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Alexander III Becomes Czar
Alexander III succeeded his father, Alexander II, as Czar of Russia. Alexander III halted all reforms in Russia and clung to the principles of autocracy. Anyone who questioned his authority or spoke a language other than Russian was considered dangerous. -
Nicholas II Becomes Czar
When Nicholas II became Czar, he continued Russian autocracy. However, it blinded him to the changes of his time. Rapid industrialization caused poor working condition which led to strikes -
Russian Marxists Split
In 1903, Russian Marxists split into moderate Mensheviks and more radical Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks were willing to risk everything for the revolution. Vladimir Lenin eventually became the leader of the Bolsheviks -
Bloody Sunday
About 200,000 workers approached the czar's Winter Palace carrying a petition asking for better working conditions and an elected national legislature. Nicholas II's generals ordered soldiers to fire on the crowd, killing hundreds and wounding over 1,000. -
World War One
In 1914, Nicholas II dragged Russia into World War One. However, Russia was unprepared to fight and pay for a war. This led to lack of faith in an autocratic czarist regime. -
The March Revolution
Women textile workers in Petrograd led a strike and riots flared up over shortages of bread and fuel. Eventually soldiers sided with the rioters. This eventually led to the abdication of Czar Nicholas II. -
Czar Nicholas II is Abdicated
The March Revolution forced the abdication of czar Nicholas II. This ended the three-century reign of the Romanov family in Russia. However, a stable government was not set in place instead of his regime. -
Lenin Returns to Russia
Since the age of 17, Vladimir Lenin has hated government. In the early 1900s, Lenin fled to Eastern Europe to escape arrest. When the Bolsheviks overthrew the czarist regime, Lenin returned to Russia and took over the Bolsheviks. -
Bolshevik Revolution
By the fall of 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks controlled many major soviets, local counsels consisting of workers, peasants, and soldiers. In November, Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government that took the place of the czarist regime. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
When the Bolsheviks took power, they signed a truce with Germany to stop the fighting of World War One. In 1918, Russia and Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which led to Russia giving up land to Germany and its allies. This led to widespread anger against the Bolshevik government.
