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(1) Decembrist Revolt
The Decembrist Revolt was an uprising that took place in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 26, 1825 (hence the name “Decembrists”) at Peter’s Square, now called Senate Square. The uprising consisted of about 3,000 soldiers led by a group of nobles and army officers protesting against Nicholas I taking the throne after his brother Constantine removed himself. These many rebels stood at a standoff at the square before failing with their protests due to a lack of support and organization... -
(2) Decembrist Revolt
...Five Decembrist leaders were tried, convicted, and hung for the last public execution in Russian history while many others were exiled to siberia by Nicholas I. This uprising was a major event in the Russian revolution because it was the first step in the the people’s loyalty to czarism fading and it gave inspiration to future rebels who would eventually overthrow the czarist government. -
(1) Nicholas II Becomes Czar
On May 26, 1894, Nicholas II inherited the throne when his father died of kidney disease at the age of 49. Despite not wanting to take the role of being a czar and having no preparation, he took the throne as the final czar that Russia would ever have. As a result of Nicholas being czar, Russia experienced a revolution. After Nicholas II became a czar, he did many things that a lot of people didn’t like... -
(2) Nicholas II Becomes Czar
...The way he eventually handled Bloody Sunday and WWI caused people to dislike him more and more, leading to his abdication. -
(1) Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was a war fought by Russia and Japan from February 8, 1904 to September 5, 1905 in order to gain control of Korea and Muncharia (region of Asia). The main reason that Russia wanted to control this land was to have control of warm-water ports that they could use year-round for navy and trade. For this reason, Russia and Japan negotiated the trade of land, but after refusal by Russia, Japan chose to go to war... -
(2) Russo-Japanese War
...Russia suffered many terrible defeats to Japan, but Czar Nicholas II was convinced that they would be able to win the war, so he kept Russia engaged. Eventually, Russia was forced to settle with a peace treaty, marking an easy win for Japan despite Russia having more troops and resources. This stunning loss for Russia resulted in increased economic hardships and it showed the declining power and poor military leadership of the country... -
(3) Russo-Japanese War
...The result of this war led to increased distrust in Nicholas II and it eventually led people to demand more freedom in the Revolution of 1905. -
(1) Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday, what would have simply been a day of protest in Russia on January 22, 1905, was a tragic event that occurred as a result of demonstrators expressing their beliefs. Father Georgi Gapon led a peaceful march of thousands of unarmed people in St. Petersburg to present a petition asking for better working conditions as well as some reforms. The protestors even carried banners with pictures of the czar and his wife on them while marching and singing the czar’s hymn... -
(2) Bloody Sunday
...Nicholas II ordered his soldiers to fire upon the protesters, killing over one hundred, injuring hundreds more. As a result of this event, distrust in Nicholas II grew, and he was even given the nickname “Bloody Nicholas.” Bloody Sunday led to more uprisings, revolts, and mutinies and it was a spark for future revolutions. -
(1) Russian Involvement w/ WWI
In 1914, Nicholas II led Russia into the first World War. This was a costly decision for him because it didn’t turn out very well for Russia. Discontent in Russia and the czar grew when food became scarce, soldiers became weary, and the country suffered devastating defeats on the battlefront. These outcomes of the war were another huge part in the fading loyalty for the people of Russia... -
(2) Russian Involvement w/ WWI
...Also, since Nicholas II was on the battlefield during the war, protest erupted in Petrograd and the government was being overthrown, causing him to abdicate. -
March Revolution
Following the struggles of WWI, protests against war and the shortage of food began erupting in Petrograd on March 8, 1917. Government officials were sent to restore order, but felt that they didn’t have the means to suppress the large amount of protest, so they chose not to fire at the protesters. A lot of these officials actually joined the demonstrators in protest. These protests overthrew the control of the czarist officials and this uprising is what caused the abdication of Nicholas II. -
Nicholas II Abticates the Throne
As a result of this uprising in the capital and loss of governmental control, Nicholas II was forced to give up the throne of czar before being arrested by the Bolsheviks. The abdication led to the execution of Nicholas II and it marked the end of the czarist rule in Russia. The Provisional Government was formed in place of a czar, creating the opportunity for the Bolsheviks to eventually start a revolution and gain power of the government. -
(1) Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a war fought between the White Army, or the Mensheviks, and the Red Army, or the Bolsheviks, from 1918 to 1921. The Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks were formerly part of the same party, but they split due to disagreement over the treaty of Brest-Litovsk which was a treaty that ended Russian involvement with WWI. Eventually, after much conflict, a full civil war broke out between the Red Army and the White Army... -
(2) Russian Civil War
...The Red Army (Bolsheviks) emerged victorious and expanded Russian territory, but the war left much of the country in ruins and resulted in the death of over six million people. The victory for the Bolsheviks led to the formation of the USSR, or the Soviet Union. -
USSR was formed
Following the civil war victory for the Red Army, or the Bolsheviks, Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader united the soviets. Led by the Communist Party, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union, became the new communist state of Russia, based on Marxist socialism. This success for the Bolsheviks increased Russia’s territory and, most importantly, marked an end to the Russian Revolution in 1922. -
Vladimir Lenin's death
On January 21, 1924, Vladimir Lenin, the first leader of the Soviet Union, died of brain hemorrhage at the age of 54. Upon his death, Lenin was honored greatly. His body was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum in Moscow and the capital, Petrograd, was renamed Leningrad. Joseph Stalin, a fellow revolutionary to Lenin, took his place after his death, becoming the new leader of the Soviet Union.
