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Alexander II Assassinaion
Revolutionaries were angry over the slow pace of political change in Russia. This event sent Russia toward the revolution. -
Russia Rapidly Industrializes
Between 1863-1900, the amount of factories in Russia more than doubled, and Russia became the fourth largest steel producing country. This rapid industrialization angered the Russian people because of low wages, harsh working conditions, and child labor. In an effort to force change, the angry workers organized strikes. -
Marxist Party Splits
The Russian Marxists split into two groups: the Mensheviks, who wanted a broad base of support for change, and the Bolsheviks, who were willing to support a few people willing to sacrifice everything for change. From the Bolsheviks, came Vladimir Lenin who would eventually become the leader of the party. -
Russo-Japanese War
In the late 1800s, Russia and Japan competed for control of Korea and Manchuria. They signed agreements over the territories, which Russia eventually broke. Japan retaliated by attacking a Russian port in February 1904. Revolts started becoming more and more common during the war due to the continuation of Russia losing. -
Bloody Sunday
Russian workers tried to petition Czar Nicholas II for better working conditions, more freedoms, and representative government. The Czar's troops fired on the workers, killing several hundred men. This event demonstrated the socioeconomic problems suffered by the Russian people and the unwillingness of the monarchy to reform. -
Bolshevik Takeover
Without warning, factory workers (Bolshevik Red Guards) stormed the Winter Palace in Petrograd. They took over the government offices and arrested the people in power. -
March Revolution
At first, this protest started with female textile workers, but then progressed to a citywide strike about the bread and fuel shortage. Soldiers were told to shoot down the rioters, which they obeyed at first, but eventually joined the protesters. At his forced Nicholas II to abdicate the throne, leaving the government in the hands of Alexander Kerensky. -
Russian Civil War
From 1918-1920, everyone who opposed the Bolsheviks tried to take them out of power. These people formed the White Army and the Bolsheviks were the Red Army. The Red Army prevailed in the end to show their capabilities of seizing power and remaining in that position. -
Political Reformations
Lenin renamed Russia as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in honor of those who helped start the Bolshevik Revolution. The Bolsheviks also renamed themselves as the Communist Party which rooted from the writings of Karl Marx who described communists as the “classless society that would exist after workers had seized power”. -
Stalin Becomes Dictator
Stalin originally worked under Lenin as General Secretary of the Communist Party. In 1924, Kenin indirectly appointed Stalin as the leader of the Communist Party instead of Trotsky. Stalin became official leader of the Communists in 1928 when Lenin died, and exiled Trotsky.
