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Revolution of 1905
Brought on by the events of Bloody Sunday and the Russo-Japanese War. Citizens wanted more rights as the government restricted them in their work and the press, causing them to strike throughout Russia. It led to the creation of soviets as Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto that gave basic rights of freedom but failed to be enacted. The art depicts the bloodiness of the revolution as the peasants try to fight despite the horrible conditions and the strength that the government held. -
October Manifesto
Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto that gave basic rights of freedom but failed to be enacted. This led to the further uprising of citizens as it showed that the tsar was doing nothing to help them. The art depicts the passionate and demanding attitudes of Russia's citizens and their want for change, emphasizing how mad the people are when the manifesto fails to work. -
Beginning of WWI
In June of 1914, Franz Ferdinand, leader of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated by a Serbian terrorist group causing Germany to declare war on Serbia. It would cause Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey to become weakened and resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The art depicts the strength that lies in each country, being a visualizer of how each nation was fighting in the war. -
Czar Nicholas II takes sole control of military operations
Czar would go to the front lines of Russia during WW1, causing the unorganized Dumas to have to manage the government. The absence of the Czar during the war in the government left the Russian government in panic, causing the increase in civil unrest and the eventual abdication. The art depicts how confident the Czar felt in going to the front lines, it shows how he was trying to bring victory to Russia but would fail for he could not run the government while in battle. -
Brusilov Offensive
The Brusilov Offensive was an operation that was carried out on the Eastern Front in WWI. It was named the worst crisis during WWI since there were several casualties and deaths that took place. This offensive was significant since it was one of the few Russian victories they had.
This picture is significant in representing the Brusilov Offensive since it displays the high number of casualties and deaths. -
Assassination of Rasputin
Rasputin was a holy man who took care of the Czar’s family as the wife thought he had powers for he cured her son. Citizens disliked him, causing rumors to spread that he was corrupting the royal family. Many nobles blamed him for the failure of Russia causing many plots to be made to assassinate him and, once he was killed, it led people to directly attack the Czar. The art depicts the evil aura that surrounded Rasputin and how the noble family hid behind him as he tried to control them. -
International Women’s Day March in Petrograd
Women workers on International Women’s Day went on a strike to demand bread. This strike was joined by other workers in the area, going against the police as they started to get shot at. This strike caused the start of the March Revolutions of 1917, with citizens following through on the protest, not stopping until they got the government to listen to them. The art depicts the power of the women in the revolt with the power and people they brought with them, uniting against the government. -
Nicholas II Abdicates
During the March Revolutions, Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate his rule. Citizens were angry at the tsar for his recent (WW1) and old actions (Bloody Sunday and the Russo-Japanese War) The Czar’s abdication lead to the creation of a provisional government by the Duma. The art depicts the Czar handing his power over to the troops in Russia, giving up his rule as democracy is starting to be seen in the background. -
Provisional Government formed
Created as a temporary government after the Czar’s abdication and it caused more political tensions as its policies would further alienate social classes from each other. It failed to see what the people wanted, as it was too focused on war rather than Russia’s social and economic problems causing people to favor the soviets. The art depicts the arrest of the Provisional Government by the Bolsheviks, emphasizing the hatred of the system at the time. -
April Theses Published
The April Theses was a set of instructions for the new Russia that appealed to the Bolsheviks. The publishing date is significant since it was close to the day Lenin returned from exile which means that most of the details in the theses were recently learned from when he lived in Western Europe.
This portrayal of a Bolshevik with a large amount of power (considering their size) spreading the Bolshevik agenda throughout the town. The April Theses itself also pushed the Bolshevik agenda. -
Return of Lenin from exile
Lenin was originally exiled for sedition and encouraging Marxism. After he was released from exile, he moved to western Europe and developed his knowledge of Marxism. Eventually, he returned to Russia on April 16, 1917. This photograph is representative of the support Lenin received once he returned and how open the lower classes were to Marxism. -
Trotsky Organizes Red Guard to defend Petrograd
Trotsky had originally organized the Red Guards in order to watch over areas such as Petrograd and Moscow. The Red Guards were the precursor to the Red Army and had beliefs shared by the Bolsheviks. The people who made up a majority of the Red Guard were peasants and workers (predominantly factory workers).
The picture chosen to represent this event is specifically a picture of the guards themselves. The large amount of guards show how many people were in favor of the Bolsheviks. -
First All-Russian Congress of Soviets meet
The First All-Russian Congress of Soviets met twice a year to discuss what principles should be established in order to create a better Russia. This congress was made up of 1090 delegates that ranged from Social-Revolutionists, Mensheviks, Menshevik internationalists, Bolsheviks, as well as other parties.
This picture is of the First All-Russian Congress. This shows that they are all very much the same and have the same intentions regarding the fact that they are working together. -
July Days
This period in July displayed rebellion from both the military and workers out of frustration with the Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks were blamed by the Provisional Government for having stirred up the unrest during July and were then starting to decline in authority.
The picture chosen to represent this time of rebellion best displays the violence and frustration that took place in the streets of Petrograd. -
Kornilov Affair
The Kornilov Affair was a coup organized by the Commander-in-chief of the Russian Army. The motives for doing so are unknown. What is known is that the coup was against the Provisional Government but had failed. After the matter, the Commander-in-chief was fired from his position for organizing the coup.
This picture displays the Kornilov Affair and the sheer amount of people who were against the Provisional Government from the start. -
Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government and took control
The Bolsheviks had started a coup to overthrow the Provisional Government on November 7th which is commonly referred to as the October Revolution. From here forward, the Bolsheviks had control of the government and majority of the power as well. Their mission was to create a better Russia for the majority of the people who lived there.
This picture is a depiction of the coup during the October Revolution. It shows how several people are working together against the Provisional Government. -
Cheka Formed
The Bolshevik security force or secret police was known as the Cheka. It was established by Vladimir Lenin in a proclamation issued in December 1917, and its mission was to identify and deal with possible counter-revolutionaries. Feliz Dzerzhinsky, a Bolshevik of Polish ancestry, led the Cheka. The picture sees the Cheka threatening to shoot a Russian citizen. -
Constituent Assembly Meets and is Disbanded
The All-Russian Central Executive Committee dissolved the Constituent Assembly because the assembly had severed all its ties with the Soviet and Russian people. The Bolsheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries of the Left had no choice but to withdraw under these conditions and made the Third All-Russian Congress of Soviets the new government. The picture sees the meeting of the Constituent Assembly. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The new Bolshevik government of Russia and the Central Powers signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended Russia's participation in World War I. The picture sees all parties meeting to sign the treaty. -
Wartime Communism Created
War Communism was led by the Supreme Economic Council and ended on March 21, 1921. The policy's main characteristics were the forcible requisition of surplus grain and other food items from the peasantry by the state, as well as the expropriation of private companies and nationalization of industry across Soviet Russia. The picture is a painting titled Famine, by Ivan A. Vladimirov, and it illustrates wartime communism's social effects. -
Red Terror
The Red Terror in Soviet Russia was a movement of political repression and executions of Russians. This was devised by the Bolsheviks and carried out through the Cheka, Lenin’s secret police. The picture shows the Cheka armed on the streets. -
Kolchak Begins Serious Attacks Against Reds from Siberia
During the Russian Civil War, Alexander Kolchak ran an anti-communist government in Siberia. This government would become the Provisional All-Russian Government but dissolved two months later in November 1918. Kolchack tried to unite the White Movement but failed to do so and was executed. The picture is of Alexander Kolchak. -
Ukraine brought under Soviet control
Many Soviet groups arose in Ukraine after the abdication of the tsar in 1917. But it was not until 1919 when the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was created after the Ukrainian-Soviet War that Ukraine became an official and founding member of the Soviet Union. This picture depicts the flag of Soviet Ukraine. This flag represents how despite the Ukrainian flag having a blue and yellow design throughout their history, Soviet control was all encompassing and completely covered the old design. -
Poles move toward Kiev
The Kiev Offensive was an important movement in the Polish-Soviet War where the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People’s Republic unsuccessfully attempted to take back the areas of Ukraine under Soviet Control called the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This picture shows the Polish marching into the Ukraine capital of Kiev, this is an important depiction because the soldiers leave the bystanders around them alone, showing that their real fight was with the Bolshevik government. -
Soviets attempt to take Warsaw
The Battle of Warsaw was a group of smaller battles during the Polish-Soviet War where the Bolshevik Red Army unsuccessfully attempted to take over the Polish capital of Warsaw. It ended on August 25th, 1920. This Polish political cartoon shows why the Red Army was unsuccessful, the Polish were protecting their homes, their family, and their culture as illustrated by the Polish soldier on the white horse protecting the family under the crucifix from the Russian dressed in red. -
Tambov Rebellion
One of the largest peasant rebellions during the Russian Civil War against the Bolsheviks. This occurred just 300 miles Southeast of Moscow, in the Tambov region, and lasted until June 12th, 1921. This image depicts the peasants preparing to fight the Bolsheviks. Despite being mostly farmers with only pitchforks or very old equipment, these people are still determined to fight against the Bolshevik government. -
Kronstadt uprising
A rebellion of sailors, soldiers, and civilians against the Bolsheviks in the port city of Kronstadt. This was the last major rebellion in Russia against the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War and lasted until March 17th, 1921. This image depicts the damage done to the Russian ship, Petropavlovsk, by the Bolsheviks. This shows that the Bolsheviks were not just killing their citizens in the Russian Civil War, but also damaging their property and history just to maintain power. -
Ending of Wartime Communism
Wartime communism was a temporary economic move enacted by the Bolshevik government during the Russian Civil War. It ended in 1921 and was replaced with the New Economic Policy. This artwork depicts the harsh labor that peasants had to endure during wartime communism while being watched over by a government worker. The tension in this image between the peasants and the manager makes it clear that the end of wartime communism was a cause of celebration for the peasants. -
Treaty of Rapallo
A treaty between Germany and Russia which ended financial obligations to each other (canceled the debt from Brest-Litovsk for Russia). This was important in starting friendly relations between them to offset the relations between Britain and France in the West of Europe. This piece depicts the relationship between Germany and Russia as a married couple. The treaty canceled their debts to one another and united them, but it upset Britain and France as represented by the man eavesdropping. -
Formation of Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed in 1922 after the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War. It was a communist state and the largest country in the world with many different cultures, languages, and groups of people. This painting depicts the signing of the papers to form the Soviet Union, it shows how many different people and groups were truly involved. -
Lenin dies
Lenin was a Russian revolutionary and was the first government head of the USSR from its establishment until his death. He took power after the tsar abdicated in 1917 and helped to establish the USSR as the head of the Bolshevik party. After his death, Joseph Stalin took over as leader of the Soviet Union. This image shows Lenin on display after he had died. The size of the bed and the small crowd accentuate how tiny Lenin was, despite his influence he was still a mere man.
