inNO+julies+2013.+10.24.+10+part+2

=Russian Revolution PART 2:=

This is a picture of Alexander and Nicolas II, their engagement photo. When Nicholas left Petrograd, he left his wife in charge, she was under the influence of Rasputin. She had the power and could do whatever she wanted to. This was a very bad time period for Russia.

This picture is Alexis Alexander and Nicholas II's son, Nicholas gave this throne to his son. Alexis was too sick to rule Russia, therefore the throne was passed on the Nicholas's brother.



This picture is a photo that was taken during the Revolution of March 1917. The city was a chaos, all the workers were striking and refused to work. There was a huge food shortage, and a famine began. Tsar received a telegram from the Duma telling him how the city was losing it, he had to do something about it. Nicholas tried to get back to the city and help.

** Chapter 7: Russia at Was, 1914 - 17 **

 * Russia went to war in August 1914
 * The country liked that Russia was part of a war
 * Everyone supported Tsar
 * And everyone hated Germany
 * Nicholas changed St. Petersburg to Petrograd because it sounded too German

** Early defeats **

 * August 1914, 2 huge Russian armies attacked Germany
 * Russia lost to Germany
 * Men went to war without any guns
 * There were two battles Masurian Lakes and Tannenberg.
 * Both battles Russian got owned
 * Over 250,000 Russians were killed
 * Russia joined war one after another
 * End of 1914, Russia had lost over 1 million soldiers

** The collapse of the economy **

 * As the wars went on throughtout 1915 --> Russias economy went down
 * Lack of workers
 * Over 15.5 million young men were taken for
 * 1915, many factories had to close --> not enough workers
 * There wasnt enough transportation for all the people in Russia
 * The army used most of it
 * Used it to transport people but also to carry food
 * The trains also used alot of the coal, factories didn't get the coal they needed
 * Inflation
 * Russian money lost value
 * Food prices went up
 * People were buying less and less food
 * By the end of 1915 --> 300,000 russians were killed and 3 million wounded

** Dark forces destroying the throne **

 * August 1915 Tsar Nicholas decided to take personal command
 * He moved and lived at the army headquarters
 * His wife was in charge of the government --> huge mistake
 * She completely under the influence of Rasputin
 * From August 19122 to end of 1916 - she could do whatever she wanted
 * She removed people from office if they weren't supporting her ideas
 * During this time Russia experienced alot
 * 4 prime ministers
 * 5 misisters of interior
 * 4 ministers of agriculture
 * 3 ministers of war
 * 2 ministers of foreign affairs
 * The government didn't get much work done
 * Food, fuel and ammunition was in shortage
 * Russia won some important wars in 1916
 * The death rate of soldiers continued to increase
 * The people thought that Alexander and Rasputin was trying to destroy Russia because they were both born German
 * Rasputin was later murdered because he was bad influence
 * Everyone was so happy when he was killed
 * This year Russia was hit by blizzards --> low temps
 * Railways froze
 * Boilers bursted

** Chapter 8: The revolution of March 1917 **

 * March 1917 conditions in Russia grew rapidly worse
 * Revolution started
 * ** Wed March 7 **
 * Managers of the giant Putilov steels works locked out their 20,000 workers.
 * Angry workers were now rolling around the streets
 * Workers went on strike
 * ** Thurs March 8 **
 * 50 factories closed down
 * 90,000 workers went on strike
 * International Women's Day, women were on the street protesting
 * Everyone was hungry and wanted bread
 * ** Fri March 9 **
 * 200,000 workers strike
 * Crowds of people were just hanging out the city not going to work
 * ** //Sat// March 10 **
 * 250,000 strike
 * No public transportation
 * No newpapers
 * Food shortage
 * Cossacks refused to attack strikers
 * ** Sun March 11 **
 * The president of the Duma sent a telegram to Tsar
 * This telegram included everything that was going wrong with Russia
 * He replied to this telegram by saying that the Duma should end
 * ** Mon March 12 **
 * A mutiny started in the Volinsky regiment of the army
 * A sergeant shot his commanding officer
 * The army marched into the city
 * Duma held their meeting even though they weren't allow to
 * A 12 man committee was set up called the **// Provisional Committee //** to take over the government
 * The revolutionaries started a //** Soviet **// ( a council ) of workers and soldiers
 * They also wanted to take over the government
 * Start to organize food supplies
 * ** Tues March 13 **
 * Nicholas sent a telegram to duma
 * he would share power with them
 * But the duma replied that it was too late now
 * ** Wed March 14 **
 * None of the armies supported him anymore
 * 500 km away
 * Nicholas tried to move back to Petrograd to win back his control
 * His train was stopped and
 * ** Thurs March 15 **
 * Nicholas was now 250 km away
 * He had agreed to renounced and give the throne to Alexis
 * Alexis was too sick to be ruler
 * So he gave the throne to his brother, Grand Duke MichaelMan
 * He feared that he would be unpopular though
 * And within 24 hours he resigned
 * Russia became a republic


 * Chapter 9: The Provisional Government **
 * Two new governments **
 * Russia's new government was the **// Provisional Government //**
 * They would govern Russia for a short time until the elections
 * There was also a second unofficial government, the **// Petrograd Soviet //** (workers and soldiers)
 * These people had been elected by the nation
 * Protected
 * They had great power, and many people supported them
 * First mission was to issue an order to the armed forces
 * **// Order No. 1 //** said: soldiers and sailors must set up committees to take control of all arms, ammunition and equipment
 * Had to show respect to ministers
 * Provisional government controlled the armed forces
 * Many of the deputies in the Petrograd Soviet were revolutionaries --> SRs, Mensheviks and some Bolsheviks
 * Revolutionaries didnt want to push demands too far
 * Waited for the changes they wanted


 * Lenin and the April Theses **
 * Lenis (leader of the Bolsheviks) was exile in switzerland
 * Disagreed with the government
 * Wanted to start a second revolution
 * He was too far away from Russia though
 * Germans were willing to help Lenin
 * They believed in him
 * Provided him with food, money and a train so he could cross germany safely
 * April 16, 1917 Lenin reached Petrograd
 * He made a speech to the Bolsheviks
 * Wanted the war with germany to end
 * Land should be given to the peasants
 * Banks must be nationalized
 * Bolsheviks should change their name to communist
 * NO support to the government
 * His ideas were known as the **// April theses //**
 * April theses were a surprise
 * June 1917 - Russian army attacked Austria
 * Attack = fail = retreat
 * After this war more people started believing in Lenin's ideas
 * The followers of Lenin protested throughout the streets
 * After 3 days of rioting - the **// July Days //** - Alexander Kerensky, minister of war, set loyal troops into Petrograd
 * 400 people killed
 * Kerensky was sure that Lenin was out for some trouble
 * He wanted to arrest him, but he left the country
 * The leaders of the Bolsheviks got arrested instead


 * The Kornilov Revolt **
 * Alexander Kerensky now became the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government
 * Face many problems
 * He believed that Russia need a strong leader, that he would be in charge of
 * Got rid of the Petrograd Soviet, arrested the revolutionaries
 * He could fight Germany without anyone stopping him
 * Kornilov's rebel troops were very strong (savage division and cossacks)
 * Were sent to stop the Provisional Government
 * This revolt was a success
 * Kerensky started feeling a bit unsafe, he allow the Bolsheviks to start a defense force called the **// Red Guards //**.
 * 25,000 Bolsheviks were in the streets protecting Petrograd
 * Kornilov were arrested
 * Bolsheviks were honored --> they had save the government
 * Oct 1917 --> the bolsheviks had become very powerful
 * A second revolution started

** Chapter 10: The Bolsheviks Revolution of November 1917 **

 * Kerensky and the Government started to lose their power
 * Peasants rebelled
 * Soldiers refused to fight against Germany
 * Bolsheviks soldiers were getting ready for the second revolution


 * The state of Russia in September 1917 **
 * Peasants had come on top again, were grow crops and had control of much land
 * The Government was to give them land but that failed
 * Peasants attacked their land lords and took the land
 * Also took the land of the church and tsar
 * Kerensky tried to stopping at this violent in the country side, by sending soldiers
 * Burnt the peasants houses
 * Most of this violence continued for a while
 * Violence = late crops = not enough food
 * Many people didn't have much food during the winter
 * Armies discipline went down
 * The soldiers didn't do what they were told
 * Soldiers quite the army --> became farmers
 * There was chaos everywhere


 * The November Revolution **
 * Oct 1917 - Lenin returned to Petrograd
 * wanted to begin a revolution
 * Bolsheviks agreed with his plan
 * They set up a ** Smolny Institute **//,// head of the Bolshebiks, Leon Trotsky
 * This plan wasn't a secret
 * The army said they would support Trotsky
 * All the weapons were given to the Bolsheviks
 * Nov 6, everyone was ready for the revolution
 * Started taking control throughout the city
 * Took control of 6 bridges first
 * Nov 7, seized the government buildings and power stations and railways
 * Provisional Government had their head quarters in **// Winter Palace //**
 * was guarded
 * Night of Nov 7, the Aurora (a boat), Bolsheviks had captured, sailed up the river and attacked the Winter Palace
 * The guards gave up without any fighting
 * The ministers of the government gave up and were arrested
 * Bolsheviks now had control over Petrograd
 * Lenin was starting a new government

** Summary: **
Russia went to war with Germany from 1914 to 1917, this caused Russia's economy to drop and also Tsar leaving the city. As winter came Russia came short of food and a famine started; workers strike and rebelled. The Duma was established and the Provisional Government started. Tsar Nicholas gave up this throne first to his son, but he was too sick and after gave it to his brother (Russia became a republic). During the month of March the revolutions started. Lenin tried to over throw the government and actually succeeded. The November Revolution started.

** Questions: **
1) Why did the workers strike?

2) Explain how the Provisional Government came to be? What were their plans?

3) Who was Lenin what did he do?

4) Explain about the November Revolution

5) True or False? The Winter Palace was the Provisional Governments, head quarters?