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Industrialization
(1863-1900)
Industrialization in Russia changed the face of Russian economy. By 1900 the country had become the world's fourth-ranking producer of steel. On the other hand, this lead to new problems among the workers who worked in terrible working conditions and miserably low wages. As a result, several revolutionary movements began to grow in the Russian working population. -
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19th century czars
(1881-1894)
Russian czars ruled Russia in autocracy where they had total power over every aspect of the society including culture, education , religion, and rights. -
Marxists divide
(1903)
Russian Marxists split into two groups: The Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks. The Mensheviks wanted a broad base of popular support for the revolution and the Bolsheviks supported a small number of commited revolutionaries willing to sacrifice everything for change. -
Russo-Japanese War
In the late 1800's Russia and Japan competed for control of Korea and Manchuria. The two nations signed a series of agreements over the territories, but Russia broke them. Japan retaliated by attacking the Russians at Port Arthur, Manchuria, in February 1904. -
Bloody Sunday
200,000 workers and their famlies approached the czar's Winter Palace in St. Peterburg. They carried a petition asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. More than 1,000 were wounded and several hundred were killed. -
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The War (WWI)
Nicholas II dragged Russia into the war in 1914. Russia was unprepared to handle the military and economic costs. German machine guns mowed down advancing Russians by the thousand. This involvement made people want an end of the war and revealed the weakness of czarisr rule and military leadership. -
The March Revolution
Women textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike and nearly 200,000 workers swarmed the streets shouting, "Donw with the autocracy!" and "Down with the war!". At first soldiers obeyed orders to shoot the rioters but later sided with them. This forced Nicholas II to abdicate his throne and the rule of the Romanovs finally collapsed. -
Provisional Government
The Duma established a provisional government. Russia continued in the war and soviets (councils consisting of workers, peasants, and soldiers) formed. -
The Bolshevik Revolution
Armed factory workers stormed the Winter Palace in Petrograd, calling themselves the Bolshevik Red Guards. They took over government offices and arrested the leaders of the provisional government. -
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The Civil War
In March 1918, Russia and Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk where Russia surrendered a large part of its territory to Germany. The humiliating terms of this treaty widespread anger among many Russians with objection. Their opponents formed the White Army who was made of different groups; only the desire to defeat the Bolsheviks united this army. Around 14 million Russian died through this war. In the end, the Red Army crushed all opposition. -
New Economic Policy (NEP)
Lenin restorted to a small-scale version of capitalism called the New Economic Policy (NEP). It allowed peasants to sell their surplus crops instead of turning them over to the government. The government kept control of major industries, banks and means of communications, but it let some small factories, businesses, and farms operate under private ownership. By 1928, Russia's farms and factories were producing as much as they had before WWI. -
USSR and Communist Party
Lenin organized Russia into several self-governing republics under the central government Therefore, the country was named thE Union of Societ Socialist Republics (USSR). The Bolsheviks named their party the Communist Party, the central government. The name was inspireed by Marxist ideals as well as to describe a classless society that would exist after workers have seized power. -
Stlin reaches power
Stalin meaning "man of steel" reached power in the Communist Party in 1928 and stood as a dictator to wield absolute power.