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Russian Revolution & the Soviet Union
I. Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
1. What is Marxism?
 Primitive Communism-____?_____
 Private Property-_____?_____
 Feudalism-_____?______
 Capitalism-______?______
 Socialism-_______?_______
 Communism-______?_______
I. Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
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Communist Manifesto published in 1848
denounced the new industrial economy
Believed in a spontaneous revolution of
the working class (proletariat) against
capitalism
“Let the ruling classes tremble at the
prospect of a communist revolution.
Proletarians have nothing to lose but
their chains. They have the world to
win. Proletarians of all lands, unite!”
I. Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
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England: Glorious Revolution and English Bill
of Rights in 1689. Ind Rev in mid-1700s
America: American Rev in 1775. IR in late1700s and 1800s
France: French Rev to Const Monarchy to
Napoleon began in 1789. IR in 1800s.
Germany: unified in 1871, but somewhat
autocratic until WWI
Nothing like Russia
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II. Russian Society, 1900
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Feudalism still exists in many ways
Inefficiency
Backwardness: Russia has not
modernized- little industrialization, but
rapidly trying to
The economy is underdeveloped, much
foreign investment
The nobility is stuck in the old order
Videocasts
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III. Czar Nicholas II

Not a strong leader
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Believed he was the absolute ruler anointed by
God
Did not keep promises made to increase
personal freedoms (free speech, freedom
of religion, freedom of movement,
freedom of language)
 Tsar paid no attention to the Duma
(national parliament)
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War with Japan

In 1904, Japan and Russia both had
imperial ambitions over Manchuria and
Korea
– Russia wanted warm water port
– Japan wanted natural resources and
dominance in Korea
Russians poorly organized
 World surprised by Russian defeat
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The Revolution of 1905
Discontented working class
 200k protested for better working
conditions and rights
 Nicholas II ordered soldiers to fire on
crowd
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– Bloody Sunday: 1000 wounded, 100s killed
Revolution spread
 Nicholas approved Duma, then dissolved
10 months later
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IV. WWI
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Military Defeats
– Russian army was big but poorly
equipped
– Lost two major battles in 1914

Tannenburg & Masurian Lakes vs.
Germany
– Caused loss of civilian and military morale
– Tsar now held responsible for the defeats
as he had taken charge of the army
(1915)- massive military losses
V. Impact of WWI
Criticism of the Tsar
Criticism if the Tsarina
Poor military commander
Alexandra was a
inexperienced and
incompetent ruler
Poor political leader
Left the Tsarina in charge of
the government
Refused to accept advice from
the Duma
Under the influence of
Rasputin
Unpopular because she was
German
VI. Rasputin
Role of Rasputin
• Claimed to be a healer- Czar’s son had
hemophilia, but they couldn’t tell ppl
• Disliked by many yet held influence over
both the Tsar and Tsarina
• Scandals surrounding Rasputin
served to discredit the monarchy
• Rasputin murdered end of 1916
http://history1900s.abo
ut.com/od/famouscrime
sscandals/a/rasputin.ht
m
Hemophilia & the Tsarevich
VII. Economic Problems
Huge military + not enough farm &
factory workers = shortages of food &
supplies
 Railway system inadequate = couldn’t
supply troops or towns = high food prices
& more shortages
 Breadlines and Revolution
 Videocast
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VIII. The March Revolution 1917
Strikers take to the streets. Women workers
lead the protests. “Bread! Give us bread!” &
“Down with the Czar!”
 From the front lines, Czar orders troops to
fire on crowds if necessary. Many soldiers
refused to shoot and joined the
demonstrators.
 He also tries to dissolve Duma, but instead
Duma established a provisional government.
The government then urged the czar to step
down (abdicate), which he did.
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1. Early
20c:
Russian
Social
Hierarchy
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IX. Results of Revolution
The provisional government was headed by
Alexander Kerensky & tried to establish
western type universal rights & constitution
 Planned to continue unpopular war =
mistake
 People turned to more revolutionary
Petrograd soviets (councils of workers &
soldiers) & other soviets
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– Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin emerged
X. Bolsheviks Led by Lenin
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Lenin promised:
– peace with Central Powers, ending WWI for R
– Land redistributed to peasants
– Factories taken from capitalists given to workers
– Soviets take power & provisional govt ends
Lenin returns to Russia
 Bolsheviks become popular political party
with slogans: “Peace, Land, Bread,” “Worker
Control of Production,” and “All Power to the
Soviets.”
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X. Bolsheviks Led by Lenin
X. Bolsheviks Led by Lenin
Bolshevik Revolution successfully overthrew
Provisional Govt and rename themselves the
Communists
 March of 1918, Lenin ended the war with
Germany and signed the Treaty of BrestLitovsk- gave up much land
 Germany then able to focus troops on
western front
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XI. From War to Civil War
Many people were opposed to the
Communists (Bolshevik Revolution)
including groups loyal to the czar, liberals,
anti-Leninist socialists, & even the Allies
 Communist (Reds) vs. Anti-Communist
(Whites)
 Czar’s family murdered (Anastasia
survived???)
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XII. How Lenin Triumphed
Leon Trotsky & a well-disciplined Red Army
 Whites disunited, no common goal
 Lenin used policy of war communism
 Also used a Red secret police known as the
Cheka & the Gulag (early concentration or
work camps) for enemies & prisoners
 Red Terror- exterminate all anti-Bolsheviks
 USSR or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in
1922
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XIII. Russia on Verge of Collapse
WWI + Revolution + Civil War + war
communism + the Red Terror + severe
drought + breakdown of transportation = a
broken Russia in ruins
 Peasants sabotaged communist program by
hoarding food
 5 million died
 Industrial/agricultural output down
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XIV. Lenin’s New Economic Policy
Maybe socialism advanced too fast?
 NEP was modified version of old capitalist
system
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– Ex: farmers sold farm products and small
businesses operated independently
– State controlled heavy industry & banking
NEP saved the USSR from ruin
 Temporary economic solution though,
communism/socialism was the goal
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XV. Rise of Stalin
Lenin died unexpectedly in 1924
 Struggle for power in Politburo (in charge
of communist party):
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– Trotsky: end NEP, industrialize quickly, &
spread communism to other countries
– Other group: wanted to focus on socialism at
home & continue Lenin’s NEP- slow
industrialization
– Stalin vs. Trotsky- Stalin won & created
dictatorship
– Trotsky later murdered in Mexico
XVI. Five-Year Plans
Stalin ended NEP
 Stalin’s 5-Yr Plans were economic goals to
transform the USSR from an agricultural
nation to an industrial nation
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– Militarily and industrially self-sufficient
 Production of armaments
 Heavy machines for production of additional goods
 Oil production
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Overcome the reputation for
backwardness
XVI. Five-Year Plans
Stalin 1929 speech: “We are becoming a
country of metal, a country of
automobiles, a country of tractors. And
we have put the USSR in a motor car and
the muzhik in a tractor… we shall see
which countries may then be “classified”
as backward and which is advanced.”
 1st: 1928-1932, 2nd: until 1937, & 3rd:
1938-1941 interrupted by war with
Germany
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XVII. Collectivization of Agr.
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5-Yr. Plans had heavy toll:
– Overcrowded cities
– Horrible conditions
– Low wages
Collectivization: government took over
ownership of private farms and had the
peasants work them
 Peasants resisted & Stalin increased
collectivization of more farms
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XVIII. Costs of Stalin’s Programs
Early 1930s, millions of Russians starved
to death
 Those who resisted Stalin’s programs
were sent to Siberian forced labor camps
 Stalin conducted purges of enemies: Great
Purges
 http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/bios/all_bio_j
oseph_stalin.htm
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