Events Leading Up to the Russian Revolution

By breweaus

  • The Great Northern War

    The Great Northern War was a war with Sweden that lasted 20 years. In 1709 Peter the Great gained possesion of most of Livonia, and part of Finland. He then turned his attention eastward. He also concluded trade negotiations with China and he improved the Russian army. He strengthend his absolute power as a czar, and forcibly intorduced western habits.

  • The Decembrist Revolt

    The Decembrist Revolt was a small gorup of nobles and army officers that tried to take over the czar's government. They tried to take the czar's government in December 1825. The nobles and army officers wished to set up a constitutional monarchy. Czar Nicholas I ruined the uprising, which became the Decembrist Revolt. Nicholas I killed five leaders and gave a lot more to Siberia. The small group of nobles and army failed, but later they were heroes to the later generations of revolutionaries.

  • Czar Alexander II Emancipates the Serfs

    Alexander II freed the serfs. The freed serfs got a few political rights and were allowed to keep their homes and tools. They were not given land. They had to buy the land at high expenses. Since taxes were so high, and the serfs had a lot of debt, most peasants continued to live in poverty. Alexander II introduced other reforms. He relaxed censorship, encouraged the building of schools,and improved health care.

  • The Assassination of Alexander II

    Russians had become frustrated with how slow the change was. They wanted to overthrow the czar and estblish socialism in Russia. Russian socialists tried to recruit the support of serfs. When efforts to win popular support failed, it turned into terrorism. They killed officilas, and even Alexander II, but Alexander III succeeded his father, and was able to make the revolutionaries stop.

  • The Russo-Japanese War

    The Russo-Japanese War all started in 1904 with a conflict with Japan over Korea and Manchuria. Japan badly crushed Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. This is the first time, an Asian nation had defeated a major Eropean power. Japan forced Russia to abandon its expansion policy in the Far East.

  • Bloody Sunday #1

    Bloody Sunday started with a conflict with Japan over Korea and Manchuria. This led to the Russo-Japanese War. This war was a major defeat for Russia and increased economic hardships (crisis) at home. The crisis worsened. A young priest, Father Gapon, had planned a march of workers to the czar's palace in St. Petersburg. The workers were presenting a petition to Nicholas II, requesting better working conditions and some political freedoms. (Continuation on another page)

  • Bloody Sunday #2

    Thousands of men, women, and children marched, holding signs of the czar and his wife. They were also singing his hymn. While the group moved toward the palace, a line of soldiers appeared. Gapon and the rest of the people moved on, but then the soldiers started shooting at them. The soldiers would not stop. Once they did 100 people (marchers) were killed and lots more were wounded.

  • The Revolution of 1905

    The Revolution of 1905 was after Bloody Sunday. Riots and strikes went through the city. Peasants (serfs) burned the homes of landowners. Czar Nicholas II agreed to set up an elected assembly called the Duma to end the violence. The Duma had little power. Since an autocratic was the ruler, everything remained. Unhappiness lurred among peasants, national minorities, middle-class liberals, and factory workers.

  • Czar Nicholas II abdicates the Russian throne

    Nicholas II gave up the throne after a week of the Petrograd riots. After Nicholas II gave up the throne , leaders of the Duma set up the Provisional Government. This was a temporary government. The Provisional Government introduced reforms such as freedom of speech and of religion. It aslo called for an elected assembly to write up a constitution. This is the first time Russia would have a government based on written laws than rulings of the czar.

  • World War I (Russian Involvement) #1

    World War 1 was to have a devastating impact on Russia. When the war broke out Russia started to follow Nicholas II. Russia fought with its allies, Britain and France. They fought against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Russia thought it would be a quick victory. Well the other side thought the same. While the war went on, Russia suffered. Their industries couldn't keep up. They were not developed enough and they lacked war supplies. (Continuation on another slide)

  • World War 1 (Russian Involvement) #2

    Russia's transportation system coudn't supply the armies at the front. Sometimes, only one out of three soldiers could have a gun. The other soldiers who didn't have a gun were told to pick up a rifle from one of their dead companions. There were terrible conditions at the war and that led to the cities. Russia's citizens blamed the czar and his generals for their defeat. In the cities people had shortages of food, and other goods because of the war.

  • The March Revolution

    The March Revolution was riots and strikes that erupted in Petrograd. Crowds protested the war and the shortage of food. When the riots began to spread, the government sent troops to stop it. Lots of soldiers didn't shoot at the crowds. There were also soldiers that joined the protesters.