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Russian Social Democratic Workers' party splits
The Split In August 1903, the Russian Social Democratic Workers' party will meet. It will be split up into two groups over the goals of the party. Lenin and his supporters, the Bolsheviks, favored a party made up of elite revolutionaries while others favored the party being an open democratic organization. This event begins the Bolshevik party which will come to power and revolutionize Russia by 1917. -
Rasputin is Summoned to the Royal Palace
Rasputin was a peasant who claimed to have the power to heal tsar's hemophilic son. He had a strong hold on the Romanovs of Russia and was able to influence the replacement of four prime ministers, three war ministers and fiver regular ministers. For the revolution, Rasputin was futher evidence that the Tsarian government was so corrupt it could be swayed by his own political interests. -
Bloody sunday
Bloody Sunday A group of workers went to march to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to present a petiton asking to work for eight hours a day, the right to form strikes, and the ability to elect a constituent assembly. The demonstrators were fired upon by imperial forces, killing about 200 people. This massacre will jumpstart the revolution of 1905 and undermine the allegience of Russians to the Tsar. -
Russo-Japanese War ends
your 60 second guide to the Russo-Japanese war September 5, 1905 marks the devastating defeat of Russia during the Russo-Japanese War. As a result the economy was shot, with the lower classes being hit the hardest with the raising of prices, shortages of foods, and a high unemployment rate. This was what caused the unrest of the working class of Russia to rise up and begin the Revolutions of 1905. -
The October Manifesto
October Manifesto The october manifesto was what brought a constitutional monarchy to Russia. It ended the revolution of 1905 by satisfying the people of Russia by guaranteeing civil liberties and created the Duma which would be a legislative body that would represent them in the government. While it did grant some peace, it was very short term. The government will reinstate their power again and revolution will continue. -
Franz Ferdinand Shot
AssasinationThe asssination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalists sparked WWI. In response, the leaders of Austria-Hungary accused the Serbian government of either orchestrating the assassination or knowing the assasin's identity. Using this as an excuse to go to war, Austria-Hungary drafted an ultimatum for Serbia that they didn't fully agree to, and war was declared. -
Austrian-Hungarian Empire Declares war on Serbia
declaration of warAfter Austria didn’t get the response they wanted from Serbia’s ultimatum, they officially declared war on Serbia, causing the Third Balkan War. Treaties between these two countries and their alliances will bring all the world's powers together in what will later be known as the "Great War". -
The Mobilization of the Russian Army
mobilization Russia begins full mobilization of its troops to asert their dominince after their defeat in the Fanco-Prussian war. They chose to mobilize their troops to aid France which had just had war declared on them by Germany. When Russia entered the war they had the largest standing army in the world and mobilized faster than Germany had planned, foiling Germany's Schlieffen War Plan. -
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The Schlieffen Plan fails
The Plan Germany was trying to get a very quick victory by trying to defeat France in the span of six weeks while also holding off Russia before they could mobilize fully in six months. The final step to the plan was to invade France by going through Berlin and seizing Paris. This plan was a failure for the Germans as Russia mobilized at an alarming rate and the Belgians were more resilient to invasion than planned. This failure proved to Germany that this war would not be short or easilly won. -
First trenches of the western front were built
trenchesThe first trenches of World War One are built on this date right before the Battle of the Marne. This begins the almost 25,000 miles of trenches that will accumulate over the course of the War. Trench warfare redefined how modern wars were fought, with artillery becoming the key weapon and the trenches being made to avoid machine gun fire. The lives lost in the war were staggering due to the treacherous conditions yet the gains in land were minimal. -
Unofficial Christmas Truce announced
Christmas In the midst of World War One there was an unofficial ceasefire on the western front where British, Belgian, and French soldiers to stopped fighting against the German enemies on Christmas day. All over the front troops exchanged gifts, buried their dead, and played games. While this ceasefire wasn’t universal, there are still multiple accounts of soldiers socializing with each other on this day. -
Armenien Genocide begins
GenocideThe Armenian Genocide began in 1915 to expel the Armenians who were living in the Ottoman Empire. The Young Turks assigned military commands to wipe out the Armenian population. The goal was for the Ottoman Empire to create a homogeneous Turkish state through forcing assimilation and conversion and when that didn’t work, the massacres and persecutions began with the ongoing World War being used to cover it up. What resulted was the death or dissaperance of about 1.5 million Armenians. -
Italy signed the Treaty of London
treatyThe treaty of London was a secret treaty between France, Britain, and Russia that would bring neutral Italy into the Great War. Under this agreement Italy was bound to help defend the Allies if any of them were attacked first in the War. This treaty resulted in Italy declaring war on Austria-Hungary on May 23. -
Sinking of Lusitania
The Sinking THe RMS Lusitania was was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915. This event was significant becuase attacking a boat without knowledge of it carrying any war materials violated international water protocol and it killed 128 U.S. civilians, enraging the US who was neutral in the war and didnt expect any casualties. The sinking of the Lusitania is one of the two events that will cause the united states to join the war with the allies. -
The Progressive Bloc is formed
Probressive BlocThe Progressive Bloc was formed by the Duma that were trying to bring reform to the imperial government of Russia. The Duma was trying to regain the public’s trust in Nicholas II by pressing for government reform and new regulation of the war efforts. This bloc was important becasue it represents the Duma's declinging faith in the tsarist govt that fueled the revolutionary spirit of others -
Nicolas II takes control of Russia's army
Nicholas bioTsar Nicholas II takes personal control over Russia's armies in september of 1915, leaving Alexandra and Rasputin in charge of Russia at home.Alexandra tried to rule absolutely like her husband did, yet Rasputin's influence over her while he was alive and the impact of his death left her distraught and russia in shambles. His absense and her lack of cotrol was what led to the provisional government being formed by the Duma. -
The Battle of Verdun Begins.
Battle On February 21 The Battle of Verdun began agasinst Germany and France. This was the longest battle of both World War One and all of World History with no other battle involving so many soldiers over such a span of time. What resulted from this battle was 700,000 casualties all fought in a battle over nothing but the pride of two countries. -
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The March Revolution
March Rev. The March revolution in 1917 starts out in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) over food riots that swept through the country. When the Duma pleaded with the Tsar to release emergency food supplies he refused and instead ordered them to dissolve and sent in troops to suppress the riots, yet neither of them listened. This defiance by the Duma is usually considered the first act of the Russian revolution -
Provisional government is formed
Pro govt The provisional goverment was formed during the Russian Revolution of 1917 to oversee Russia's transition to a Constituent Assembly. It was declared by the Duma three days before Nicholas abdicated and it established many things to make Russia free. There was equality before the law, the right to organize in unions, and other liberal programs yet they refused to enact any kind of social reform. -
U.S. Entered World War I.
USA America will end its neutrality in World War One when they agreed to join the Allies on April 6th. Some consider the entering of the US to be the reasoning for the end of the war due to the influx of new american soldiers and the mobilization of the American economy towards war creating an advantage for the Allies. -
Storming of the Winter Palace
revolutionDuring the October Revolution, Lenin and the Bolsheviks planned to sieze power of the Russian government due to the fact they had taken control of the Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government was severely weakened at this time. It was on the 25th of October that the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palance where the provisional government was located, and arrested them. Lenin would then proclaim a new government for Russia and the Bolshevik revolution would begin. -
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october revolution
October RevThe October revolution of 1917, also called the Bolshevik revolution, was the second and last major phase of the Russian revolution. It was at this time that Lenin returned to St. Petersburg with promises of bringing Russia peace, bread, and land. Preceding October, The Bolsheviks were gaining power and popular support in Russia so when October came around they were able to overturn the provisional government and establish the Soviet Union. -
Council of People's Commissars
CouncilFollowing the October Revolution, this council was formed by the new Russian republic to restructure the country and form the Soviet Union. It was created at the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets. This form of government will come to have the most amount of executive power in the USSR until 1946. -
Wilson delivers his 14 points
WilsonOn this day the US president, Woodrow Wilson delivered his 14 point speech to congress that would be the bassis of American foreign policy after World War One. They were created from Wilson's realization that American security relies on the stability of international relationships. His fourteen points ranged from the ending of secret treaties that Wilson beleive caused the war, to the removal of economic barriers between countries to improve trade. -
Lenin Disbands the Constituent Assembly
AssemblyThe Constituent Assembly was formed to create a constitution for post-revolution Russia.Bolsheviks ended up winning one fourth of the elected delegates, with the Socialist Revolutionary Party winning a majority. This enraged the Bolsheviks, and when the assembly refused to recognize the Soviet's authority, the Bolsheviks walked out and Lenin dissolved it. -
Treaty of Brest-Litvosk
TreatyAfter Nicholas abdicated and Lenin and the Bolsheviks gained power, Lenin ordered the halting of all Russian participation in the war. An armistice was reached in December 1917 and under the treaty Russia lost about one million square miles of territory and a third of its population. Trotsky and Lenin thought the treaty was too harsh but Russia was too weak to fight back. -
Russian Civil War Begins
civil war On this day the battle of Chelyabinsk agasinst the Czech Legion and the red army began, which some experts say is the exact date of the beginning of the Russian Civil War, although this is disputed. The Russian Civil War was fough for control of what was left of the Russian Empire and it split Russia between the Reds (Bolshevik Communists) and the whites (people against the Bolsheviks). -
Germany Signs an Armistice with the Allies
Armistice By 1918 Austria-Hungary had finally collapsed, both Bulgaria and Turkey had left the war after suing for peace, and Germany was on its last leg. With Wilhelm II abdicating and ending all hope for a Germany victory, a German republic was declared and requested to negotiate on the terms laid out in Wilson’s Fourteen Points. At 5 AM on November 11 an armistice was signed and the Great War was over. -
League of nations formed
Leauge of Nations With the ending of the first World War, American President Wislon came up with the idea of the League of Nations as a part of his fourteen points. It was an international organization that would be used to settle disputes and prevent future wars from happening. The US would actually never join for fear of being pulled into another European war. -
The Treaty of Versailles is signed
Significance? The treaty of Versailles formally ended the First World War on June 28,This treaty was between the Allies and Germany with the intent of restoring international order. German colonies had to be given up as League of Nation Mandates, they had to reduce their army, and the country was declared responsible for the Great War. With this declaration came the requirement for Germany to pay reparations for the war.
