-
Russo-Japanese War
Russia and Japan competed over Manchuria, which led to a series of agreements that Russia broke, sparking a war. Russia was losing against a foe they believed to be inferior, and lost their navy and territory. This led to the Russian people blaming the czar and believing he was incompetent. -
Bloody Sunday
On January 22nd, 1905, 200,000 workers approached the czar's Winter Palace in St. Petersburg carrying a petition for better working conditions and an elected government. The czar's generals ordered soldiers to open fire on the crowd, killing hundreds. This event angered Russians and showed that the government was unwilling and hostile to change. -
February Revolution
Was named the February Revolution due to the fact the Russians at the time were using the julian calendar. From March 8-16, a bunch of angry citizens of Petrograd rioted against police and soldiers over food rationing and shortages, and over 1,300 revolutionaries died. This event forced the czar to abdicate. -
Provisional Government Formed
Due to the czar's abdication, a temporary government was setup. This was headed by Alexander Kerensky, who was in favor of continued Russian involvement in WW1. This event created a weak government with low popular support, allowing the Bolsheviks to seize power with little resistance. -
Lenin Returns (Again)
Lenin was a popular socialist writer/revolutionary who followed the teachings of Marx. The Germans believed he could help end the war with Russia, and shipped him back to Russia in April 1917. This gave the revolutionaries a leader to rally behind. -
October Revolution
On November 7th (October 25th on the julian calendar) armed revolutionaries stormed the winter palace in Petrograd. The Provisional Government was ousted. Due to this, the Bolsheviks took power and proclaimed the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Bolshevik government signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the German Empire, surrendering large parts of Russia. The treaty angered many Russians. This event, combined with pre-existing anger at the Bolsheviks and their policies, led to a civil war. -
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a 3 year war between the Whites and the Reds. Leon Trotsky commanded the Bolsheviks, who won the war. This resulted in around 9 million dead Russians, and the Communist Party assuming control over the new Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. -
New Economic Policy
In order for Russia to recover from it's devastating civil war, Lenin started a form of limited capitalism called the New Economic Policy. It reintroduced money and allowed the peasantry to cultivate their own land. This event allowed Russia to mostly recover from the civil war, with the economy reaching pre-WW1 levels in 1928. -
Stalin Takes Power
After Lenin's death in 1924, the Soviet Union seeks a new leader. Joseph Stalin was that leader, who managed to seize total control over the Communist Party in 1928. This led to Trotsky's exile and Stalin taking over as head of the Soviet Union.
