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Road to the USSR Students will use the following reading to complete the timeline of events leading to the creation of the USSR War with Japan--In 1904, Russia went to war with Japan because the two were fighting over control of Korea and Manchuria. The Russians believed that their massive size would make it easy for them to defeat Japan. Not only was the war not easy for the Russians, the Japanese stunned the Russians by defeating them. Not only was the pride of the Russians hurt, but the war caused Russia’s economic troubles to become even larger. A Peaceful March--As the crisis at home worsened, a young priest, Father Georgi Gapon, planned a peaceful march of factory workers to the czar’s palace in St. Petersburg. There, the workers would present a petition to Nicholas II, asking for better working conditions and some political freedoms. Father Gapon and the marchers believed that if the czar heard their pleas, he would respond. On a snowy Sunday afternoon in 1905, thousands of unarmed men, women, and children joined Father Gapon. There carried banners bearing pictures of the czar and his wife. They sang the Czar’s hymn, “God Save Thy People” and slowly moved forward. As the group headed toward the palace, soldiers appeared. Father Gapon did not believe that the guards would hurt the people, even after seeing their rifles. He signaled the marchers to move on. Suddenly, shots rang out. By the days end, hundreds of people were dead and wounded. This day is known as Bloody Sunday. Revolution of 1905--The events of Bloody Sunday horrified Russians and sparked the Revolution of 1905. Riots and strikes swept the cities. In the countryside, peasants looted and burned the homes of landowners. To end the violence, Czar Nicholas II finally agreed to set up an elected assembly called the Duma and to make other minor reforms. The Duma had little power, however, and the reforms failed to resolve Russia’s basic problems. Since an autocratic ruler was in power, inequality and repression remained. Many groups, such as the peasants and factory workers, were still very unhappy. World War I--Between 1911 and 1913, a series of wars in the region known as the Balkans broke out. Until 1914, these wars were contained to the region. But in 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian man. This caused a domino effect of countries standing up for one another and launched the world into World War I. For Russia, the war was a disaster. The people at home were not as interested in the war as they were with the problems at home. The men on the battlefields didn’t have enough equipment. About one third of the soldiers didn’t even have guns. As Russia’s losses mounted, Czar Nicholas took command of the army from the fronts. This didn’t help the army and allowed his wife and Rasputin to take control of the government. Riots broke out at home, as people lined the streets demanding bread and freedom. Nicholas ordered that the army squash the protesters, but the army refused and Nicholas abdicates the throne. The Duma becomes the new, provisional (temporary) government. The government signed a treaty with Germany in 1918 to get out of World War I and work on their own problems at home. After a civil war in Russia that lasts several years, the Bolshevik party comes out the winners. They are led by Vladimir Lenin who renames the country the Union of Soviet Social Republic (USSR). Road to the USSR Timeline Students will use their numbered events on the Road to the USSR handout and their reading on the Road to the USSR to complete the following timeline by putting the events in a sequential order. Put the year at the top of the timeline and the event at the bottom of the line. Road to the USSR Directions: Using the following sources and clues in the reading, number the events in the correct chronological order. Farah, Global Insights. pp. 674-8. Ahmad, World Cultures: A Global Mosaic. pp. 721-32. Ludlow, Scholastic World Program: The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. pp. 46-50. World War I Begins - 1914. Russia, despite being poorly equipped and poorly trained, enters the war against Germany. A peaceful protest march, led by Father Georgi Gapon, is held to present a petition for better working conditions and political freedoms. Czar Nicholas II abdicates, or gives up the throne. The provisional government set up by the Duma tries to restore order. The Czar's soldiers fire upon the protesters killing over one hundred marchers. This becomes known as Bloody Sunday. Russo-Japanese War 1904. Russia's stunning defeat increases economic problems and hardships at home. Lenin seizes power, and the Communists gain control over the Russian empire. In 1922, the country is renamed the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR). Czar Nicholas II agrees to limited self-government by setting up an elected assembly called the Duma. The Russian economy cannot meet the needs of soldiers and civilians and pulls out of World War I. The Duma's power is limited, and discontent continues throughout Russia. March 1917. One hundred thousand striking factory workers jam the streets of Petrograd demanding bread and freedom. This is the day that marks the beginning of the Russian Revolution.