Russian Revolution

Russian Revolution

Causes • Landless peasantry • Absolute monarchy • Military inadequately supplied – losing World War I • Defeat in a war with Japan

Russian Revolution – March Revolution • Czar abdicated • Duma (representative assembly)  Russian Republic (liberal constitution) • Provisional government continued war against Germany (bad decision) www.yahoo.com

Russian Revolution – November Revolution • Lenin and the Bolsheviks (communists) • Lenin organized the communist takeover of Russia • Communism – government owns and operates the means of production • Executed both the Czar and his family • Lenin signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – got Russia out of World War I

Lenin’s Promise • Bread • Land • Peace • Peace, Land, and Bread

Lenin Builds a Communist State • New Economic Policy (NEP) – state controlled banks, foreign trade, and large industries while small businesses are owned and operated by individuals (socialism) – worked  improved Russian economy

Lenin Builds a Communist State • Seen as temporary retreat from communism • Lenin dies and Stalin comes to power in the Soviet Union, www.wikkipedia.org

Five Year Plan • Goal – make Soviet Union a modern industrial power by building heavy industry, improving transportation, and increasing farm output • How – Command Economy  government controls all economic activity (communism)

Five Year Plan - Results • Oil, coal, and steel production grew • Mining expanded and new railroads were built • Standard of living remained poor • Wages were low

Revolution in Agriculture - Collectivism • Goal – end peasant ownership of small plots of land • How – peasants could keep only homes and personal belongings and had to give up land (two choices – live on state owned farms or collectives – farms owned and operated by peasants as a group) • Results – did not improve farm output (grain production grew slightly while meat, vegetables, and fruits remained in short supply)

Great Purge • Goal – seek out and destroy anyone who might weaken Stalin’s power (writers, intellectuals, heroes, etc…) • How – Secret Police (rounded up people), Show Trials (people confessed to all kinds of crimes against the government due to torture) • Results – people sent to labor camps in Siberia or executed increased Stalin’s power • Stalin

Totalitarianism • Stalin establishes a totalitarian state (Soviet Union) • Totalitarianism state  a one-party dictator (Stalin) attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of its citizens

Propaganda • Radios, movies, theaters, etc… • Emphasized communist success • Capitalism is evil

Censorship • Government controlled what books were published, what music was heard, etc…

Communist Ideology • Sacred texts – Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx • Shrine – tomb of Lenin • Portraits of Stalin replaced religious icons • Religion

War on Religion • Atheism – belief in no god • Destroy religious organization in the Soviet Union www,stbasil.com

Secret Police • Rounded up the accused • Sought out people who might threaten Stalin’s power

Russian Revolution