Causes- Russia was unprepared for WWI



The Russian Revolution

3 Stages

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Causes

Russia was unprepared for WWI. Their military was unorganized and had no strong leaders. The absolute Russian ruler Czar Nicholas II, who had no understanding of the military, insisted on taking personal charge of the armed forces. Russia was behind the West technologically, and could not produce the weapons needed for the army. The war bankrupted the government and led to food shortages. Between 1914 and 1916, two million soldiers were killed, and another four to six million were wounded or captured. By 1917, the Russian will to fight had vanished.

Stage 1

While Czar Nicholas II was away, he left his wife Alexandra in charge of the government. She insisted on consulting a peasant holy man named Rasputin before she made important decisions. Rasputin had great influence over Alexandra, and he did not hesitate to interfere in government affairs. Seen as a threat, he was assassinated in 1916. But the leadership at the top stumbled its way through a series of military and economic disasters, and the Russian people grew more and more upset with the czarist regime.

Because of the food shortages, the government began to ration bread. Many women had to stand in line for hours to buy bread after working 12 hour shifts in the factories. In February, 1917, a series of strikes broke out that shut down all the factories. The people were demanding “Peace and Bread” and “Down with Autocracy”. Even the troops sent to control the crowds joined the people in protesting the government. In the midst of the chaos, the people formed soviets, or councils composed of representatives from the workers and soldiers.

The Duma, or legislative body, which the czar had tried to dissolve, met anyway. They forced Czar Nicholas II to step down, and established a Republic headed by Alexander Kerensky. Kerensky decided to keep Russia in the war, which angered the people.

Stage 2

The soviets were largely made up of socialists. The Industrial Revolution had created a need for factory workers, but in Russia the conditions in the factories were especially terrible. The demands made by WWI made conditions even worse. Many workers began to cling to the Marxist philosophy, which blamed capitalism and private property for their plight. The most extreme soviet was the Bolsheviks, who were led by V.I. Lenin. Under Lenin, the Bolsheviks believed that only violent revolution could destroy the capitalist system.

The Bolsheviks reflected the discontent of the people, which the new Republic had not addressed. The Bolsheviks promised to end Russian involvement in WWI, redistribute all the land to the peasants, transfer factories and industries from capitalists to committees of workers, and transfer government power to the soviets. Three simple slogans summed up the Bolshevik program: “Peace, Land, Bread”, “Worker Control of Production”, and “All Power to the Soviets”.

In October, 1917, the Bolsheviks seized control of the Republic with little bloodshed. Outwardly, Lenin turned over the power to the soviets. The real power, however, passed to the Council of Peoples Commissars, headed by Lenin. Lenin knew that in order to keep his power he must get Russia out of the war. In March, 1918, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and gave up eastern Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces in exchange for peace for Russia.

Stage 3

Many people were opposed to the Bolsheviks, who had renamed themselves the Communists. The Communist takeover of Russia also worried the Allies, who supported the anti-Communist movements. Russia broke into a civil war, pitting Red Russians ( Communists) against White Russians ( anti-Communist). In July of 1918, in the midst of the Russian civil war, the former Czar Nicholas and his family were murdered. One of his daughters was named Anastasia.

The Red Russians were organized and disciplined, but the White Russians were weakened by disunity. The Russian civil war ended with the Red Russians victorious. By 1921, the Communists were in total command of Russia. In the course of the civil war, the Communist regime had transformed Russia into a centralized state dominated by a single party. The state was largely hostile toward France, Britain and the United States because they had tried to help the Communist’s enemies in the civil war.

Effects

Now that WWI and the Russian civil war were over, the new Communist government was left picking up the pieces of a devastated country. The Russian economy was in total shambles, with food shortages and very little industry left. The government was disorganized as well. These problems seemed to point to only one solution: total control of the country was needed in order to repair it. Lenin began to consolidate power and a struggle to replace him followed.

Russian Revolution questions

1. Define the terms Autocrat, soviet, Duma, Bolsheviks, Communist, Treaty of Brest-Litvosk, and Winter Palace

2. Identify White Russians, Red Russians, Nicholas II, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Alexander Kerensky.

3. Make a timeline that includes the following events in the order that they happened. Include at least 3 color pictures or symbols on your timeline to highlight the events that you think are most important.

• Soviets are elected

• Russian royal family is murdered

• Nicholas II is forced to step down

• Russia enters WWI

• Alexander Kerensky becomes President of Russia and leader of the Provisional government

• Bolsheviks are in charge of Russia

• Food and fuel shortages, as well as high unemployment

• October Revolution- Bolsheviks seize the Winter Palace

• Lenin returns from exile

• Civil War between “Red” and “White” Russians

• Nicholas II becomes Czar (Tsar) of Russia

• February Revolution- people riot in the streets and are joined by soldiers and members of the Duma

• Lenin signs the Treaty of Brest-Litvosk

4. How did the feelings of the people in Russian in 1917 help the February Revolution to succeed?

5. Why was Lenin unhappy with the results of the February Revolution?

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