Russian Revolution: What influenced it and Post-Revolution

Reign of Tsar Nicholas II

Period: Nov 1, 1894 to Mar 15, 1917

When Socialist Revolutionaries were most popular [exact date unknown]

Period: Mar 16, 1896 to Mar 16, 1917

The Socialist Revolutionaries were the most influencial party of its time. It's popularity was mostly due to the fact that they were appealing to the peasant population and when it came to the Russian Constituent Assembly they won the vote in a landslide as now everyone could vote, inlcluding peasants. This meant that the Bolsheviks, who came second and were who were organising the assembly, had to get rid of the SR in which they did.

Russian Social Democratic Labour Party split

Nov 16, 1903

The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party split after long disputes between the two. The two main groups that were produced from this event were the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Bolsheviks believed that they were ready to create a revolution but on the other hand Mensheviks were believed the exact oppisite.

Bloody Sunday - 1905 Revolution

Jan 22, 1905

Causes:
The peasants were angered by Russo-Japan War sought to protest with the Putilov Plan begining the protests. The peasants also wanted Universal Sufferage.
What happened:
300,000 protesters marcher towards the Winter Place without police interferance. The protesters were led by Father Gapon. Gapon was killed when the army gaurding the palace fired shots into the crowd to dispurce them. It turned into a massacare with many deaths and the Tsar, although not there, was blamed directly for it.

Creation of Kadets [exact date unknown]

Mar 16, 1905

Led by Paul Miliukov, they were mostly lawyers, teachers, doctors and civil servants. They believed in working with the constitution or laws of Russia to bring about change, especially through the Dumas.

October Manifesto

Oct 17, 1905

The manifesto addressed the unrest in Russia and pledged to grant civil liberties to the people: including personal immunity, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association; a broad participation in the Duma; introduction of universal male suffrage; and a decree that no law should come into force without the consent of the state Duma..

Creation of Octoberists [exact date unknown]

Mar 16, 1906

Led by Guchkov, they believed in the October Manifesto.

Appointment of Pytor Stolypin

Jul 21, 1906

Peter Stolypin was appointed the 3rd Prime Minister of Imperial Russia under pressure of Bloody Sunday

Assasination of Pytor Stolypin

Sep 18, 1911

Stolypin was assasinated in Kiev after he exiled 20,000 people and hanged 1,000. His 'Carrot and Stick' policy caused his assasination. The stick part was to come down hard on strickers, protesters and revolutionaries.

Russia's Involvement in WW1

Period: Jul 31, 1914 to Mar 8, 1918

Russia, under the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, entered the war believed that their vast numbers would create a steamroller and destroy the Germans with ease but due to poor leadership Army was heavily beaten on more than one occasion. The war ,for Russia, came to an end in 1918 with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. This treaty was not popular but neccessary as this war was finacially draining the country, like it was a hemorrhage.
The war caused economic chaos with inflation. Food shortages followed.

Battle of Tannenberg - First Crushing Defeat

Period: Aug 23, 1914 to Aug 30, 1914

The battle literally wiped out the Russian Second Army and was the first in a line of humilating defeats.

Tsar Nicholas II takes direct control of the Army

Sep 15, 1915

Taking control of the army was a terriable move by the Tsar as now he is out of Petrograd and opposing political parties can build their influence more easily. Also the Tsar can be directly blamed for the defeats.

Assasination of Rasputin

Dec 29, 1916

Many of Tsar's supporters were alarmed by the influence of Rasputin over Nicholas and his wife Alexandra, before and during the war. Through the use of hypnosis Rasputin, a monk, appeared to control haemophila, a disease that affected his son, Alexis, severely. This gave him an extremely strong influence over the goings on in Russia as the Tsar was out the country.
He was a womaniser and alcoholic and was suspected of having an affair with Alexandra. the Tsar's wife.

Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II

Mar 3, 1917

After the February Revolution the Tsar abdicated but this was just the tip of the iceberg.

February Revolution

Period: Mar 8, 1917 to Mar 12, 1917

This revolution was the most unintential revolution of all time.
It started with:
- Unrest and strikes spread quickly and bread queues turned into riots.
- The workers began to form councils (called Soviets) and the leaders of the Duma (including Kerensky) began opposing the Tsar openly.

Provisional Government now in power

Mar 15, 1917

The Porvisional Government was placed in power after the abdication of the Tsar. First, but always temporally, Prince Lvov and then Alexander Krensky. The new government also foolishly continued the damned war with Germany.
The Government's Problems:
- Mutnies broke out in the armies.
- Peasants were simply taking over the landowners' estates.
- Oppisistion was grwoing from parties like the Bolsheviks.
- The Petrograd Soviet became more and more hostile to the government.