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1905 March Revolution
The Russian Revolution was started when a group of Tsarists troops fired on a group of protesters who were begging the Tsar for help. In total 130 were killed and wounded. This showed the inablity of the Tsar to deal will dissatisfied people. Workers who previously supported the Tsar prior to this event no longer supported him. -
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Russian Revolution
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The October Manifesto
Nicholas II, the Tsar of Russia gave some civil liberties to the citizens. He also created a Duma which was a legislative assembly. -
March 1917 Revolution
There were strikes and food shortages in Soviet Union at this point. Strikers were waiting on March 10 in Petrograd with one goal in common, to overthrow the Tsar. On March 12 Troops were ordered to control the strikers and instead they shot their commander and joined the strike. By March 14 Moscow had fallen. -
Provisional Government
After the revolution of March 1916, the Duma got together and declared a Provisional Government. Most of the members in the Provisional Government were moderates with some radicals from the Soviet. On July 21 1917, Alexander Kerensky became the leader. The Provisional Government was short-lived because it failed to recognize the catastrophic condition of Russia and it misjudged the mood of the Russian people with regard to the war against Germany. -
April Thesis
Lenin was smuggled back into Russia (from exile) on April 16. He continued to push for revolution when he created his famous April Thesis:
• The proletariat and peasants were to bring upon the communist revolution.
• Immediate peace.
• Seizure of the gentry land.
• All power to the Soviets.
• Seizure of factories. As a result of the April Thesis, Lenin would develop the winning slogan of “Peace, Bread, and Land.” -
Kornilov Affair
Kornilov (General) and Kerensky sent troops to protect the government. Kornilov overthrows/betrays Kerensky with the masses and Kerensky appeals to the masses but had lost the battle. -
The Bolshevik Revolution
On the 13th of October The Bolsheviks overtook Pertrograd and gradually on the 23rd they took Moscow. Lenin Returned on the 23rd as well and on November 7th with the help of Trotsky and the Soviets the Bolsheviks overtook the Provisional Government and seized power. -
New Government
Lenin’s first order of business was to end the war with Germany. He did this by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. His second initiative was to allow the peasants to seize the land. As Lenin settled in as the new leader of Russia, he took some steps to introduce communism:
• The Bolsheviks allowed the peasants to seize the land.
• The Factories would be under the control of workers’ committees.
• All banks were nationalized.
• Private accounts were confiscated.
• Foreign trade became a state -
Civil War
IN this war The Bolsheviks became known as the "Reds", and the others who opposed them became known as the "Whites". The whites were not doing well in the area around Petrograd, Moscow, and Kiev because these were basically Bolshevik controlled areas.In the summer of 1918 it looked as if the Whites would capture Moscow by October but the Military genius Leon Trotsky, the leader of the Red Army, organized the military very well, and as a result it would be red victory. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Lenin signed this treaty with Gremany to make sure the
Soviets could tackle bigger problems so he gave up land in exchange for peace. -
War Communism Begins
In the summer of 1918 Lenin began War Communism. The key features were the nationalization of industry, cumpulsory labour, and private trade was suppressed. -
League Of Nations
L.O.N-ImageThe League of Nations was created. Many countries joined this league to try to prevent another war. Major countries such as USA, Soviet Union, and Germany initially did not join. In 1934 The Soviet Union had joined the League of Nations in the Stalin era. -
New Economic Policy
Lenin realized that War Communism was not helping the U.S.S.R economically. This is why he introduced his New Economic Policy (NEP). The NEP sacrificed Marxist ideals for some Capitalist ideals:
• Some private trade was accepted.
• Peasants were allowed to sell surplus.
• Workers in small factories (under 25 workers) were allowed to purchase their factory under a co-operative arrangement. -
Treaty of Rapallo
The Treaty of Rapallo stated that the U.S.S.R would receive steel manufacturing technology from Germany. Germany would then receive illegal war material from the U.S.S.R. This illegal war material was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. -
5 Year Plans
Picture Of StalinThe five year plan was introduced by Joseph Stalin who came into power in 1927. This was an attempt to industrialize the country in a rapid, forced, and unreasonable 5 years.The Five Year Plan radically imrpoved production but at an enormous cost of human suffering as a cause of the unreasonable goals put forth by Stalin.This plan was actually successful in driving the Industry of the Soviets to the third position in the world but at a huge cost. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellogg-Briand Pact declared that war was bad. It did not however offer a solution to end war. -
The Purges
Stalin PictureThe beginning of the Purges occured when an alternative to Stalin was promoted and Stalin had him shot and killed. Stalin had a secret police named the OGPU and later named the MKVD, This became Stalin's instrument for killing his enemies. He used this to execute anyone "plotting to overthrow the government". These events were named the Purges. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
An agreement of strict neutrality was signed between Germany and the U.S.S.R. This agreement was important because it gave Hitler a one-front war with the West and it gave Stalin time to prepare. This pact also had a secret section, which was the division of Poland.
