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The Great Northern War
This war took place between most of Scandinavia and Russia. It was originally just between the various countries of Scandinavia, but Russia wanted a foothold in the Blatic as well. Peter the Great was czar during this war, and his main objective was to gain land. Eventually, Charles XII from Sweden was killed, leading to their loss. After the war, Russia was considered the dominant state in Eastern Europe. -
Decembrist Revolt
This was a revolt to stop the accession of Nicholas I. It was unsuccessful, as a result of it being poorly organized. It was immediately after the death of Alexander I. The rebels were mainly upper class and military officers. Many were sent to Siberia, while others were executed and jailed. -
Czar Alexander II Emancipates the Serfs
In 1856, Alexander II introduced the idea of emancipating serfs to Russia, while describing his idea of glasnot (openness) in government. In 1858, nine committee members from several different organizations gathered in the Main Committee in St. Petersburg and voted for the Emancipation Manifesto. The serfs paid for their collection collectively, though some thought they were cheated. This act gave Alexander II the title Czar- Liberator. -
The Assassination of Alexander II
On his way to military rollcall on March 13th, 1881 Alexander II was killed. There were orignally three bombers in the crowd. The first, Nikolai Rysakov, threw a bomb at the czar's bulletproof carriage and failed to injure him. As he exited, the second bomber, Ignaty Grinevitsky, threw his bomb at the emperor's feet and severly injured him. He was taken to Winter Palace where he had Communion and Extreme Unction. He soon after died from the horrible wounds to his legs, stomach and face. -
The Russo-Japanese War
This war was started between Russia and Japan because both countries wanted Korea and Manchuria. Japan struck first at Port Arthur, and the battle continued for about a year. The last land battle, fought at Mukden, gave Japan a large stretch of land they needed to succeed. The last naval battle however sealed the victor, as Japan won Port Arthur. This was the first time in modern history a Asian power beat a European power. -
Bloody Sunday
This was a very revolutionary time in Russia, with several waves of strikes in St. Petersburg. Priest Georgy Gapon was in charge of the protest that was the victim of this tradgedy. He had told authorities about this demonstration, was marching peacefully, and they were heading toward Winter Palace. Nicholas was not in the city, so Grand Duke Vladimir, ordered the firing upon the crowd after failed attempts to stop it. This act started uprisings, strikes, mutinies, and the 1905 Revolution. -
The Revolution of 1905
This revolution was almost a direct reaction to Bloody Sunday. Workers on strike were already frustrated after Russia's loss in the Russo-Japanese war, and Bloody Sunday tipped them over the edge. Their actions ranged from strikes to assassinations.
It even spread to non-Russian empires. When it reached its peak in October, Nicholas II tried creating the DUMA with the October Manifesto. It did not please the rebels, and when they were stopped, they had failed to replace czars with a democracy. -
Russia's Involvement in World War I
Russia quickly started an alliance with Britain and France in the beginning of World War I. In the early stages of the war, they were very successful. When Germany went to war with Russia, they were easily defeated until the Austrians cooperated with Germany. Russia continued to be defeated by Germany and Austria, and Nicholas II eventually abdicated the throne late in the war. Russia continued to fight for a few more months without a czar, but surrendered later in the year. -
Czar Nichloas II Abdicates the Russian Throne
Nicholas II was never trained to rule, and wasn't a very great ruler because of this. Late in his career, this caught up with him, and a revolution occured in the February of 1917. Petrograd insurgents were joining forces with workers on strike. Eventually, these forces overthrew Nichlas and forced him to abdictate his throne. -
The March Revolution
The Revolution started with Petrograd workers forming strikes and demonstrations. They were demanding more food for their families and while the worked. This uprising shut down nearly every industry in Petrograd in a few days. Czar Nicholas II turned to his army to stop the riots, but they were very disloyal to him. While he was taking a train to Petrograd, his Army Chiefs turned on him and convinced him to abdicate his throne. He did, and was placed under house arrest at the Alexander Palace.
