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Rapid industrialization caused new problems, including grueling working conditions, miserably low wages, and child labor. As a result of these terrible working conditions unhappy workers organized strikes to express their feelings.
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After becoming czar in 1894 Nicholas II continued the tradition of Russian autocracy a form of government in which the czar has total power. He was surpised to see times changing quickly and Russia industrialize.
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Autocratic rule by the Czars was when the Czar had ultimate power over the entire country. The Czars controlled what happened in schools and made Jews the target of persecution.
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As a result of these problems with working conditions many Revolutionary movements began. One group who called themselves Marxist revolutionaries believed that the workers would overthrow the Czars and gain control of the country. In 1903 the Marxist's split in two groups the more moderate Mensheviks and the more radical Bolsheviks.
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After breaking a series of agreements over the territories of Korea and Manchuria Russia and Japan broke out into war. The repeated losses by the Russians sparked anger back home ultimately leading to revolt. This war showed the czar’s weaknes and the revolts that were bound to break out
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200,000 workers and their families carried a petition asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. Instead of negotiating he ordered his soliders diers to fire on the crowd. This event became known as Bloody Sunday and sparked many more revolts to come.
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Russia was fully unprepared for the war economically and as a military. Once again WWI revealed the weaknesses of
czarist rule of Nicholas II. In less than a year 4 million
Russian soldiers had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. -
The March Revolution was led by women textile workers becoming a citywide strike. Over the next five days riots continued over shortages of bread and fuel. Nearly 200,000 people shouted in the streets about the war where soldiers later joined in with them.
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As a local protest exploded into an uprising known as the March Revolution, Czar Nicholas II was forced to step down. A year later he and his family was executed by revolutionaries.
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Leaders of the Duma established aprovisional government led by Alexander Kerensky. Kerensky decided to continue fighting in the war which lost him support and worsened the conditions in Russia. Soviets were created as people got angrier and gained power.
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After many years of exile Russia arranged Lenin’s return although they believed that he could once again stir up troubles.
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Lenin and the Bolsheviks soon gained control in many Russian cities. Lenin gained many followers fast and without warning, armed factory workers stormed the Winter Palace under Lenin taking over government offices.
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After signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to end the war many Russians were angery at Lenin. This treaty caused the Russians to surrender a large part of its territory to Germany.
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The White Army was made up of very different groups but all had the same goal which was to defeat the Bolsheviks who represented the Red Army. Even with the aid of the United States and several Western nations the White army was no match for Lenin's Red Army. Around 14 million Russians died in the three-year struggle and in the famine that followed. The victory proved that the Bolsheviks were able to maintain power.
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With the Russian economy destoryed by revolution and war, Lenin was focussed on reviving it. He established a New Econimic Policy simiar to capitalism. By 1928, Russia’s farms and factories were producing as much as they had before World War I.
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Bolshevik leaders saw nationalism as a threat to staying together and stay loyal to Russia. Lenin organized Russia into self-
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The Bolsheviks renamed their party the Communist Party which came from the writings of Karl Marx. Communism was based off the ideas that there would be a classless society after workers gained more power. Lenin had established a dictatorship of the Communist Party and soon the Communist party held all power.
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After suriviving a stroke in 1922 the incident gave the communist party a chance to gain more power. The communist party was led by Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin was a tough guy and wouldn't put up with anyone with opposing beliefs.
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From 1922 to 1928 Stalin was slowly gaining more power without people even knowing. He very quietly moved his supporters into positions of power. Right before Lenin died in 1924 he wrote about how dangerous Stalin would be to the country. By 1924 Stalin had complete control of the Communist Party. Within a year Stalin held the position of dictator holding absolute power.
