Russian History: Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Russia in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

• Russia under Nicholas II spanned from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, with a population of 126 million people from 194 ethnic groups.
• The country was plagued by poverty and hardship, with workers and peasants living in poverty while the Russian elite lived in luxury.

The Russian Revolution of 1905

• The 1905 revolution forced the Tsar to allow the creation of the Duma, a state council, but its power was limited.

World War I and the Fall of the Russian Empire

• World War I led to devastating defeats, food shortages, and economic chaos in Russia.
• The Tsar took responsibility for the crisis, and his German-born wife, Empress Alexandra, was suspected of supporting Germany.
• The royal family was influenced by the mystic and faith healer, Grigori Rasputin, who was eventually murdered by Russian aristocrats in December 1916.

The February Revolution of 1917

• On February 23, 1917, thousands of women marched in Petrograd to celebrate International Women's Day and protest the bread shortage.
• The next day, workers and students joined the protests, carrying banners that read "Down with the Tsar!"
• The government lost control of the capital, and the Tsar was forced to abdicate on March 2, 1917, marking the end of 300 years of Romanov rule.

The Provisional Government and the Rise of the Bolsheviks

• The Russian Provisional Government was formed by members of the Duma, but shared power with the Petrograd Soviet.
• The Petrograd Soviet was dominated by the Socialist Revolutionary Party and the Marxist Menshevik Party, and was more radical than the Provisional Government.
• The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, opposed the "imperialist war" and called for the redistribution of land and the transfer of power from the Provisional Government to the Soviets.
• The Bolsheviks' program was summarized in the slogan "Bread, Peace, and Land."

The July Days and the Kornilov Affair

• In June 1917, a new Russian military offensive ended in disaster, leading to a crisis in the army and a rise in Bolshevik popularity.
• In July 1917, soldiers and sailors in Petrograd rebelled, and workers joined the protests, demanding the transfer of power to the Soviets.
• The Provisional Government responded with a repression campaign, arresting many Bolshevik leaders, including Leon Trotsky, while Lenin fled to Finland.
• In August 1917, General Kornilov attempted to restore order in Petrograd, but the Bolsheviks defended the city against the military coup.

The October Revolution and the Rise of the Bolsheviks to Power

• By the end of September 1917, the Bolsheviks had gained a majority in the Petrograd Soviet.
• In October 1917, Lenin returned to Petrograd and began to prepare for the seizure of power.
• On October 25, 1917, the Bolsheviks launched their coup, and the Red Guard took control of key points in the city.
• The next day, Lenin announced the overthrow of the Provisional Government, and the Bolsheviks began to consolidate their power.

The Aftermath of the Revolution and the Establishment of the Soviet Union

• The following months saw the Bolsheviks strengthen their grip on power, while fighting a brutal civil war against the anti-Bolshevik forces, known as the White Russians.
• After the abdication of Nicholas II, he and his family were placed under house arrest, eventually being executed by the Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg in July 1918.