Garden City High School Global History & Geography m Mr. M. Stratis, Esq. Lesson: The Russian Revolution Aim: What events brought about the Russian Revolution? 1. How was Tsar Nicholas II overthrown in the FebruaryfMarch Revolution? ~\ - L/ ) A. B. C. D. E. F. The underlying causes were based on tsarist incompetence 1. Political causes: tsarist absolutism and oppression 2. Economic causes: peasants wanted fair share ofnobles, lands 3. Social causes: ethnic and religious discrimination The immediate causes were basedon wartime shortages and public anger 1. On the battlefront: inadequate food, clothing, equipment and arms 2. On the homefront: factories were inefficientand food was lacking 3. The low morale ofsoldiers: soldiers defected, deserted, surrendered and mutinied On February 25 [Julian calendar] (March 8) 1917, hundreds ofthousands ofmen and women gathered in the streets ofpetrograd (new name for St. Petersburg) demanding food and an end to the war 1. Crowds shouted "Down with the tsar!" 2. On February 28-29, government troops were sent to put down the riots 3. Troops defied government orders to fire on the crowds and even joined protesters and revolutionaries (the Provisional Executive Committee of Soviet Workers' Deputies) Tsar ordered generals on the front to send troops to his capital but was told that the troops would refuse or probably join the protesters Nicholas demanded that the Duma be dissolved and was spurned by the parliamentarians Tsar wasleft with no choice and abdicated in favor ofhis brother, the Grand Duke Michael, who refused the title after briefly considering proposal 1. Marked the end ofthe three century old Romanov dynasty II. What type ofgovernment immediately succeeded the tsar? A. The ProYitional Government (February-October 1917) 1. "Iemporary central government that called for elections later in the year to choose a constituent assembly, and then a permanent assembly 2. Consistedofmiddle class Duma representatives initially led by the liberal democrat PrinceLvov 1
B. The provisional government was opposed by the Petrograd Soviet ofworkers' :: and Soldiers' Deputies (March 14) 1. Composed ofworkers and peasants belonging to various socialist groups; Mensheviks, Social Revolutionaries (populists) and Bolsheviks (radical socialists) a Socialists had split into Mensheviks and Bolsheviks (1903), -. b. Mensheviks believed that the masses would lead a socialist revolt ;": and did not make concrete plans to overthrow the government c. Bolsheviks believed that socialism would be attained by force and. would be spread worldwide by workers and-peasants: ~ - d. By 1917, Mensheviks far outnumbered'bolsheviks.' } 2. Became a model for other soviets (councils) throughout Rdssia 3. Called for an immediate peace, the transfer oflandto.the peasants, and the" control ofthe factories by the workers C. Vladimir llyich Lenin (1870-1924) led the Bolsheviks from exile 1. Lenin came from a middle class background and was deeply affected by the execution ofhis older brother, a revolutionary who had tried to assassinate Alexander ill and failed (1887) 2. Russian government arrested Lenin for his revolutionary activities and exiledhim to Siberia 3. After his release, Lenin departed for Germany, Britainand Switzerland 4. Upon learning about tsar's abdication, Lenin wanted to return to Russia a Germans gave Lenin safe passage in exchange for Lenin's promise to overthrow provisional government and withdraw from the war b. Lenin and his associates arrived inpetrogradon March 16, 1917 D. Petrograd Soviet proclaimed a soviet republic and ordered the nationalization of all banks and estates (April 17) E. Lenin and the Petrograd Soviet attempted to overthrow government but failed because ofthe interventionofgovernment troops (July 16-17) 1. Lenin fled into Finland and continued his revolutionary campaign F. Alexander Kerensky, a moderate Socialist, replaced Lvov as prime minister (August 3); he advocated the continuation ofestablished policies: 1. The continuation ofthe war on the side ofthe Entente Powers 2. The continuous provision offood for populations in cities 3. A freeze on all peasant claims over estates and no redistribution G. Bolsheviks showed strength in local elections and gained control ofthe Petrograd Soviet 1. Lenin appealedto the Russian people with the slogan "Peace, Land, Bread" and called upon the soviets to assume control ofthe government ( "Allpower to thesoviets! ") 2
3 How did Lenin come to power in the OctoberlNovemberRevolution? A. B. c. D. E. An attempted coup by the tsarist General Kornilov provoked the Bolsheviks to act immediately against Kerensky's government (September 1917) 1. A Politburo (committee) ofseven men was formed 2. The Politburo included Lenin, Leon Trotsky [Lev Bronfinan] and Joseph Stalin [Dzugashvili] to promote armed revolution against the government Soldiers, workers and sailors [known as the Red Army] took over the main post office, the telephone system, electrical plants and train stations 1. Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and arrested the members ofthe Provisional Government at gunpoint 2. Guns ofthe battleship Aurorathreatened ministers into surrendering 3. Kerensky fled into life-long exile (November 6-7) while Lenin assumed control ofthe government The SecondAll-Russian Congress ofsoviets took power (November 8) 1. Created Council 0/People's Commissars to govern Russia 2. ProclaimedDecree oftermination ofwar and LandDecree (property of large landowners were confiscated without compensation) 3. Proclamation ofright ofself-determination ofall peoples in Russia (November 15) Lenin ordered that elections for a constituent assembly be held (December 8) 1. Lenin received only 9 million out of36 million votes cast 2. Social Revolutionaries received 420 seats to Lenin's 225 seats The constituent assembly opened on January 18, 1918. 1. Russia was declared a democratic federal republic 2. The next day, the Bolsheviks dissolved the constituent assembly and seized control N. What policies did Lenin pursue until his death? A. B. c. Lenin signedthe Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany (1918) 1. Russia lost large areas ofterritory: Poland and Baltic Republics 2. Many regions were declared independent republics: Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Finland, the Ukraine and Georgia 3. Russia had to pay reparations Leninnationalized all industry and estates (end ofprivate property) Lenin faced opposition to his authority during the civil war (1918-21) 1. Inside Russia: Anti-Bolsheviks ("Whites") led by former tsarist officers 2. Outside Russia: The Entente powers ofthe West wanted Russia back in the war against the Central Powers
3. Polish troops, Entente armies and the "Whites" attackedthe regions of Vladivostok, Munnanskand the BlackSea (up until 1920) 4. Leninordered the executionofthe ex-tsar and his family in 1918 (Anastasia-may have miraculously survived and escaped) 5. The Communist secret police (Cheka) executed thousands ofrussian counterrevolutionaries (any "enemy ofthe revolution") 6. Leninalso placedsevererestrictions on the RussianOrthodox Church D. The Red Army ("Reds") crushed all opposition and were victorious 1. Trotsky organized and inspired the people with his speeches 2. Peasant soldiers were determined to beat the nobles 3. Russian nationalism unitedthe people against the foreigners 4. The "Whites" and foreign armies were disunited and disorganized E. Lenin introducedthe New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921 1. NEP was to restore some degree ofcapitalism for seven years (1921-28) 2. Permitted small manufacturers and farmers to own their own businesses and sell what they produced for a profit F. Russia was proclaimed the UnionofSoviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in 1922 G. \ Lenin died in 1924 and a struggle to succeed him followed V. Howdid Stalin take power in the USSR? A. Trotsky and Stalin competed for leadership 1. Lenin had recommended in a letter that Stalin be dropped from the position ofgeneral Secretary ofthe Communist Party before he died 2. Trotsky was expelled from Communist Party (1927) and was exiled (1929) B. Stalin becamepremierand purged all ofhis rivals during the 1930's 1. The "Great Purges" began with the assassination ofa high party official probably acting on Stalin's orders (1934) 2. Stalin used occasion to rid himselfofopponents and strengthen his hold on the party (millions were arrested, put in labor camps or shot) 3. Stalin then put on trial the Old Bolsheviks and destroyed their reputations 4. Even Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico by Stalin's agents (1940) C. Stalin ended the NEP and announced the first ofhis Five Year Plans (1928) 1. To rid capitalist elements introduced during NEP and nationalize 2. It brought all industry and agriculture under government control 3. Itestablished collective farms [collectivization] in which public land was farmed by peasants and crushed the kulaks (prosperous anti Communist peasants) and the Ukrainian peasant farmers (more than five million died by Stalin's seizure ofthe region'sgrain) 4. The Five Year Plans made the USSR into an industrial power 4