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Nicholas II crowned Tsar of Russia
Description: Crowned in 1894 as the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas ii was destined for a long leisurely reign as emperor. However he was in for quite a surprise when peoples patience for an autocratic government started to run low.
Significance: The Tsar’s rise to power was just as crucial to the revolution as it destruction. The actions of Nicholas as emperor in his years of power, including the defeat of Russia ( a European superpower) by Japan in 1905 brought about a lack of faith in him by the -
RSDLP splits into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
Description: The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was based on the communist ideologys of Karl Marx and Freidreich Engels. The Party itself was illegal for most of its existence and all nine delegates were arrested by Russian forces by 1898. Vladmir Lenin joins the party in 1902 and publishes an article outlining what the party needs to get done. In 1903 the second congress meets in Brussels and ends up splitting in two seperate groups, the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. -
RDSLP split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks (con't)
Significance: The Bolsheviks splitting off into their own direction was key to the revolutionbecause of the influence they had and also what they were willing to do for a revolution. The Bolsheviks believed that a violent uprising to overthrow power was inevitable and necessary for change to occur. The Mensheviks voted for a democratic rise to communism. The people needed a strong influence on their side to give them the desire required to pull this revolution off. -
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Russo-Japanese War
Description: Russian is forced to abandon expantion attempts in the Far East by a vicorious Japan. This is the first time in history a European superpower is defeated by an Asian power.
Significance: The defeat in the war caused a great unrest in the people who had begun to lose faith in their Tsar. The biggest factor contributing to search for a revolution was the state the war left Russia in. There were shortages of food, clothing, and fuel. Russias economy was crippled. -
Bloody Sunday
Description: Unarmed civilians led by Father Gapon were gunned down by Russian Imperial Guards during a peaceful demonstration and presentation of a petition to the Tsar.
Significance: Because of this act of violence againt the civilian people the Tsar regime took a serious popularity blow. The death of 40 demonstrators enraged the people giving them a reason to act out. -
Duma elected
Description: An elected legis;ative body that constituted the Imperial Russian legislature. It was the first genuine attempt at a parliamentary government in Russia. Set up by Nicholas II in his October Manifesto after the 1905 revolution.
Significance: The Duma was a means of appeasing the people of Russia after Bloody Sunday but had very little political power against the Tsar. When it failed to get Russia out of the war unrest within the population began. -
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World War 1
Decription: An international conflict that involved most of Europe and other associated countries. It started with the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria-Hungary, which triggered a sort of chain reaction of participants through alliances and common interest.
Significance: WW1 had an extremely negative effect for Russia as it simply magnified the already devastating issues and angered the people even further when they were forced to fight and starve because the government wouldnt pull out. -
Tsar Nicholas assumes supreme command of Russian Army
Description: The Tsar dismisses Grand Duke Nickolai as chief commander of the army and appoints himself for the role not realizing that any failures he has on the front will be directly refelcted on himself.
Significance: When the Tsar leaves the city to fight, he leaves his wife of German origin in charge along with an irreputable monk named Rasputin. The people are extremely displeased with this and when riots begin Nicholas is not there to control the situation, and he send in his troops. -
February Revolution
Description: Protest about food and fuel shortages by 90,000 textile workers grew to political hate with over 400,000 workers waving banners. Soldiers mutinied and joined the crowd.
Significance: This demonstration proved to the people that they had support from people and they knew others would join in when the time came. The demonstrators were fed up with the shortages forced upon them because of a war they didn't want to be in. -
Nicholas II abdicates
DESCRIPTION: The Romanov Dynasty which has ruled Russia for over 300 years came to an end when Nicholas II abdicated his throne due to the growing unrest of Russia's population. His brother refused the throne knowing the people would never accept it the same again.
SIGNIFICANCE: With the Tsar Regime at an end, the Bolsheviks saw their opportunity for revolution arriving. People felt that finally the new provisional government would take care of their needs and help them. They were wrong. -
July Days
DESCRIPTION: From July 3-7 spontaneous protests broke out against the new provisional government because nothing was being done to get them out of the war. The Bolsheviks saw this happening and tried unsuccessfully to group the demonstrations into a revolutionary uprising.
SIGNIFICANCE: With demoonstrations becoming a frequent thing the provisional government was feeling overwhelmed and it showed. Dissenstion arose within the government and things were starting to fall apart. -
October Revolution
DESCRIPTION: Bolsheviks seized power by strategically storming locations in Petrograd and the Winter Palace. The timing was key because of a political split in the Duma that left it vulnerable. Soviet authority was established.
SIGNIFICANCE: Success at last. The people finally had a leader that would give them what they wanted, a way out of the war. The Revolution was complete and the Bolsheviks had control of Russia. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
DESCRIPTION: Treaty that took Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Lithuania. Estonia, and Latvia along with their 60 million inhabitants from Soviet control. It also took 26% of the railway system, 33% of manufactoring, 73% of iron factories, and 75% of coal industries. It was the treaty that got Russia officially out of the war.
SIGNIFICANCE: The Revolution was not a total waste and they had something to show for it. However the state which Russia was left in was to bring on a whole other set of problems -
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Russian Civil War
DESCRIPTION: After the October Revolution, anti-Bolshevik groups began forming that were called Whites while the Bolsheviks were known as Reds. Other than Petrograd, Moscow, and the area in between Bolshevik control was limited.
SIGNIFICANCE: Bolsheviks were struggling for control, lack of organization within the White Army made it easy for Trotskys Army to push them back. People were fighting against Lenins communist ideas and still upset about the huge loses of Brest- Litovsk. -
Stalin appointed General Secretary
DECRIPTION: This was Stalins starting point within the Bolshevik party, he was tasked with the appointment of new members to their positions within the party.
SIGNIFICANCE: Stalin uses this position to already begin plotting his rise to power, he brought in people he knew supported him even if they werent the best for the position. He was to later use these same people to get his competition out of the way then later kill those who assisted him. -
Lenins death
DESCRIPTION: Suffering from multiple strokes since 1922, Lenin finally succumbs to his illness in 1924.
SIGNIFICANCE: With Lenin dead and the main supporter of a communist Russia gone, there was room for a new leader to come forth and much to Lenins noted dissapproval that figure was Stalin. Stalin was to bring Russia out of their economic rut and bring them back into the game as a European superpower, however the costs for which Russia paid were extensive and ended with millions dead. -
Treaty of Rapallo renewed
DESCRIPTION: Stalin identifies German socialist groups as enemies of communism, and supported Hitlers rise to power by encouraging the Germna Communist party to side with him. Russia and Germany were to cooperate in a mutual good-will fashion.
SIGNIFICANCE: This treaty shows what Stalin is willing to risk in the name of communism, supporting the leader of the enemy country. The peoples revolution was being taken from them and turned into one of industrialism and profit.
