The Russian Revolution

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Background: Causes of Revolution

• Repressive and aristocratic regimes of the Romanov dynasty: Nicholas II

• Severe economic and social crisis in Russia

• Russia in WWI: “This isn’t war it is slaughter” Lenin

• Corruption in Government

• Numbers of Poor and Rich

Causes Continued

• Revolutionary Middle Class• Nicholas II inability to allow any form of

reform and a refusal to abdicate Absolutism• New Ideas of Marxism in Europe (

Marx Link)• Vladmir Lenin leader of the visionary

Revolutionary class• Chronology of Events:

Chronology

• Russo Japanese War of 1905-a humiliating event for proud Russia.

• Nicholas II and the Duma fiasco• WWI (1914-1918)• March 1917 mass desertions in army, riots

in streets, labor strikes chaos. Bread riots, fuel riots. Soldiers sent by the Tsar/Czar ended up joining with the rioters. (3/8/17)

• Nicholas abdicates on the ides of March 1917

• The “Provisional Government” established almost immediately. Totally out of touch with peasants and the “real Russian situation”. Refused to end WWI for Russia!

• Establishment of Soviets-councils of angry workers pop up to counter the new government

• Marxist tendencies infiltrate the “Soviets”– Two branches: Mensheviks (minority) and

radical Bolsheviks (majority)

• 1917 Lenin returns to Russia, revolution in mind Communist Manifesto in pocket.

• Lenin’s slogan: “Peace Land and Bread”• November 6, 1917 Russian Bolsheviks led by

Lenin seize public places, government offices in Petrograd.

• Next day: the Winter Palace overthrows Kerensky’s regime.

• November 1917: at the urging of Lenin free elections held, Lenin and his band only won ¼ of the seats…Lenin seizes legislature.

• Lenin institutes: Leninism-often titled “Communism” but it is not even close to theoretical communism.

Soviets

National Congress

Committees

Politburo

General Secretary of the Communist Party

Leninism

Politburo

The Russian State from 1918 until 1989

• Civil War Breaks out in 1919: Lenin at this time begins to have serious disagreements with his counterpart Leon Trotsky a fellow communist with whom he clashes about the “true nature” of the movement.– Anti-Bolsheviks: Whites (led by Liberal Russians and

Angry Western Powers– Bolsheviks: Reds (led by Lenin and Trotsky)

White Propaganda poster of the “evil Trotsky”

Trotsky

• Lenin starts Anti-West phenomenon during Civil War with his commentary on the betrayal of Russia by the west during WWI and his hatred of Versailles. Refuses to pay any loans back to West incurred by Nicholas II, who is killed during the Civil War. (executed by Red forces on 6-16-18)

• Thousands of people tortured and killed during the titanic struggle.

• Lenin establishes the “Cheka” after Red victory in Civil War and alters Russian History forever with the use of Terror as an acceptable political means.

• Lenin’s death in 1924 sets up a power struggle between Trotsky and Stalin…who wins????

The Legacy of Lenin

• A revolutionary from an early age…in his genes if you will. Brother was murdered for Revolutionary activities by the Romanov’s.