Russian Revolution

Characteristics of Revolutions (American &

French)

Inequality Vast majority of citizens were poor

Individual Rights Common citizens wanted a voice in government.

Taxation Majority of the population shoulders the tax burden; most often the poorest citizens.

“Taxation without representation.”

Characteristics of Revolutions (American & French)

Financial

problems Louis XVI bankrupted gov.; King

George III burdened with debt from protecting the colonies.

Why was the industrial revolution included?

…What do you think happened to countries that failed to embrace the Industrial revolution?

What is a Czar

Czar A male monarch or emperor (similar to a King or Queen); Ruled Russia prior to the revolution of 1917.

The last Czars

Alexander III. Rule 1881 – 1894

Nicholas II Rule 1894 – 1917

Czarist Rule

Policies Hard-line (Autocratic)

Censorship Anti-government activities were not allowed; no right to protest the Czar.

Pogroms Mob attacks on Jewish citizens; less rights and freedoms for Jews.

Czarist Rule Cont.

Russification Non-Russians forced to use the Russian language, and learn Russian history.

Over ½ population was not Russian. (Finns, Germans, Mongols, Ukrainians etc.)

Czarist Rule

Expansion Into Eastern Europe and Asia – Costly

Russo-Japanese

War (1904) Battle for the Korean Peninsula

Consequence Russia unprepared, embarrassed by peace treaty.

Czarist Rule

Gov. Corruption Bribery; dissidents sent to Siberia.

Peasant Life Poverty, heavily taxed, limited access to education.

Utopia

Utopia An ideally perfect place especially in its social, political, and moral aspects.

(American Heritage College Dictionary)

What would your Utopia look like? 1. How would people treat one another?2. What types of rights would people have?3. What would life be like? 4. How would you accomplish/create this Utopian Society?

Karl Marx

The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth heproduces, the more his production increases in powerand range. The worker becomes an ever cheapercommodity the more commodities he creates. Withthe increasing value of the World of things proceeds indirect proportion to the devaluation of the world ofmen. Labour produces not only commodities; itproduces itself and the worker as a commodity – and doesso in the proportion in which it produces commoditiesgenerally.

Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844)

Karl Marx Control the means of production – the ways

goods were made and distributed – controlled society

Therefore “the class that controlled a nation’s economy also decided its laws, government, religion, and culture.”

Power! Who controls our nation?

Do those individuals that have money in our society control government, religion, and culture?

Freeman and SlaveLord and Serf Guild-master and Journeyman

Oppressor and Oppressed – In constant opposition

Proletariat Working class, lives from the sale of its Labor

Capitalism and Communism

Capitalism Economic system based on private property and free

enterprise.

Communism Economic and social system in which all means of production are owned in common.

Classless society.

Russian Revolution Part I. Collapse of the Tsarist regime (March 1917)

Conditions leading

To the Revolution Bloody Sunday (1905)

Poverty

Russo-Japanese War

Trade unions banned

Russian Revolution Part I.

Opposition groups Intelligentsia (Democratic)Bolsheviks (Socialism)

Population growth 50 – 100 million 1860-1900.

Duma Parliament was dissolved (1907).

Russian Revolution Part I.

World War I. Horrific LOL (1,700,000) food and fuel supplies low

throughout Russia, Inflation.

February Rev. 1917 - Marches for food led to rioting, police and soldiers fought with the mobs in Petrograd (St. Petersburg).

Czar Nicholas II, steps down

Russian Revolution Part I. Provisional Gov Established Civil rights, free elections promised.

Soviets Councils..were set up throughout Russia to speak for the needs of

workers and soldiers.

New Leader Alexander Kerensky (Moderate Socialist)

WWI Continued involvement in WWI.

Ramifications Lost support from many peasants and workers.

Russian Revolution Part II. BolshevikRevolution - November, 1917 - 1921

The Bolsheviks Became the communist party; Early on a relatively small

party 1917 less than 1 percent of the population.

Ideology Abolish capitalism, create a classless society.

Russian Revolution Part II (Bolshevik

Revolution)

Gained popularity Promised to get Russia out of WWI

Land to peasants

Food for workers

Red Guard Workers’ militia (Supported Lenin)

Russian Revolution Part II (Bolshevik Revolution)

November Rev. (6-7 1917) Red Guard with help from

sympathetic soldiers and sailors seized control of the central gov.

Lenin Chief of state, unlimited power.

Opposition to Lenin and the Bolsheviks

“Whites” Opposed Lenin and the “Reds”

Members Ukrainians, Poles, Finns, Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians wanted their

own rule.

Peasants forced to send food to cities.

Opposition to Lenin and the Bolsheviks

Issues Lenin shutdown freely elected

Constituent Assembly 1918.

Problems Army was not well coordinated; lacked peasant support. (Land Policy)

Timeline (Russian Revolution) Alexander III. (1881-1894) Nicholas II (1894-1917) Russo-Japanese War (1904) Bloody Sunday (1905) Population growth (1860 – 1900)

World War I. (1914 – 1918) February Rev. (1917) Provisional Gov Established (March, 1917) Alexander Kerensky (July, 1917) November Rev. (Nov 6-7th 1917) Lenin Shuts down the Constituent Assembly (Nov

1917)