In Dec 1825, Members of the upper classes, including many former soldiers, staged a revolt after the death of the tsar, Alexander I.
The December Upring (Dec 1825),Revolution in 1905
In 1905, after Russia lost the Russo-Japanese war, public discontent would force Tsar Nicholas II to establish a constitutional monarchy.
Such change would not have satisfied either the tsar or his opponents. Radical revolutionaries continued to fight for a democratic republic, and the tsar wanted to retain his control of the peasants.
The revolt failed, but it provided an inspiration to succeeding generations of dissidents.
The March Revolution (Mar 1917
During WWI, when Tsar Nicholas took comand of Russian armies in the field, and left vacuum in St. Petersburg. The collapse of the goverment suddenly came in March 1917.
A Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was elected, and it formed a provisional government on March 14. The leader of this government was Aleksandr Kerensky. The next day Nicholas abdicated.
)The October Revolution (Nov 1917)
The leading characters were Lenin and communist agitator Leon Trotsky. Kerensky persist fight the war that undid the provisional goverment. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin underminded the war effort, and the goverment attempted to take action against Lenin. On night of November 6-7, 1917, the Bolsheviks acted.
Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, took contorl of the government and removed the Provisional government. In 1918, Russia signed a treaty with Germany and pulled the Russians out of WWI.
Civil War
Lenin's government was determind to get rid of all opposition. All non-Bolsheviks socialist factions were driven out of the workers' councils, and were forbidden to engage in political activity. Lenin was shot and seriously wounded. The government responded by proclaiming a campaign of Red Terror.
The civil war was ended in victory for the Red Army in 1920.
Revolution after 1922
In 1922 the government proclaimed teh creation of Soviet Union. When Lenin died in 1924, power passed to the first secretary of the party, Joseph Stalin.
Under Stalin a revolution took place. The centralization of all political and economic power in his hand and the transformation of the Soviet Union into a completely totalitarian state.
Family was branded (exiled nobility)Early Career-read MARX and spread COMMUNIST ideas among factory workers and socialists
Conditions are favorable for a new governmentRed Guards-armed factory workers mutinous sailors attacked provisional governmentProvisional GovernmentSurrender to the BOLSHEVIKS without a struggleWanted to avoid bloodshed
Duma=Russian legislature which takes control after the tsar abdicatesSet up a temporary governmentPREPARED NEW CONSTITUTIONContinuing war=CHAOS
BOLSHEVIKS take control of governmentEstablish MOSCOW as the CAPITALDistributed land to the PEASANTSWorkers CONTROL factories and minesNew Name - Bolsheviks became “Communists”“masters of the PEOPLE”Withdrawal from WWILenin makes PEACE with Germanywithdraws from WWITreaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed
Adopted in 1921Allowed small capitalist venturesSmall businesses could reopen for PRIVATE profitGovt. stopped squeezing peasants for grain…now peasants freely sold surplusGovt. still controlled banks, foreign trade, and large INDUSTRIES
Struggle for power and control erupts in Russia3 years of CIVIL WAR Opposing forcesWar is between the Communists (REDS) and the counter-revolutionaries (WHITES)