QUESTIONS FOR READING:ch.15,section 1and2

• Why is Siberia important?• What is Communism and Command Economy? How is it

different from our federal system and free-market economy?

• Who was Vladimir Lenin?• Who are the Chechens? • Why is the Volga important?• What is the result of pollution in Russia?• Describe Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Russian port cities:

Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Vladivostok.

WHY COMMUNISM? WHY DID IT COLLAPSE?WHERE IS RUSSIA TODAY?

THE PLAYERS: The Romanovs Left: Alexander IIIBelow: Nicholas II and family

Grigori Rasputin

THE PLAYERSKarl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Below: Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov or “Lenin”

Lego workers, UNITE!!

“Peace, Land and Bread”

“All Power to the Soviets”The dictatorship of the Proletariat begins……Lenin believed Russian peasants had to be trained, tutored before taking over their own country!So a dictator will guide them until they were ready!

By 1921 all Russia was under Communist rule.a command economy Top-down control

Collective farms food for factory workersForced migration of people/towns5-Year Plans system began

COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNIONRussia was US ally during WWII

USSR was America’s main rival for world power from 1949 – 1989. THE COLD WAR!Afghanistan – Downfall of Russia – 1980’s

U.S. backed the mujahedin against the Soviets1985 – New Soviet Secretary – Mikhail Gorbachev called for reforms!

Glasnost: Openness – more political freedom and transparency in government

Perestroika: restructure the economy to become free market (demand economy)

Gorby extended a hand to Eastern Europe (communist)

“I will remove missiles and cease nuclear testing!”

Europe felt the winds of change - openness and freedom 1989 – A Watershed Year

Berlin Wall torn downPoland had first free elections

1990 – Dismantling of Soviet UnionBaltic Republics declared independence!Gorby was challenged by a rival – Wow!

Democracy in action!Boris Yeltsin headed a coup to topple Gorby

and won!

Yeltsin – the coup is over!Below: MikhailGorbachev

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

1991 – Commonwealth of Independent Statesreplaced the USSR

RUSSIA BECOMES A FEDERAL REPUBLIC

1993 – ECONOMIC UNION BETWEEN RUSSIA, CENTRAL ASIA, CAUCASUS REPUBLICS,

MOLDOVA, UKRAINE, BELARUS

ECONOMY BASED ON EXTRACTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES: copper, nickel, gold, lead, zinc, coal - #2 in world, oil - #8 in world, natural gas - #1 in world; major exporter of steel

BUT NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT RUSSIA:• STILL POOR INFRASTRUCTURE•13% PEOPLE BELOW POVERTY LINE•STILL SOME FORCED LABOR OF ETHNIC GROUPS•GOVERNMENT STILL TOO INVOLVED IN PRIVATE BUSINESS•LITTLE PROTECTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY•GOVERNMENT STILL CORRUPT

19th Century Social and Political Movements

Why? Criticism of working conditions in early factories (industrialism) Criticism of autocracy or unlimited power

Socialism: A political theory stating that society should control the means of production – factories and land. Originated in FranceCommunism: A social, political, economic theory that states government should control all means of production and aspects of life. No class distinction or private property. Original idea – Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as outlined in the “Communist Manifesto”

Russia’s problem: Backward and weakNeed to industrialize. Still an agrarian (farming) economy

Solution?Emancipation of the Serfs – 1861 – could leave

village, but pay a tax; had to lease land; no educationEffect of this action?

Dissatisfaction Nobles angry! Lost slaves! Serfs angry! Could not afford to farm, but unprepared for industry! Still Czars would not give up power! No political, economic, social opportunities!

Assassination - Radicalism, bombs! Alexander II killed by bomb along with the assassin!

Alexander III – 1866-1894CRACKDOWN!

Alexander III stopped any type of reform to avenge his father and hold on to unlimited power!

Russification: Official policy of intolerance and persecution of non-Russian people esp. Jews!

Purpose: to fuel nationalism to unite Russian people against radicalism and revolutionaries

Calls for reform of the government!The Czar must give up power!We must have a constitution!

Call a national congress into session!

Sad reign of Nicholas II – the weak czar

Like his father Alexander III Nicholas II would not give up power.Isolated from his people. Sickly son; controlling wife.

1905 Fateful YearDisastrous war with JapanBloody Sunday – January – massacre at Winter PalaceRevolution – some reforms, but not nearly enough

Result: non-Russian ethnic groups – angry free peasants – angry urban workers – angry

10 day national strike! Creation of the Soviets!!!

World War I 1914-1918

Russia entered war. Weak military. Czar a poor leader.

Russian people tired of war.

Perfect time for revolutionaries to call for REVOLUTION.

Nicholas II forced to give up his power!

Provisional government takes over; calls for elections – this had never happened before.

November 1917 the Bolsheviks under Lenin win elections.New communist government began to take form!

IMPERIAL vs. COMMUNIST RUSSIA : A COMPARISON

• Imperial or CzaristGovernment: autocrat;

unlimited powerSocial structure: Czar, Nobles,

small middle class; free peasants, SERFS

Religion: Eastern OrthodoxEducation: no public; < ½ of

population literate

• Communist or Soviet• Government: dictatorship;

one party rule - Communist• Social Structure: No

different classes! At top – Communist party elite members

• Religion: NONE• Education By 1939 over 81%

of population literate