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Revolution of 1905 and The October Manifesto
The October Manifesto was a document presented by Tsar Nicholas II at the height of the 1905 Revolution. This document promised political and social reforms and promised the election of a State Duma to contribute to the government -
Beginning of WW1
(ending November 11, 1918) Also known as the Great War, World War one began in 1914 after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated. This war across Europe lasted until 1918 -
Czar Nicholas II Takes Sole Control of Military Operations
Czar Nicholas II takes sole control of military operations
This decision was made by Tsar Nicholas II in spite of a unanimous cabinet decision in order to take full command of the military because he believed that by taking charge his army would be inspired and fight with a new vigor. -
Brusilov Offensive
known as the “June advance” happened from June 4-September 20, 1916 at the Carpathian Mountains in Galicia during World War I led by a commander, General Aleksey Brusilov, against the Austro-Hungarian armed forces – significant in breaking the Austrian lines being a major cause of the Austrians collapse because of their lack of preparation and surprised from this massive attack – caused lack of support for Hapsburg empire many Slaves deserted their units - irreversible damage to Slaves -
Assassination of Rasputin
Rasputin was assassinated in Yusupov Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia by Russian nobles who wanted to end his influences in the royal family. -
International Women's Day March in Petrograd
Women workers in Petrograd held a mass strike demanding peace and bread which spread factory by factory ad eventually became an insurrection -
Nicholas II Abdicates
The army garrison in Petrograd joined in striking with workers to demand socialist reforms causing Nicholas II to be forced to abdicate due to his loss of support and weakening leadership role. -
Provisional Government Formed
(ended September 14, 1917) The provisional government was formed to organize elections to the assembly while maintaining government services following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II -
Return of Lenin from exile
Vladimir Lenin returned from exile to Petrograd to help enforce leadership within the revolutionary Bolshevik Party - didn’t make much of an impact since tensions over lack of food rose – riots and strikes in March 1917 – army joining strikers in March 15, 1917 -
April Theses published
This Theses was created to urge soviets to overthrow Prov Gov and create a dictatorship of proletariat – promise to end war, land for peasants, improve food supply in town (role of media - published through Bolshevik newspaper – contributed to July Days uprising/Bolshevik coup d’etat in October and overall support for proletariat-led government) -
First All-Russian Congress of Soviets meets
(June 16- July 7 1917) - Officially called the First All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies created by National Conference of Soviets consisting of pro-government parties (Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries) in Petrograd building of First Cadets Corps on Vasilyevsky Island – significant first step introducing Soviet system against Bolshevik government (dispute Bolshevik desire to stay in war) - elected permanent body -
July Days
16-20 July in Petrograd, demonstrations against Russian Provisional Government as a result of Russian involvement in the war and the Brusilov offensive – helped grow government opposition and end of imperial rule (many Bolshevik leaders were arrested and slowed creation of Provisional Government due to government efforts to suppress these demonstrations) - discontentment continued despite demonstrations however there were attempts to restore order and impose greater discipline -
Kornilov Affair
military coup d’etat led by the commander-in-chief, General Lavr Kornilov, from 9-14 September 1917 to overthrow the provisional government and establish military dictatorship restore country to monarchy- Kerensky tried avoiding this by sending Kornilov a telegram that announced his dismissal from leadership – Kornilov push his troops forward while the Provisional Government prepared for the attack – though he lost support for the movement, this revolt increased support for Bolsheviks -
Trotsky organizes Red Guard to defend Petrograd
Provisional Government provided weapons to the Red Army to fight against Kornilov - meeting of Petrograd Workers’ and Soldiers’ Delegates discussed the creation of Workers’ Militia to encourage the revolutionary worker to join the armed defense of the capital (official armed force of Petrograd Soviet) led to greater organization and defense against demonstrators – symbol of terror it opposed Bolshevik opposition – however, by means of force it lost support for Bolshevik from peasants -
Bolsheviks Overthrow the Provisional Government and Take Control
On November 7th 1917, the Bolsheviks had forces led across Petrograd. Petrograd was the Russian capital and the forces were led for an uprising was against the provisional government This photo is representative of the event as it shows Petrograd (St. Petersburg) which is where the event took place and where the capital of Russia was located at the time, making the image represent the central point of Russia as many issues and events took place in Petrograd. -
Cheka Formed
Cheka was formed by Vladamir Lenin’s decree on December 20th, 1917. Cheka helped the security for the Bolshevik government as it worked to ensure the allignment of Bolshevik government ideals . Cheka was associated with executions on behalf of the Bolsheviks and with the creation of Red Terror as a method of ensuring the power of the Bolshevik government. The image is representative of Cheka as it is a badge for people in Cheka, making it symbolic of the harm Cheka caused with weapons shown. -
Wartime Communism Created
In June of 1918, the economic policy was created and applied by the Bolsheviks during the Russian civil war to make sure the army was taken care of. This introduced food rations, banned free trade, the government controlled production, and the government essentially stopped a free market economy. War Communism ended in 1921 and was replaced by the New Economic Policy. This affected Russia immensely as famine was caused along with inflation and many other economic issues. -
Constituent Assembly Meets and is Disbanded
The Assembly met on January 18, 1918. The assembly rejected Bolshevik rule and it was eventually dissolved by the Bolshevik government. The elections were held on november 25, 1917. In 1918 in Petrograd (st. petersburg) the goal was to form a government and write a constitution for post revolutionary Russia. The Socialist Revolutionary party had majority of the seats 40%, while the Bolsheviks less than 25%. Next day, the members dispersed and the assembly later disbanded -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The treaty was a peace treaty that was created on March 3rd 1918 between the Bolshevik government and the central powers. The treaty stopped Russian involvement in WWI and Russia also lost lots of land from the treaty. The treaty was signed in Brest-Litovsk which was also controlled by Germany. This image provides a snap shot of the treaty meeting for the determination of the inclusions to the treaty and contents of the treaty. -
Red Terror
On September 2nd of 1918, Red Terror ensued which was a campaign of political repression that encompassed acts of violence such as executions and other acts of violence through Cheka. The Red Terror ended 1922 and it targetted it targetted anti-Bolshevik groups, criminals, and counter-revolutionaries. The Red Terror caused many deaths within Russia and caused tensions to rise with the injustice of Red Terror and the economic issues that ensued. -
Kolchak (one of the White leaders) begins serious attacks against Reds from Siberia
On March 1st, 1919, Kolchak conducted the Spring Offensive against the Red army. He was the leader for the Whites. This image was chosen as it shows the leaders stern face which adds to the harsh presence within history that he had as he led the Whites and he was willing to use violent means to beat the Reds, as the stern face respresents. -
Tambv Rebellion
The Tambov rebellion happened in 1920-1921. It was a peasant rebellion against the Bolshevik rebellion that was caused by war communism as there was a forced retrevial of grain by the Bolshevik government. This caused the peasants to only produce the grain neccessary for their families and it led into the Tambov rebellion against the government. The rebellion lasted from 1920-1921. This is a photo of people from the Tambov rebellion, it proved to be one of the biggest peasant rebellions. -
Poles move toward Kiev
Polish invasion on Ukraine to create a formally independent Ukraine due to their political, ethnic, and cultural differences. However, the Poles invaded Kiev to carry out their plans of inheriting Pilsudski’s plan which was to resurrect a modern and democratic Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, while working for the Russian empire (Soviet Union) that would emphasize upon its ethnic constituents or his Prometheus project, that promotes independence movements within the Soviet Union. -
Soviets attempt to take Warsaw
Poles take Warsaw for help from Allies to install a Polish anticommunist government after the war; the Soviets got to Warsaw before the Poles and instead of leading a polish uprising & encouraged the beatings of the Poles as they shared a common enemy; idly watching the Germans slaughtering the Poles and placing the survivors into concentration camps. Thus, destroying native Polish resister to a pro-Soviet communist government, which played a significant in Stalin’s postwar territorial designs -
Kronstadt uprising
Anti-Bolshevik rebellion carried by soldiers and Sailers, on the island fortress of Kronstadt in 1921. The Kronstadt rebellion was a protest against the Bolshevik economic policies, food shortages, political oppression, and violence. This rebellion was caused by the serf uprising as reported by the Cheka; stated the workers were involved in a series of strikes caused by the reducing bread rations by 1/3 over a 10-day period. Kronstadt naval base began protesting over the plight of the country. -
Ending of Wartime Communism
Wartime communism ended as it failed. Especially, in terms of food production where the peasants growing less grain led to a famine in 1921; leading to economic downfalls and limitations in terms of the health of the soldiers; unable to nutrify themselves. In addition, wartime communism led to many rebellions and public discontent caused the cost of food to rise. Wartime communism was problematic as it the greed and needs of people especially throughout dark times. -
Treaty of Rapallo
The Treaty of Rapallo was negotiated in a north Italian city between Germany’s Walther Rathenau and the Soviet Union’s Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin. Rapallo re-established diplomatic relationships between the two nations, and established relations between Italy and the kingdom of Serbs, Croatians, and Slovenes. While also, cancelling the territorial and financial claims of either side. Rapallo also claimed to promise greater economic cooperation between the Germany and the Soviet Union. -
Ukraine Brought Under Soviet control
On December 30th 1922, after collapse of Russian empire (November 1917) Ukraine was made one of the original constituent republics of Union of soviet Socialist republics (USSRs) - founding state of the soviet union - proclaimed in Kharkiv . The Ukraine was given the right to formal secession but, the Ukraine could only control domestic issues and only obtained independence in Janurary of 1918. -
Formation of Soviet Union
The formation of the Soviet Union originated from the Russian Revolution of 1917 (or the 1917 Revolution) where the Radical Leftist revolutionaries overthrew Russia’s Czar Nicholas II. Thus, eliminating the Romanov rule. Consequently, the Bolsheviks established a socialist state in the territory that was once the Russian Empire. However, this then led to a long bloody war after that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in August 1991. -
Lenin dies
Vladimir Ll’ich Lenin, a Russian communist revolutionary and head of the Bolshevik party dies from a massive stroke, leaving Stalin in charge as his successor, thus the leader of ruling the Communist party and the Soviet Union. Lenin was given a lavish funeral that displayed his body although it was against his wishes. Since Lenin was the first to find a government of Soviet Russia, his death left some citizens in great despair, and for others, hope.