Russian Revolution
When was bloody Sunday?
January 22nd, 1905
What happened on bloody Sunday?
A peaceful protest organized by the Assembly of Russian Workingmen gathered on the streets outside of the palace. The Tsar was out of town but his uncle, Grand Duke Vladimir, ordered the soldiers to shoot into the crowd. Several people were killed.
What did Karl Marx believe?
He believes that capitalism is the reason behind imbalance. In his books he talks about how he wants working class revolt against capitalism and form a communist society.
What is communism?
Communism is when all property is publicly owned and each person works and gets paid based on their needs.
What did Vladmir Lenin do (approximate timeline)?
He joined a group of Marxist revolutionaries when he was young. He was arrested and exiled to Siberia meet his wife, Nadezdha Krupskaya, who was also a revolutionary. In November 1917 he joined strikes and promised "bread, land, and peace". In 1918, 30 different groups claimed to be ruling Russia, and Lenin was able to defeat them with the help of the red army, Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. In 1918, an attempt was made on Lenin's life by a member of a left-wing socialist group. He died in 1924, which set a stage for Stalin to emerge.
What happened in 1903 to the Marxists?
At a meeting meant to unify the Russian Marxists, they instead split into two groups, the Menshiviks and the Bolsheviks.
Who were the Cossacks?
A group of soldiers that had been very loyal to the Tsar. Once the protests began they switched sides and joined the people.
Who was Leon Trotsky?
A communist theorist who was second in command to Lenin during his rule. He led the soviet military forces during the revolution.
Who was Alexander Kerensky?
A Russian lawyer, politician, and socialist. He had roles as part of the Russian provincial government, as the Minister of Justice, as the Minister of War, and as the Prime Minister. He was part of the Duma and supported Russia being in the war. At some point people stopped supporting his ideas and he lost all of his power. He eventually had to go into hiding due to the Bolshieviks.
Why was Tsar Nicholas II a bad ruler?
He was unprepared to fill the role of Tsar for a country that was already in poor condition. He did not care for his citizens and had a very weak character. He was also very easily swayed by others such as Rasputin and did not trust his ministers because he thought they would try to control him.
Who was the Tsarina?
The Tsarina was a German woman who was not at all liked in court. She sought out help from Rasputin to cure her son of hemophillia. She started to believe that he was a holy man who was sent from God. Because she was in power while the Tsar was away, rumors started that she was a German spy.
Who was Rasputin?
Rasputin was the man who was essentially controlling the Tsarina behind the scenes. He claimed to be able to cure her son by hypnotising him. He was involved in many different scandals. (Also he was apparently illiterate.)
Who were the White Russians?
The White Russians were an anti-communist group who fought the Bolsheviks. They wanted a return to a monarchy and these beliefs sparked a war between the Red and White Russians.
Who were the Bolsheviks?
The Bolsheviks were a wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers Party that was led by Lenin. They were a very well-organized party but they were willing to use whatever means necessary to acheive their goals. They ended up working together with the Soviets and sailors to take control of the government, but after the October revolution they resfused to share power with anyone else.
What did the Bolsheviks immediately do after taking power?
When the Bolsheviks took power Lenin became the head of the Russian government. They declared land a social property, which allowed peasants to seize land from nobility.
Why were the results of democratic elections refused?
Lenin did not allow the results of the elections to take place because he wanted to remain in power.
Why did the white armies fail?
The white armies failed mostly because of their low morale. They were unwilling to communicate with each other and were not coordinated. They gained no support from civilians and did not offer any alternatives. Lastly, the Bolsheviks' terms were more appealing than the option of continuing to lose battles.
What was the Treaty of Brest Litovsk?
The treaty of Brest Litovsk was signed on March 3rd, 1918, ending Russian participation in the war. Lenin signed it because he realized that they were too weak as a country to continue fighting. This was controversial because it required that Russia surrender a large portion of land and population to Germany.