We are all starving and can barely make ends meet. And just when we have enough to buy food our earnings are taxed!
I'm furious with our monarchy. Someone has to do something about them before I will! We won't thrive while the Tsar family reaps our hard work
These conditions are horrible in the factory. I don't think I can take it anymore.
Industrialization
I can't either. What can we do to deal with this? I
I know what to do. We'll get a petition to improve working conditions and show it to Tsar Nicholas!
Bloody Sunday(1905 Revolution)
That's it! We're striking now!
Step back or we will keep shooting!
The life of a Russian was horrible. The farmers were taxed at a huge rate as there was no income tax, poverty and hunger were widespread and the Tsar empire continued its inefficient and authoritarian reign on the people. The people had no voice to represent themselves.
Tsar Reforms
With almost all of our workforce going understrike from Bloody Sunday I have no choice but to create these political reforms and give the population a voice and rights.
I promise Russia peace, land and bread if we overthrow the government and put me in power.
Industrialization hit at a later time than Europe and America but still had horrible effects on the population. Urbanization grew cities pushing industrialization onwards. The monarch's presence was still strong, while poverty, food shortages, and unemployment occurred in Russia. This caused workers to create a petition to help their situation.
1917 Revolution(s)
Russia cannot handle war any longer! We want a government that will actually take charge and save us!
More than 150,000 names were signed on the petition for the Tsar to see, but the marching protestors were seen as threats and were shot on the spot killing 200. Bloody Sunday was the start of the 1905 Revolution which lead to worker strikes in hopes of change.
Russia Leaves The War
In Response to Bloody Sunday and the 1905 Revolution, the Tsar created an elected legislative assembly called the Duma to give the people a voice, introduced civil rights, freedom of expression, and universal suffrage. However these changes still did not satisfy Russia. When World War I broke out the food shortages and strikes were escalated.
In 1917 when Russia was in a horrible state of war but the Tsar continued to push for war. The population revolted and overthrew the royal family. A provisional government would lead Russia until October, that year. Lenin made his return in April 1917 and then led the Bolshevik party also known as the Red Army to seize control of the country in the October Revolution.
In March 1918 Russia finally reaches a ceasefire agreement with the axis powers. This allows Russia to focus on their civil war of opposers to Lenin's rule.