Mr. M. Stratis, Esq.
Garden City High School
Global History & Geography m
Lesson:
The Russian Revolution
Aim: What events brought about the Russian Revolution?
1.
How was Tsar Nicholas II overthrown in the FebruaryfMarch Revolution?
A.
B.
C.
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L/ )
D.
E.
F.
II.
The underlying causes were based on tsarist incompetence
1.
Political causes: tsarist absolutism and oppression
2.
Economic causes: peasants wanted fair share ofnobles , lands
3.
Social causes: ethnic and religious discrimination
The immediate causes were based on wartime shortages and public anger
1.
On the battlefront: inadequate food, clothing, equipment and arms
2.
On the homefront: factories were inefficient and food was lacking
3.
The low morale of soldiers: soldiers defected, deserted, surrendered
and mutinied
On February 25 [Julian calendar] (March 8) 1917, hundreds of thousands of men
and women gathered in the streets of Petrograd (new name for St. Petersburg)
demanding food and an end to the war
1.
Crowds shouted "Down with the tsar!"
2.
On February 28-29, government troops were sent to put down the riots
3.
Troops defied government orders to fire on the crowds and even joined
protesters and revolutionaries (the Provisional Executive Committee of
Soviet Workers' Deputies)
Tsar ordered generals on the front to send troops to his capital but was told that
the troops would refuse or probably join the protesters
Nicholas demanded that the Duma be dissolved and was spurned by the
parliamentarians
Tsar was left with no choice and abdicated in favor of his brother, the Grand
Duke Michael, who refused the title after briefly considering proposal
1.
Marked the end of the three century old Romanov dynasty
What type of government immediately succeeded the tsar?
A.
The ProYitional Government (February-October 1917)
1.
"Iemporary central government that called for elections later in the year to
choose a constituent assembly, and then a permanent assembly
2.
Consisted ofmiddle class Duma representatives initially led by the liberal
democrat Prince Lvov
1
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
The provisional government was opposed by the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' ::
and Soldiers' Deputies (March 14)
1.
Composed ofworkers and peasants belonging to various socialist groups;
Mensheviks, Social Revolutionaries (populists) and Bolsheviks
(radical socialists)
a
Socialists had split into Mensheviks and Bolsheviks (1903) , -.
b.
Mensheviks believed that the masses would lead a socialist revolt
;":
and did not make concrete plans to overthrow the government
c.
Bolsheviks believed that socialism would be attained by force and
. would be spread worldwide by workers and-peasants: ~ d.
By 1917, Mensheviks far outnumbered'Bolsheviks .' }
2.
Became a model for other soviets (councils) throughout Rdssia
3.
Called for an immediate peace, the transfer ofland to.the peasants, and the"
control of the factories by the workers
Vladimir llyich Lenin (1870-1924) led the Bolsheviks from exile
1.
Lenin came from a middle class background and was deeply affected by the
execution of his older brother, a revolutionary who had tried to assassinate
Alexander ill and failed (1887)
2.
Russian government arrested Lenin for his revolutionary activities and
exiledhim to Siberia
3.
After his release, Lenin departed for Germany, Britain and Switzerland
4.
Upon learning about tsar's abdication, Lenin wanted to return to Russia
a
Germans gave Lenin safe passage in exchange for Lenin's promise
to overthrow provisional government and withdraw from the war
b.
Lenin and his associates arrived inPetrograd on March 16, 1917
Petrograd Soviet proclaimed a soviet republic and ordered the nationalization of
all banks and estates (April 17)
Lenin and the Petrograd Soviet attempted to overthrow government but failed
because of the intervention of government troops (July 16-17)
1.
Lenin fled into Finland and continued his revolutionary campaign
Alexander Kerensky, a moderate Socialist, replaced Lvov as prime minister
(August 3); he advocated the continuation ofestablished policies:
1.
The continuation ofthe war on the side of the Entente Powers
2.
The continuous provision of food for populations in cities
3.
A freeze on all peasant claims over estates and no redistribution
Bolsheviks showed strength in local elections and gained control ofthe Petrograd
Soviet
1.
Lenin appealed to the Russian people with the slogan "Peace, Land,
Bread" and called upon the soviets to assume control of the government
( "Allpower to the soviets! ")
2
How did Lenin come to power in the OctoberlNovember Revolution?
A.
B.
c.
D.
E.
N.
An attempted coup by the tsarist General Kornilov provoked the Bolsheviks to
act immediately against Kerensky' s government (September 1917)
1.
A Politburo (committee) of seven men was formed
2.
The Politburo included Lenin, Leon Trotsky [Lev Bronfinan] and Joseph
Stalin [Dzugashvili] to promote armed revolution against the government
Soldiers, workers and sailors [known as the Red Army] took over the main post
office, the telephone system, electrical plants and train stations
1.
Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and arrested the members ofthe
Provisional Government at gunpoint
2.
Guns of the battleship Aurora threatened ministers into surrendering
3.
Kerensky fled into life-long exile (November 6-7) while Lenin assumed
control ofthe government
The Second All-Russian Congress ofSoviets took power (November 8)
1.
Created Council 0/People's Commissars to govern Russia
2.
ProclaimedDecree ofTermination of War and Land Decree (property of
large landowners were confiscated without compensation)
3.
Proclamation ofright of self-determination of all peoples in Russia
(November 15)
Lenin ordered that elections for a constituent assembly be held (December 8)
1.
Lenin received only 9 million out of 36 million votes cast
2.
Social Revolutionaries received 420 seats to Lenin's 225 seats
The constituent assembly opened on January 18, 1918 .
1.
Russia was declared a democratic federal republic
2.
The next day, the Bolsheviks dissolved the constituent assembly and
seized control
What policies did Lenin pursue until his death?
A.
B.
c.
Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany (1918)
1.
Russia lost large areas ofterritory: Poland and Baltic Republics
2.
Many regions were declared independent republics: Belarus, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Finland, the Ukraine and Georgia
3.
Russia had to pay reparations
Lenin nationalized all industry and estates (end of private property)
Lenin faced opposition to his authority during the civil war (1918-21)
1.
Inside Russia: Anti-Bolsheviks ("Whites") led by former tsarist officers
2.
Outside Russia: The Entente powers ofthe West wanted Russia back in
the war against the Central Powers
3
3.
D.
E.
F.
G.
V.
Polish troops, Entente armies and the "Whites" attacked the regions of
Vladivostok, Munnansk and the Black Sea (up until 1920)
4.
Lenin ordered the execution ofthe ex-tsar and his family in 1918
(Anastasia-may have miraculously survived and escaped)
5.
The Communist secret police (Cheka) executed thousands ofRussian
counterrevolutionaries (any "enemy of the revolution")
6.
Lenin also placed severe restrictions on the Russian Orthodox Church
The Red Army ("Reds") crushed all opposition and were victorious
1.
Trotsky organized and inspired the people with his speeches
2.
Peasant soldiers were determined to beat the nobles
3.
Russian nationalism united the people against the foreigners
4.
The "Whites" and foreign armies were disunited and disorganized
Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921
1.
NEP was to restore some degree of capitalism for seven years (1921-28)
2.
Permitted small manufacturers and farmers to own their own businesses
and sell what they produced for a profit
Russia was proclaimed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in 1922
\ Lenin died in 1924 and a struggle to succeed him followed
How did Stalin take power in the USSR?
A.
B.
C.
Trotsky and Stalin competed for leadership
1.
Lenin had recommended in a letter that Stalin be dropped from the
position of General Secretary of the Communist Party before he died
2.
Trotsky was expelled from Communist Party (1927) and was exiled
(1929)
Stalin became premier and purged all ofhis rivals during the 1930's
1.
The "Great Purges" began with the assassination ofa high party official
probably acting on Stalin's orders (1934)
2.
Stalin used occasion to rid himself of opponents and strengthen his hold on
the party (millions were arrested, put in labor camps or shot)
3.
Stalin then put on trial the Old Bolsheviks and destroyed their reputations
4.
Even Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico by Stalin's agents (1940)
Stalin ended the NEP and announced the first of his Five Year Plans (1928)
1.
To rid capitalist elements introduced during NEP and nationalize
2.
It brought all industry and agriculture under government control
It established collective farms [collectivization] in which public land
3.
was farmed by peasants and crushed the kulaks (prosperous antiCommunist peasants) and the Ukrainian peasant farmers (more than five
million died by Stalin's seizure ofthe region's grain)
4.
The Five Year Plans made the USSR into an industrial power
4