Russian Revolution

 Russian revolution is also known as Bolshevik Revolution.

 It was a revolution for peace, bread, and land.

 The economic reason to this revolution is that so many people joined the army to fight

World War I that there were hardly any people left to work to produce food.

 Due to low production, prices of good and products sky rocketed. This didn’t matter

despite some agreed to pay high wages.

 People of Russia were very angry with the czars. The population consisted 85% of

Peasants. They had the burden of work and paying high taxes.

 Czars failed to maintain the country. When people engaged in strikes and riots, the czars

such as Nicolas II often engaged in violence to suppress the revolution. (Bloody

Sunday).

 Russian revolution led to rise of communism led by Lenin.

World War II

 Prior to Nazi socialist parties, Weimar Republic was formed in Germany. It showed no

tradition of democracy. There were too many political parties. The gov’t just printed

money, which led to hyperinflation. People were desperate and looking for solution.

 Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany, was able to manipulate the people with above

cause to gain support.

 Rise of Nazi Germany led to World War II. Germany was blamed for world war I and it

was ensued by war reparation.

 Invasion of Poland led to initiation of World War II.

 Hitler then invaded Norway and Denmark. He defeated France and bombed England.

 Assuming that England was defeated, he went on to invade Soviet Union, the former ally

at the initiation of the war.

 Later, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor as US stopped shipping oil to them and interfering

with Japan’s invasion.

 Allied power US, Britain, and Soviet Union attacking Germany from three fronts.

 Adolf Hitler’s obsession over killing Jews led to holocaust, mass murdering of Jewish

people.

 World War II ensued Nuremburg trials that made many scientists at the concentration

camps to be prosecuted for injustice against humanity. This cases were indirect response

to Nuremberg laws that was created to preserve the true Germans. They were anti-

Semitic laws.

 UN was formed. World is now in possession of nuclear powers. US and Soviet Union

came out as two superpowers. Japan, and Germany are in ruins.

Rise of Fascism

 Socialist party under Benito Mussolini brought Italy under Fascism.

 Promoted strong leadership and control is the key to nation’s strength.

 Nationalism was the key to fascism, and Mussolini used that to gain support.

Cold War + Collapse of Soviet Union

 Cold war is defined by political and economic tension between US and Soviet post world

war II era.
 It was fought by arms race, creating allies such as NATO and Warsaw Pact. Clash

between spread of communist ideas and democracy paved away cold war.

 However, cost of arms race left Soviet Union economically devastated. The “empire” had

to import grains to feed the population from time to time. When Gorbachev came into

power, he started glasnost and perestroika. Glasnost is openness to new ideas. Perestroika

was political and economic reforms. These two policies were apparent cause of fall of

Soviet Union and communism.