WW1 and Russian Revolution

Bloody Sunday

Jan 22, 1905

Peaceful protesters in St. Petersburg were shot by imperial troops, this event shattered trust in the Tsar and sparked the 1905 Revolution.

Mutiny on the Battleship Potemkin

Jun 27, 1905

Sailors rebelled against brutal conditions and poor leadership. The mutiny symbolized growing resistance within the Russian military.

October Manifesto

Oct 30, 1905

Tsar Nicholas II promised civil liberties and created the Duma (parliament). These concessions temporarily calmed unrest but did not solve Russia’s deep problems.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Jun 28, 1914

The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was killed in Sarajevo. This assassination triggered World War I.

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

Jul 28, 1914

Backed by Germany, Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia. Alliance systems quickly turned the conflict into a global war.

Germany declares war on Russia

Aug 1, 1914

Germany entered the war against Russia, opening the Eastern Front. The conflict expanded rapidly across Europe.

Petrograd strikes and mutinies

Feb 23, 1917

Mass strikes over food shortages and war exhaustion erupted in Petrograd. Soldiers refused to suppress the crowds and joined the protests.

February Revolution

Mar 8, 1917

Strikes, food shortages, and army mutinies erupted in Petrograd. The Tsar lost control of the situation.

Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II

Mar 15, 1917

Nicholas II abdicated the throne, ending over 300 years of Romanov rule. A Provisional Government took power.

Lenin returns from exile

Apr 16, 1917

Lenin returned to Russia and promoted the slogan “Peace, Land, Bread.” He called for immediate revolution and withdrawal from the war.

Bolsheviks seize the Winter Palace

Oct 25, 1917

The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government in Petrograd. This marked the success of the October Revolution.

Congress of Soviets endorses Bolshevik power

Nov 7, 1917

The Congress officially recognized Bolshevik authority. A new socialist government was established.

Russian civil War beginning

Nov 7, 1917

The Russian Civil War began on November 7, 1917, immediately following the Bolshevik October Revolution.

Armistice with the Central Powers

Dec 15, 1917

The Bolshevik government signed an armistice to end fighting. Russia began negotiations to leave World War I.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Mar 3, 1918

Russia officially exited WWI, losing large territories to Germany. The treaty was harsh but fulfilled Lenin’s promise of peace.

Czech Legion uprising

May 14, 1918

Czech forces rebelled along the Trans-Siberian Railway. This uprising helped ignite the Russian Civil War.

Execution of the Romanov family (Yekaterinburg)

Jul 16, 1918

Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks to prevent their rescue by anti-Bolshevik forces. This act symbolized the definitive end of the Romanov dynasty.

Armistice ends World War I

Nov 11, 1918

Fighting on the Western Front ended on 11 November 1918. Brest-Litovsk was later annulled after Germany’s defeat.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Mar 21, 1921

Lenin introduced limited capitalism to rebuild the economy. The policy helped stabilize the country after war and famine.

Formation of the USSR

Dec 30, 1922

The Soviet Union was officially created. Bolshevik control over the former Russian Empire was consolidated.

Death of Lenin

Jan 24, 1924

Lenin’s death triggered a power struggle between Stalin and Trotsky. Stalin would eventually emerge as leader.