Russian Revolution

1. Russian Revolution And World War I

2. FEVER MODEL OF REVOLUTION Much like an illness, revolutions can also be studied in stages

3. Russia’s Incubation Stage • Russia is unpreparedfor WWI • No competent leaders • Czar Nicholas took personal control of armed forces despite lack of know how • Industry was unable to produce weapons (soldiers trained with broomsticks)

4. Russia’s Incubation Stage • Autocraticrulers • Czar Nicholas II • His will, his word, is LAW • Cut off at war front- • out of touch with internal issues in Russia

6. Russia’s Incubation Stage • Russian people tired • At Home • People starving • Women waiting hours in line for bread • Working 12 hours a day supporting war • Millions dying at the front • Military Embarrassments • Lost Russo-Japanese War in 1905 • Defeat after defeat in battles of WWI • Conservative leaders stepped in to try & save monarchy by assassinating Rasputin….too little…too late.

7. This stage in an illness is when sickness starts to affect the person in observable ways. Temperature may rise. A cough might present itself. The individual might become weak and queasy. What would this stage be like in a revolution? In a revolution, this stage would be the first to involve direct action resulting from the social, political, intellectual, or economic causes of the incubation stage. This stage might involve the publication of works calling for a change, street level riots by the common people, or more direct attempts at changing the society.

8. Russia’s Symptomatic Stage • Series of strikes broke out in 1917 • March 8th 10,000 working class women marched through Petrograd with demands. • “Peace & Bread” • “Down with Autocracy” • Alexandra wrote to Nicholas re: the “hooligan movement” • Czar ordered troops to take violent action if necessary to break up the protesters • Soon after large numbers of soldiers joined strike.

9. Russia’s Symptomatic Stage • The Duma (legislative body of Russia) acts • Czar previously tried to dissolve • Met & established a provisional gov’t. headed by Alexander Kerensky • Decided to continued the war effort • Fatal mistake

10. This is the critical stage in an illness where two things can happen. The individual either breaks the fever after a heightened stage of illness or the individual gets progressively worse and does not recover. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Crisis Stage In a revolution, this stage would be the make or break part of the struggle. It may involve conflict where sides for and against the revolution compete. This competition could take the form of debate or full-scale war. Successful revolutions survive this stage. Those that do not are usually considered failed rebellions.

11. Russia’s Crisis Stage • New Challenges • New gov’t. asked Czar to step down • Lost backing of army • Lost backing of aristocracy • Czar Nicholas Abdicates – steps down • Soviets Organize • Soviets began as a council of workers and soldiers who represented the lower classes (socialists)

12. Russia’s Crisis Stage • The Bolsheviks Seize Power • Under leadership of Vladimir I. Lenin became a political party dedicated to violent revolution • The Bolshevik numbers grow quickly as they gathered together other soviets • November 6 - they storm the Winter Palace • Home of the provisional gov’t. which quickly collapsed • Bolsheviks (communists) now in power • headed by Lenin • He promised peace from WWI which would not be easy to achieve

13. Out of WWI • Gain Peace for Russia • March 3, 1918, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk w/ Germany • Russia gained peace • lost • 1 mil. sq. miles • International Prestige

14. Russia’s Crisis Stage • Allied powers • Capitalism against communism • Helped to aid the anti-communist effort during Rev. • White Army • Aristocrats that remained loyal to Czar • Other anti-communist groups in Russia • Civil War • between 1918 & 1921 • Between White Army (anti-communist) and the Red Army (pro-communist)

15. Convalescence This stage involves recovering from the illness. The individual might be weakened from the experience, but he or she will eventually emerge healthy and with new knowledge and experience that might prevent the illness from occurring again. What would this stage be like in a revolution? In a revolution, this stage would involve recovering from the extreme disruptions of the crisis stage. In general, the political, social, intellectual, or economic causes of the revolution must be addressed in some way, though not necessarily to the satisfaction of all revolutionaries.

16. Russia’s Convalescence Stage • Red Army Triumphs- Civil War Is Over • Organized • Genius of Leon Trotsky • Common goal • Conflicting goals among the White Army. • Policy of war communism • Policy ensured Army sent a steady line of supplies • Gave gov’t control over everything • Through terrorists practices & New secret police (“Cheka”) • began a Red Terror aimed at the destruction of all opposed the new regime

17. Russia’s Convalescence Stage • By 1921 communists in total command • transformed Russia into a centralized state dominated by one political party • The civil war also brought feelings of resentment toward allied powers for aiding anti-communists • Lenin died soon thereafter; revered as Father of Russian Communism • Russia will remain communist until 1991

18. Lenin’s Tomb

19. Preserved- Vladimar Lenin

20. So what happened to the Royals? • The royal family was held in captivity for over a year with their fate always uncertain • Eventually fell victim to the Red Army • Night of July 16- members of the local soviet murdered the czar and his family • Legends everywhere about the youngest two surviving the slaughter • Lots of imposters • When bodies exhumed recently…. 2 missing