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Revolution of 1905
Initiated with Bloody Sunday, the Revolution of 1905 was a time of social and political unrest that included many strikes involving workers, peasants, and soldiers. They protested working conditions and the Russian social and political system. Many people protested in an attempt to turn Russia from an autocracy into a constitutional monarchy. This image highlights the violence of the Revolution, beginning with Bloody Sunday, as well as the several strikes and protests throughout this time. -
October Manifesto
Signed by Sergei Witte, the October Manifesto was a manifesto that altered the local government. It marked the end of the autocracy and began the new constitutional monarchy era, and promised to guarantee civil liberties, establish a broad franchise, and create a new legislative body, known as the Duma. The picture below is an image of the official document. It was written in Russian, as shown below. -
Beginning of World War I
The biggest causes of the war were the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the militarism of Germany, alliances to maintain sovereignty, the imperialism of nations after significant events, and Russian nationalism. The image is a picture of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His death was a main cause of the war. -
Tsar Nicholas II Takes Sole Control of Military Operations
Tsar Nicholas II wrote an official letter to Grand Duke Nikolai, his uncle, and thanked him for serving as Russian Army Commander-in-Chief, but announced that he had now found time to take full control of the Russian Army. At first, he feared that if the Army suffered, it would reflect directly upon himself, but he later realized that his duty as tsar was more important. This image is of Tsar Nicholas II and Grand Duke Nikolai, and they are discussing military details. -
Brusilov Offensive
Starting with the Battle of Lutsk, the Brusilov Offensive, led by General Alexei Brusilov, was the most successful, deadliest, and largest Allied Offensive of WWI. This picture is of the plans Brusilov had for the offensive. It shows the routes, lands, and pathways they were going to take. -
Assassination of Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin was murdered by Russian nobles eager to end his influence over the royal family. After being unsuccessfully poisoned, he died from drowning, being shot three times, and beaten. He was buried in secret to avoid desecration. The political cartoon shows Rasputin's connection to the Royal Family, which was the reason nobles were jealous of him and assassinated him. -
Provisional Government Formed
The Provisional Government was the constituted authority in Russia after the Tsar’s abdication. It was formed when the tsar's government collapsed after protests over food shortages and unemployment gathered momentum in the last week of the 1917 February Revolution. This picture is of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, which was a very significant effect of the formation of the Provisional Government. -
Trotsky Organizes Red Guard to Defend Petrograd
After the beginning of the Kronstadt Uprising, Trotsky realized the threat the Kronstadt sailors posed to the Bolsheviks. Trotsky was sent to Petrograd to organize the armed response. He assembled as many troops as he could, and on March 7, he began the attack of Kotlin island, the island where the Kronstadt naval base was located, by the Red Army of Petrograd. This image is of the Red Army defending themselves against the Kronstadt sailors. -
International Women's Day March in Petrograd
Women textile workers began a demonstration that eventually consumed the whole city. They demanded "Bread and Peace", which meant they protested World War I, food shortages, and tzarism. This movement inspired International Women’s Day, which is a global annual holiday celebrated today to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. This image shows the powerful march over a century ago that inspired the famous holiday today. -
Tsar Nicholas II Abdicates
Tsar Nicholas II abdicated after the February Revolution of 1917. The provisional government was put in place after his abdication but was later overthrown by the Bolsheviks. Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks, then ruled Russia. This image highlights how significant this event was as it ended the Russian Autocracy, and shocked the world. This is shown as this newspaper was written in English, but during that time, so it reached and shocked citizens in America. -
April Thesis Published
The April Theses was a document of ten points written by Vladimir Lenin in 1917. The main points of the April Theses were to focus Bolshevik efforts on opposing the provisional government, promoting a socialist revolution, and laying the groundwork for a proletariat-led government. He also wanted to end the war, transfer land to the peasants, and nationalize banks. This image shows Lenin presenting his theses in a public speech in the streets of Petrograd. -
Return of Lenin from Exile
After the outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1905, Lenin returned to Russia from London. In 1907, Lenin was sent to exile again after Nicholas II reversed his reforms created after the revolution. After a decade in exile, Lenin returns to Russia once again to help lead the 1917 Russian Revolution. This picture shows the celebration that occurred after Lenin's return, as he was now able to help lead the Revolution. -
First All-Russian Congress of Soviets Meets
The First All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, led by Leon Trotsky, was assembled by the National Conference of the Soviets. The meeting took place at the First Cadet Corps in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The image shows the Congress taking place. -
July Days
The July Days were a period in the Russian Revolution where workers and soldiers of Petrograd staged armed demonstrations against the Provisional Government. It resulted in a temporary decline of Bolshevik influence and the formation of a new Provisional Government. This image is of the workers and soldiers attacking Petrograd and the Red Army/Bolsheviks. -
Cheka Formed
The Cheka was a force created by the Bolsheviks as their “secret police” to perpetuate violence towards counter-revolutionary parties that were a threat to Russia’s reformed regime.
This image depicts the reality of the terror and brutality used towards townsfolk and aristocrats. -
Kornilov Affair
The Kornilov Affair was a coup d'état by the General of the Russian Army, Lavr Kornilov. Kornilov and his troops marched in Petrograd, attempting to gain control of the Russian Provisional Government. This picture is of Lavr Kornilov, the General of the Russian Army, who organized the Kornilov Affair. -
Ukraine Brought Under Soviet Control
Since the Soviet’s won the battle with Ukraine in the Soviet-Ukrainian War in 1918-1919, the Soviets were able to gain control by destabilizing Ukraine’s eastern regions. Stalin was a prominent factor in the mass starvation in the peasant classes ( relinquish their land and join farm), Rationale: The illustration of economically and agriculturally displaced citizens reveals the less known effects upon Ukraine. -
Bolsheviks Overthrow the Provisional Government and Take Control
Vladimir Lenin led his Bolshevik army and overthrew the Provisional Government. What caused them to put an end to it was the fact that they continuously ignored the protests over food shortages and unemployment. This image highlights the violence the Bolsheviks created in their success in overthrowing the Provisional Government. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The purpose of this treaty was to peacefully terminate the former violence between Russia, Germany and their allies. Russia was to return territory to Turkey, Russia would demobilize their army, disarm warships, removal of mines (Russia), all prisoners of war were to be released, and all parties were to pay their war compensations, etc.
This image allows for the audience to truly understand how many representatives were involved & the thorough effort exercise to draft the terms of agreement. -
Constituent Assembly Meets and is Disbanded
The Constituent Assembly was the socio-political makeup of social revolutionaries elected to draft constitutional documents or produce legislative reforms. Police deputies observed that the Tauride Palace (meeting place) was blocked by Red Guards, and later found out the Constituent Assembly was liquidated by the Congress of Soviets. Rationale: This picture captures the chaos in the blocking of the Tauride palace by the Red Guards. -
Wartime Communism Created
War Communism was an economic policy implemented by the Soviet Union during the Russian Civil War in order to counter the economic disruptions caused by the war. Including polices the government would take ownership of private businesses, nationalization of industries and the requisition of grain supply.
This political cartoon accurately represents the transition period for Russia’s economy from a more capitalistic policy to a communist regime. -
Red Terror
The Red terror was a Bolshevik created campaign that was introduced to counter opposition parties using arrests, executions, and excessive force. The main point of advocacy was to promote Lenin’s ideology of a communist economy & reforming the Russian regime.
This political cartoon uncovers the hidden aggression of the Red Terror including on the spot execution, torture camps, and wrongful imprisonment of Russian citizens. -
Kolchak Begins Serious Attacks Against Reds from Siberia
Kolchak served as Russia’s head of state for two years, however he failed to bring success to the White movement and would not make decisions that included ethnic minorities & non Bolshevik leftists. In the Summer of 1919, the Partisans of the Altai Region orchestrated an attack on the Western Siberian Peasants, also known as the Red Army of 25,000 men.
Rationale: The smaller dog is symbolic of Kolchak’s army vs. the more powerful dog : The Red’s army. -
Poles Move Toward Kiev
The Kiev Offensive was a catalyst for the Polish Soviet War as it began with an attack with armed forced from Poland and their leader Jozef Pilsudski to take control over Ukraine’s territories. Rationale: This image not only exemplifies the movement of Polish armies making way to Ukraine’s border, but it also reveals the depleted infrastructure during the battle. It hints toward economic factors that inspired the Poles to seize land from Ukraine. -
Tambov Rebellion
The Tambov Rebellion took place in Tambov Oblast, in which a large population of peasants orchestrated a rebellion against the Bolshevik Regime during their control of power in the Russian Civil War. The main motivation for peasants was to diminish the presence of War Communism as the Bolsheviks had restricted grain and agricultural trade.
This image best suits the Tambov Rebellion as it displays the chaos of peasants needed to work together to fight against the Bolshevik Regime. -
Kronstadt Uprising
The Kronstadt uprising was a rebellion including Soviet soldiers, civilians and sailors led by Stephan Petrichenko, against the Bolshevik government in port Kronstadt. This uprising last over two weeks where the revolutionaries used their naval forces to fight their Soviet opposition.
This poster is an example of the propaganda spread during the uprising to spread support of the Bolshevik counter revolutionaries.to gain support from the public. -
Ending of Wartime Communism
Wartime Communism was introduced to counter the economic, political and agricultural issues that result from their era of battle. It failed due to the food shortages, famines and lack of factory productivity, which was then replaced by the New Economic Policy.
Rationale: The impoverishment and starvation captured from the photo aids in illustrating the extent in which wartime communism made Russian citizens suffer. -
Treaty of Rapallo
The Treaty of Rapallo was a bilateral peace agreement signed between Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the German Republic in Rapallo, Italy. It stated that all territorial and economical claims made toward each other after the Treaty of Brest Litovsk would be relinquished.
Rationale: The harmonious atmosphere captured in the photograph reflects the diplomatic approach both Russia and Germany embraced in the Treaty of Rapallo. -
Formation of Soviet Union
The Soviet Union first was introduced in 1922, and unified with Russia, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and the Byelorussian republics. It had a one party rule of the Communist Party -the Bolshevik regime.
This political cartoon is useful in depicting the unity within the formation of the Soviet Union. The Russian doll is symbolic of how the Soviet Union’s power was only consolidated through the conjunctiva efforts of Russia, Transcaucasia, Ukrainian and Byelorussian republics. -
Lenin Dies
Vladimir Lenin was leader of the October Revolution and the Soviet Union. He was a powerful historical figure in consolidating power within the Bolshevik’s movement and the new Russian regime. He died at the age of 53 after falling into a medical coma due to a untreated disease.
This image is helpful in providing a visual of Lenin during his late ages before his passing. It is imperative that historical figures as influential as Lenin to be associated to a facial or physical features. -
Soviets Attempt to Take Warsaw
The Soviet Union devised a military operation to invade Poland from their eastern border to take control over Warsaw. Both Germany and the Soviets worked together after the signing of the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact which split Poland into territories and left it vulnerable to invasion by the Soviet states.
Rationale: This image represents the eagerness Germany and the Soviets perceived Poland’s territory as ‘up for grabs’ after the signing of the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact.
