The

Russian
Revolution
Russia
•  Large country with
very long history.

•  Covers 2 continents
•  Europe & Asia

•  Many powerful rulers

•  Ivan the Terrible
•  Peter the Great
•  Catherine the Great
Ivan the Terrible
Peter the Great
Catherine the Great
The Romanov Dynasty
•  Ruled since 1613

•  Various Romanov rulers:

•  Brought Enlightenment
principles to Russia.

•  Defeated Napoleon on
their own ground.

•  Mixture of liberal and
traditional leaders.

•  Czar’s considered to be the

“father” of Russian people.
 Czar Nicholas II & His Family
•  Czar Nicholas II
•  Married to Alexandra
Feodorovna

•  Have 5 children
•  Olga
•  Tatiana
•  Maria
•  Anastasia
•  Son-Alexei

•  Considered to be a weak and

ineffectual leader.

•  Loved his wife & family.

Russo-Japanese War
•  1904-1905

•  Both nations looking to

expand their empires.

•  Japan quickly & easily

defeats Russia.

•  Russians begin to lose

faith in Nicholas II
ability to lead.
Winter Palace
Bloody Sunday
•  January 22, 1905

•  150,000 men, women &

children march on Winter
Palace to ask for better
rights.

•  Imperial forces attack

them.
•  Approx. 200 dead
•  800 wounded

•  Impact: Nicholas now

viewed as a murder by his
own people.
Discussion Question
•  The Russian people were taught to view the Czar as their
“father” and leader. Based on the events so far, how has
Nicholas performed as the father of Russia?

•  Do you blame Nicholas II for his actions? How do you think

you would perform if you were placed in that situation AND
had the same upbringing as he did (do not think of this from
your viewpoint today, try to think from his perspective).
Revolution of 1905
•  Lasts 2 years

•  Spark-Bloody Sunday

•  Mixture of protests,
strikes, mutinies,
terrorist attacks &
general upheaval.

•  Results:
•  Creation of Duma
•  Russian Constitution
Marx, Engels, & the Communist
Manifesto
•  Published 1848

•  Written by Karl Marx &
Friedrich Engels.

•  Banned in most
European countries-
but not Russia.

•  Foundation of
Socialism
Terms to Know!
•  Proletariat: the industrial working class.

•  Bourgeoisie: the property owning/ruling class.

•  Communism: a political theory derived from Karl Marx. A
society in which all property is publically owned, the people
work for the government, and the government controls the
economy.
The Bolsheviks & Lenin
•  Born Vladamir Illich
Ulanov in 1870.

•  Leader of the Bolsheviks

•  Bolsheviks: faction of the

Marxist Social
Democratic Labour Party

•  Wanted hard-core
communism & believed
revolution could only be
achieved through
violence.
Discussion Question
•  In what ways do you think Russia was “ripe” for the ideas of
Marx and Lenin? Why do you think communism might appeal
so strongly to many Russians?

•  Lenin believed that revolution could only be brought about

through violence, while Czar Nicholas believed firmly in divine
right to rule. If you were a Russian, who would you chose to
support and why?
Russia in WWI
•  2 million + soldiers killed

•  1.5 million + civilians killed.

•  Nicholas II takes over
control of army and leaves
wife behind to run country.
•  Very poor leadership.
•  Poorly trained.
•  Poor supplies/food for
troops.

•  All parties except the
Bolsheviks support the
war.
Rasputin
•  Considered to be a
mystic/holy man by
many.

•  Czar and Czarina
thought he could save
their son.

•  He heavily influenced
the Czarina and was
hated by many in
Russian upper circles.

Rasputin & the Czar, Czarina
February Revolution 1917
•  Riots begin in St.
Petersburg over food
shortages.

•  Troops called in to
suppress riots, but join
protesters instead.

•  Nicholas abdicates
throne on March 14th.

•  New provisional govt.

established.
Discussion Question
•  Think back to the different events we’ve learned about. What
event or action do you think was most responsible for the fall
of the Romanov Dynasty?
Sealed Train Incident
•  April 16, 1917

•  Germany sends Lenin

back to Russia in a
sealed train car.

•  Train is sealed so he
cannot influence
anyone in Germany.
Red October
•  Bolsheviks overthrow
provisional govt. &
seize Winter Palace.

•  Results:
•  Beginning of Soviet
Union
•  Private property
abolished
•  Decree of Peace
•  Calls for immediate
withdrawal from WWI.
•  Lenin named leader of
new govt.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
•  March 3, 1918

•  Peace treaty between

Russia & Central
Powers
•  Russia officially out of
WWI

•  Terms:
•  Loss of territory
•  Loss of natural resources
Peace, Land, & Bread
•  Lenin’s Slogan to rally
support to Bolsheviks

•  He promises peace,
land, bread to the
people & all power to
the Soviets.

•  Meets basic wants of
Russian people at the
time.
Russia’s Civil War
•  Fought between Lenin’s Red
Army and the White Army.

•  White Army made up of many
different groups that opposed
Lenin.
•  Pro-Czar
•  8 other nations
•  Other socialists

•  War Communism:
•  Lenin’s economic policy that turned
all land, food, and means of
production over to govt. control in
order to win war.

•  Last roughly 2 years. Lenin and

the Reds win. Communism rules
Russia!
The Royal Family
•  Following abdication Royal
family wants to live in exile
in Europe but no one will
take them.

•  Provisional govt. houses
them Tobolsk in governors
house.

•  When Bolsheviks take
control royal family loses
privileges and sent to town
of Yekaterinburg where
they are imprisoned in a
local house.