from the land of the tsars to the land of lenin. tsar: the slavic term for emperor derived from...
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Land of the Tsars
Tsar: the Slavic term for Emperor derived from the Latin word Caesar Autocrat: a ruler with unlimited authority
Ivan IV was the 1st to assume the title of Tsar in 1547
Nicholas II was the last Tsar Ruled until 1917
Ivan IV – Ivan the Terrible
Ruled from 1547-1584
Intelligent & strong ruler
Better known for his fits of rage and paranoia
One outburst of rage resulted in the death of his son & groomed heir to the throne Ivan Ivanovich
The Romanovs
THE ROMANOVSAssumed the Russian throne in 1613 under Tsar Michael I &
ruled until Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown in 1917
Peter the Great•Ruled 1682 – 1725
•Founded the Russian Empire in 1721
•Brought Russia out of the dark ages through sheer force of will
•Traveled through Western Europe studying everything about modern European culture, especially shipbuilding!
•Taught Russia’s shipbuilders the advanced techniques he learned himself!
•Led the improved Russian Navy to the expansion of Russian territory •He was 6’ 8” – a GIANT in his time!
Catherine the Great•Ruled Russia 1762 – 1796
•Known throughout Europe in her time & throughout history as a great ruler
•Russia greatly expanded its territory under her rule
•Known as an “Enlightened Monarch”
• An absolute ruler who, at the least, was open to the new ideas & philosophies of the Enlightenment
• Invited author of Encyclopedia, Denis Diderot, to her court in Moscow
Russia at the turn of the 20th century
RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR REVOLUTION OF 1905
Fought from February 1904 to September 1905
Fought over imperialist control of Manchuria (China) and Korea
The Russian Military was poorly organized & lost the war to Japan
Political & social unrest spread throughout Russia
Included worker strikers, military mutinies, & peasant unrest
Resulted in Tsar Nicholas II ceding some of his power
Russia became limited constitutional monarchy
Background to Revolution
Russia had many problems in the wake of the loss to Japan & Revolution of 1905
These problems left them unprepared for the new age of “Total” war in WWI Lacking militarily & technologically No competent military leaders Industry unable to produce enough weapons Some soldiers were sent to the front lines of WWI
without weapons!!
Tsar Nicholas & Family
Tsarina: Alexandra Children: 4 daughters
& the Tsarevich Alexi Alexi was a
hemophiliac Disease of the blood
where the blood lacks platelets (clotting agents)
This means even a bruise could be life threatening!
Rasputin – “The Mad Monk”
Siberian peasant & supposed holy man
Won the favor of the Tsar, but especially the Tsarina b/c he seemed to be the only one capable of stopping Alexi’s bleeding
The Rasputin Problem Tsar Nicholas was on the
front lines of WWI leading the Russian troops ... to defeat
This left the Tsarina, Alexandra, in St. Petersburg to make all of the decisions
She never made a decision w/o consulting her holy man, Rasputin
As military losses mounted & economic woes for Russia’s people continued, resistance to the Tsarist regime grew
The Situation Begins to Crumble
Military disasters mounted under the Tsar in WWI
Economic woes continued on the home front under the Tsarina’s decisions Anger at Rasputin’s influence over the Tsarina & her reliance on him grew
He was assassinated by a group of aristocrats who supported the Tsar in December, 1916
The March Revolution
In February, 1917 the government began to ration bread b/c the price skyrocketed
In Petrograd (St. Petersburg) women who worked 12 hour shifts in the factories now also had to wait in long lines for bread
These women staged a series of strikes in March, 1917
The Tsars Response
After a general strike of 120,000 workers shut down all of the factories in Petrograd the Tsarina wrote the Tsar & called it a “hooligan movement”
Tsar Nicholas ordered troops to break up the strike by any means, even shooting
Many soldiers refused these orders & joined the demonstrators instead
The Provisional Government
On March 12, 1917 the Duma (legislature) established a provisional (temporary) government
It urged the Tsar to step down Nicholas II did so on March 15, 1917 Ending 304 years of Romanov rule over Russia
The Provisional Government
Alexander Kerensky was chosen to lead the Provisional Gov’t
Ignored the wishes of the workers, peasants, & soldiers by keeping Russia involved in WWI
Authority faced a serious challenge from the soviets
The Soviets
Soviet: a council made up of representatives from workers & soldiers Began to form all over Russia
Factory towns Army units Rural areas
Made up mostly of socialists Socialism: a philosophy of government in which the government owns & controls the means of production
Represented the radical interests of the lower classes
Vladamir Ilyich Ulianov
Known to the world as V.I. Lenin Spent much of this time period in hiding
b/c his brother took part in the 1905 Revolution
Fiercely believed the only way for a Marxist revolution could overthrow capitalism was through violence
Shipped back to Russia by the German gov’t after the Provisional Gov’t came to power Hoped he would create chaos in Russia
Lenin & the Bolsheviks
While in hiding Lenin took control of the Bolshevik party
When he returned to Russia he saw an opportunity for his party to seize power through the Soviets
His plan was for the Bolsheviks to gain control of the Soviets & use them to overthrow the Provisional government
What the Bolsheviks Promised
END Russia’s involvement in WWI Redistribute land to the peasants Transfer ownership of factories &
industries from capitalists to councils of workers
Transfer of governmental power from the provisional gov’t to the soviets
Bolshevik Slogans
“WORKERS CONTROL OF PRODUCTION!”
“ALL POWER TO THE SOVIETS!”
“PEACE! LAND! BREAD!”
The Bolshevik Revolution
By October, 1917 the Bolsheviks had grown from 50,000 to 240,000
On November 6, 1917 Bolshevik forces in Petrograd took control of the Winter Palace, home of the Provisional Gov’t
The Provisional Gov’t quickly fell w/ little bloodshed
Lenin in Power
On the surface Lenin & the Bolsheviks passed governmental power to the Soviets
The REAL power, however, sat with the Council of People’s Commissars…controlled by Lenin
Bolsheviks renamed themselves Communists Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Signed by Lenin on March 3, 1918 Ended Russia’s involvement in WWI, as promised Gave up Poland, Finland, Ukraine, & the Baltic Provinces
Civil War in Russia
Many groups opposed Bolshevik rule in Russia Groups loyal to the Tsar Anti-Lenin socialists
Socialists who did not believe in violent revolution
Allied forces in WWI Concerned about communist takeover of Russia U.S., Great Britain, France
Communist forces: RED Army vs. Anti-Communist forces: WHITE Army
The Fate of the Romanovs
The royal family had been prisoners since the Tsar gave up power
Tsar Nicholas II and his family’s continued existence were the biggest threat to Lenin & the Communists’ rule, especially if the White Army gained the upper hand in combat
The entire family was assassinated in the middle of the night in Ekaterinberg, Russia
Red Army vs. White Army(communists) (anti communists)
THE RED ARMY Well disciplined army
Deserters or refusal to obey = instantly shot
War Communism Gov’t control of banks, most industries, taking grain from
peasants to keep the army supplied
Red Terror The Checka, a secret police force, attacked opponents to
communist rule
Appeal to Russian Patriotism Japan, France, Great Britain, & the U.S. all had troops
stationed inside Russian territory to help the anti-communist forces
Communists called on Russians to fight off foreign attempts to control their country
Leon Trotsky
•Secret weapon of the Red Army•Commissar of War
• responsible for manning, supplying, and maintaining the army
• Insisted on rigid discipline•Insisted on a highly organized fighting force•Influential in the policies of War Communism
Red Army vs. White Army(communists) (anti communists)
THE WHITE ARMY Lacked the single
minded focus of the Red Army
Political differences among the various groups created distrust among the White forces & leaders Some wanted to restore the
Tsar to power & continue the monarchy
Others wanted to create a democratic system of government in Russia
No common goal!!
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