace Conference

between Russia and Germany

Russian Civil War

1918 – 1921 Communists vs. their

political opponents Political opponents =

Royalists, Liberal Democrats, Moderate Socialists, Landlords, etc.

Communists = “the Reds” Their opponents = “the

Whites”

Russian Civil War: The Red Army

Communist Army = called the Red Army

Led by Leon Trotsky

Russian Civil War

Both sides burned villages and killed civilians

In the meantime: workers and peasants were starving and the Russian economy was crumbling

Russian Civil War: The Terror

Bolsheviks imposed a policy called “war communism” Took direct control over all

industries Forced peasants to send food to the

cities Killed the imprisoned Czar & his family Set up secret police force = the Cheka

Arrested (and often executed) anyone considered an “enemy of the revolution”

Placed severe restrictions on the Russian Orthodox Church Communists = anti-religion

Russian Civil War “Whites” surrendered in 1921

Outnumbered, disorganized, poorly equipped armies

Lenin and the Communists then had complete control of Russia

Lenin = ruled from 1921-1924

State of Russia = horrible

From 1914-1921 = 27 million Russians had died

Economy = in shambles

Peasants = still starving

Lenin in Power

1922 = Russia becomes USSR = Union of Soviet Socialist Republics = Soviet Union

New constitution written = makes it a socialist state

In theory = Soviet Union supposed to be run by the workers But really the Communist

Party did

Lenin in Power

Lenin died in 1924 at the age of 54

Trotsky vs. Stalin

Fought for power after Lenin died

Leon Trotsky = leader of the Red Army during the Civil War

Joseph Stalin = General Secretary of the Communist Party

Difference = Trotsky wanted to spread Communism all over the world immediately & Stalin wanted to make it strong in the Soviet Union first

Trotsky vs. Stalin Trotsky = closer to Lenin

and more well-known

Stalin = outmaneuvered Trotsky politically Ability to remove and appoint

government officials

Once he gained control of the government, he exiled Trotsky to Siberia in 1929

Trotsky eventually moved to Mexico City 1937 Stalin sent an assassin there to kill him in 1940

Joseph Stalin

Ruled the Soviet Union from 1929 – 1953

Responsible for the next major extension of communist control

In Eastern Europe after WWII

Soviet military forces already there after the war stayed there to

help impose communist regimes per Stalin’s orders

Stalin wanted to be surrounded by “friendly” governments as security against invasions from the West

Communism Today

North Korea in 1948

China in 1949 with Mao Zedong

Cuba in 1959 with Fidel Castro

Laos in 1975 after a revolution

Vietnam in