Communist Russia

Russia:  Geography

Russian Revolution

Causes of Feb/March. 1917 Russian Revolution

• Absolute monarchy

Romanov dynasty: in power since 1600s

Tsar Nicholas II (tsar in early 20^th century)

• Social structure

Peasants = majority of pop.

Industrial Proletariat=  growing from late 1800s

• Repression

Okhrana (tsar’s secret police)

Pogroms against Jews

“Russification”: forced adoption of Russian culture

• Radicalism

Social Democratic Party (Marxists)

Bolsheviks

Mensheviks

Liberals (want const. monarchy)

Kadets

Octobrists

• Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)

Russia loses: “example” of Tsar Nicholas’s incompetence

• Revolution of 1905

“Bloody Sunday”:  demands for const. reform met with violence by tsar’s troops;                      kickstarts revolt

October Manifesto:  Tsar Nicholas promises to create const. monarchy and                                revolution ends

Duma is created:  supposed to be a Russian parliament

             But:  Duma not allowed to do its job

• Rasputin

Odd “monk” gains influence in Russian government

Example of Tsar Nicholas’s corruption and incompetence

• The First World War

Military disaster:  Tsar Nicholas blamed

Food and resource shortages result

Provisional Government

October/November Revolution

Lenin In Charge (1917-1924)

1924-1927: Stalin vs Trotsky

Stalin

Stalin:  Red Terror Documentary

 

Animal Farm/Russian Revolution Connections

Animal Farm:  Movie