REVOLUTION

he was setting up a small form of capitalism in Russia called the new economic policy ||
 * = 4-27-1820 ||= Russia Industrializes ||= Russia launched a program to finance the buildup of Russian industries. The government sought foreign investers and raised taxes. By doing this, Russia boosted the growth of heavy industry. Rapid industrialization stirred discontent among the people of Russia. They were unhappy with their working conditions, low wages, and child labor. ||
 * = 4-27-1894 ||= Nicholas II becomes Csar ||= Nicholas became Czar through his royal blood line. He continued the tradition of Russian autocracy. ||
 * = 4-28-1903 ||= Development of Revolutionary Groups ||= The problems caused by the growth of factories resulted in several revolutionary movements. The Bolsheviks group supported a small number of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice anything for change ||
 * = 1-22-1905 ||= Bloody Sunday ||= 200,000 workers and their families approached the Czar's winter palace; carrying a petition asking for better working conditions, more freedom, and an elected national legislature. Nicholas' generals ordered soldiers to fire on the crowd. More than 1,000 were wounded and several hundred were killed. This provoked a wave of strikes and violence across the country. ||
 * = 4-28-1914 ||= WORLD WAR I ||= Nicholas ll made the decision to drag Russia into World War l. Russia was unprepared to handle the military economic costs. They had week generals and unprepared troops who were no match for the German army. Russias involvment in WWl revealed the weakness of Czar's rule in military leadership. ||
 * = 3-29-1917 ||= The March Revolution ||= Women textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike because of their shortages of bread and food. In the next 5 days, nearly 200,000 workers rioted in the streets. The soldiers that were told to shoot the rioters, then sided with them. This revolution forced Czar Nicholas ll to abdicate his throne. ||
 * = 11-2-1917 ||= The Bolshevik Revolution ||= The Bolsheviks and Lenin had the Red Guard storm the winter palace, which led the Provisional Government to fall to the Bolshevik regime. Lenin and the Bolsheviks attempted to construct socialist powers in Russia. Lenin's saying "peace, land and bread" appealed to the people. ||
 * = 12-2-1917 ||= Czar Steps Down ||= Local protests during the March Revolution forced czar Nicholas ll to give up the throne. Nicholas and his family were executed by the people. ||
 * = 3-2-1921 ||= Lenin Gain Power ||= Lenin helped Russia by putting them in the economic place they were just before WWl. Lenin gained his power with the Bolsheviks, and now
 * = 5-2-1922 ||= Stalin Becomes Dictator ||= After Lenin died of a stroke, Stalin took complete control. He then began his dictatorship over the people of Russia. ||
 * TIMELINE CHART OF RUSSIAN REVOLUTION**

The Russian Revolutions opened a new era and introduced a new kind of authoritarian rule. There were three very important revolutions: Russian Revolution of 1905, the March revolution of 1917, and November revolution of 1917. These three revolutions made Russia go from a monarchy all the way to a communist government in sixteen years.

=__**Russian Revolution 1905**__= The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as "Bloody Sunday", was the first revolution to alter Russian traditional ruling. The revolution started off as a peaceful protest led by a Russian Orthodox priest, Father Gapon, along with 150,000 people gathered outside the gates of the Winter Palace to protest about their lifestyle. Their goals were not to overthrow Tsar Nicholas II and his government, but to ask for his help and support (proof based off of their petition).

The Winter Palace was guarded by young soldiers, who were probably nervous and anxious about the giant crowd assembling. Somewhere between the noise and the orders being given,there was confusion and troops began firing at the crowd. After all the chaos had subsided, there were around a hundred deaths. However, rumour spread about the firing and people around the country heard 400,000 people had been shot. After that, the people became uncontrollable. All over the country workers started striking, peasants attacked the homes of their landlords, the railroad system halted, the Tsar's uncle was assasinated, and everyone began demanding more than just improved living conditions. They wanted free speech, an elected parliament (the Duma), and right to form their own political parties. The Tsar was already occupied with the Russo-Japanese War, and all his trusted troops were out fighting. To bring balance back he issued the October Manifesto, which pledged to grant civil liberties to the people: including personal immunity, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association; a broad participation in the Duma; introduction of universal male suffrage, uncensored newspapers and a decree that no law should come into force without the consent of the state Duma. This helped calm the people, however Nicholas used his power to veto the Duma, and when his troops returned from the Russo-Japanese War, he sent them to stamp out the strikes and restore order. While the October Manifesto had seemingly brought rewards to the protestors, the tsar's reaction in December showed where the government really stood. That was the beginning of a reaction that would continue until Vladimire Stalin.

media type="youtube" key="7J6afJY9ab4" height="315" width="420" =__**March Revolution 1917**__= The March Revolution was the result of failed leadership and governing by the Tsar and his wife Czarina Alexandra. Nicholas II failed to connect with his people at the beginning of World War I which led to his abdication and part of why Russia had to pull out of the war. He refused to share his power, believing he should maintain the sacred inheritance of supreme royal power, which, with the Orthodox church, was to him the key to Russia's greatness. The Tsar distrusted the Duma and decided to travel to the front in order to lead and rally Russia's Army. While the Tsar was away giving commands at the frontlines, he left his wife in control of the government. Big Mistake! Alexandra seated and unseated the top ministers, including Grigori Rasputin. The Tsarista believed Rasputin could care her son Alexis who had hemophelia and could stop the bleeding through hypnosis. Rasputin used Alexandra's favoritism and manipulated her, so he ruled vicariously through her. Everyone looked down on him, and in December 1916 he was assasinated by three members of the high aristocracy. Alexandra went into shock, Rasputin had warned "If I die or you desert me, in six months you will lose your son and your throne." The country was in turmoil. On March 8, women demanded bread and started riots, which spread to factories and elsewhere throughout the country. When the Tsar tried to crush the rebellions and sent his troops to restore order, they joined the revolutionary crowd. The Duma responded by declaring a provisional government on March 12, 1917. Three days later the Tsar abdicated.





(Translation of Abdication Decree) In the days of the great struggle against the foreign enemies, who for nearly three years have tried to enslave our fatherland, the Lord God has been pleased to send down on Russia a new heavy trial. Internal popular disturbances threaten to have a disastrous effect on the future conduct of this persistent war. The destiny of Russia, the honour of our heroic army, the welfare of the people and the whole future of our dear fatherland demand that the war should be brought to a victorious conclusion whatever the cost. The cruel enemy is making his last efforts, and already the hour approaches when our glorious army together with our gallant allies will crush him. In these decisive days in the life of Russia, We thought it Our duty of conscience to facilitate for Our people the closest union possible and a consolidation of all national forces for the speedy attainment of victory. In agreement with the Imperial Duma We have thought it well to renounce the Throne of the Russian Empire and to lay down the supreme power. As We do not wish to part from Our beloved son, We transmit the succession to Our brother, the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, and give Him Our blessing to mount the Throne of the Russian Empire. We direct Our brother to conduct the affairs of state in full and inviolable union with the representatives of the people in the legislative bodies on those principles which will be established by them, and on which He will take an inviolable oath. In the name of Our dearly beloved homeland, We call on Our faithful sons of the fatherland to fulfil their sacred duty to the fatherland, to obey the Tsar in the heavy moment of national trials, and to help Him, together with the representatives of the people, to guide the Russian Empire on the road to victory, welfare, and glory. May the Lord God help Russia! (SIGNED) NICHOLAS II (COUNTER-SIGNED) FREDERICKS, MINISTER OF THE IMPERIAL COURT
 * Decree of Abdication **

= __**November Revolution 1917**__ = The November Revolution was led by Vladimire Stalin and Leon Trotsky and their party, the Bolsheviks. Lenin was not satisfied with the Provisional Government and decided he would over throw it and control St. Petrograd, taking the first step to making Russia a communist country. Many people supported his idea because he had promised to pull Russia out of World War I (the troops were very pleased with that idea), give the peasants more land, and workers could control factories. On November 6th Lenin organized the Red Army (Bolsheviks) to seize all Provisional Government buildings as well as telephone and telegraph buildings, bridges, and railway stations while Tortsky was doing some public speaking. There was little bloodshed and very quiet that most Petrograd citizens were unawar of the events that had taken place. On November 7th members of the leaders of provisional government were arrested, other members surrendered to the Red Guard, and the royal family was placed under house arrest. Lenin had succeeded in gaining power in St. Petrograd. He was well on his way to forming a government of Bolsheviks that would contain no middle class and help the workers and peasants. However, it was only Petrograd that was under his influence, the rest of Russia was uneasy, which leads into Russia's civil war between the Red Army and the White Army.

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=__**Treaty of Brest-Litovsk**__= After gaining power Lenin had to keep his promises, one being pulling out of World War I and admitting their surrender to Germany. At the beginning Lenin and Totsky had some disagreements abhout when they should surrender. Lenin thought they needed to make a treaty quickly and accept any cost so they could focus all their attention to Russia. Totsky, on the other hand, thought Germany would offer wholly unacceptable terms to the Russians and that this would spur the German workers to rise up in revolt against their leaders and in support of their Russian compatriots. This rebellion would, in turn, spark off a world-wide workers rebellion. While they were pondering, Germany advanced into Russia, posing an even greater threat. On March 3, 1918 the treaty was signed in Brest Litovsk. Under the treaty, Russia lost Riga, Lithuania, Livonia, Estonia and some of White Russia. These areas had great economic importance as they were some of the most fertile farming areas in Western Russia. Germany was allowed by the terms of the treaty to exploit these lands to support her military effort in the west. Lenin argued that though the treaty was harsh, it freed the Bolsheviks up to deal with problems in Russia itself.

[] (Translation of Treaty) After Nicholas II abdicated, Russia withdrew from the war, and Lenin gained power in St. Petrograd the country began splitting apart. Countries began declaring their independence, protestors of the Bolsheviks called on Western powers for help to bring down Lenin, and other political leaders started establishing their own governments. (Ex Colonel Semenov established his own autonomous government in Trans-Baikalia. Socialist Revolutionary group had established an regime just east of Omsk which claimed to govern the whole of Siberia. They also seized the vital eastern city of Vladivostok. The Czechs were also serious problem because they would not cooperate with Trotsky after he lied to them about moving around Russia freely.) All these groups came together and formed the White Army, opposing Lenin and his communist ideals. -However, their attacks were weak because of their lack of collaboration. The Whites were made up of many groups – groups that hated each other as much as they hated the Reds. With no cohesiveness to them, the Whites were on the whole a hopelessly uncoordinated group that fell out with each other. Though on a map of Russia, it looked as if the Reds were being attacked from all sides, such attacks were disunited and dislocated.They had a terrible reputation for committing atrocities on innocent people. This news reached the Allied powers and they began pulling out, not wanting to be associated with them. - The Red Army was a lot more successful. The Red Army was popular among men not just for the ideals, but because Lenin had ordered all food supply go first to soldiers, then to civilians. They also had a brilliant War commissioner, Leon Trotsky. The Treaty of Riga brought to an end the Russian Civil War. Within Russia, the Communist government under Lenin was secure.
 * __Russian Civil War__**