Causes of the Russian Revolution

1. The Russian Revolution How it unfolds…

2. Social Causes Most of Russia’s population was poor peasants There was almost no middle class, so most business owners were foreign Proletariat (workers) had low wages and poor working conditions Reformers like Lenin and the Bolsheviks encouraged Communist Revolution

3. Political Causes Russia was ruled by absolute monarchs called Czars Czars limited rights and freedoms; used censorship and secret police to keep order Czars were unable to solve Russia’s problems

4. Economic Causes Most Russians were poor Russia’s industry was mostly owned by foreign businessmen General lack of money; economic stagnation Food and fuel shortages

5. Military Causes 1904- Russo-Japanese War: Fought over control of land in China. Russia’s loss = 1st time a Western power looses to a non-Western country. People angry and embarrassed 1905 Revolution: Palace guards kill unarmed protestors 1914-1918: World War I: It’s an expensive blood bath, people demand peace

6. The March Revolution: 1917 Begins as a workers strike in Petrograd demanding bread Czar Nicholas II orders army to disperse the protestors Army refuses to fire on people Czar Nicholas realizes he is powerless and resigns Provisional government established, and Soviets rule locally

7. November Revolution World War I still going, no problems have been solved. Lenin and Bolsheviks promise “Peace, Land, and Bread” Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government New Communist government established with Lenin in Charge

8. The Russian Civil War 1918-1921 Communists (Red Army) fight royalists (White Army) Western powers, fearing communism, support the Whites Both sides commit atrocities Lenin uses War Communism: putting all of the nations economy directly into fighting the war Red army wins, but Russia is in ruins

9. The Soviet Union (USSR) After 1921 Lenin rules Russia New Economic Policy (mixes some capitalism into the communist economy) helps rebuild the Russian economy Lenin creates the Soviet Union, then dies in 1924 Stalin becomes the new leader of the USSR

10. Stalin’s Russia Stalin wanted to create a truly communist state Stalin took the land away and created collectives, government owned farms When the peasants resisted, Stalin punished them

11. Stalin’s Five Year Plans Stalin wanted to create a truly communist state Stalin took the land away and created collectives, government owned farms When the peasants resisted, Stalin punished them Millions die

12. Life in a Totalitarian State Stalin ruled as a tyrant, controlling all aspects of his government He used secret police to spy on the people Art and music were controlled and became propaganda Dissidents were punished, usually by being exiled to labor camps in Siberia

13. Life in a Totalitarian State

14. Cult of Personality Stalin controlled art, music and culture as a way of glorifying himself He took over churches and turned them into museums of communism He was always portrayed as the savior of the people Those who disagreed didn’t last long!

16. The Great Purge Stalin’s Reign of Terror He tried to get rid of people who posed a threat This included kulaks, Jews, intellectuals, military officers, and so on By the end, the USSR was weak and nearly lost WWII to the Germans!

17. Into the Future… Stalin ruled as a ruthless dictator through WWII and into the 1950s He allied with the USA and Britain against the Nazis in WWII After WWII, the USSR entered into the Cold War with the USA and the other Western democracies