Russia Notes

A title used for the emperor or ruler of Russia. The term "czar" comes from the word "Caesar".

Czar Alexander III was the ruler of Russia from 1881 to 1894. He was an average czar.

Deciding what information the public has access to.

Not so secret people who did the dirty work for the czar. They were involved in the education system and if a teacher did something inappropriate, they would be sent to Siberia AKA exile.

France and Britain invest in them and with this money they produce enough steel to become the 4th largest producer in the world.

A railway that went from East to West across Russia. To build these, they used low wages, bad working conditions, and child labor.

Workers' organizations would go on strike to fix issues in their job, but instead, the Czar shut them down and arrested them.

Said that the have-nots would realize the system is treating them badly and they would revolt against the haves and overthrow the Czar. (Founder of Marxism, father of Communism)

Moderate people who want gradual change. They have a lot of support because they are not radical.

Radicals who wanted change fast and now. They had less support but good quality in people like their leader.

Leader of the Bolsheviks and eventual ruler of Russia.

The last Czar of Russia, he goes through 3 critical crises:

• Russo-Japenese War (1905)

• Bloody Sunday (1905)

• WWI (1914)

Japan beat Russia and it made Nicholas II look bad.

Workers protested because of bad working conditions. This was at the Czar’s Winter Palace and it was led by Georgy Gapon. The Czar’s police open fired on the crowd killing a lot of people.

Workers got what they wanted (better wages, better working conditions, unions), but also they create the Duma which goes in and out of the system 4 times.

First ever legislative body in Russia, it is like Great Britain’s parliament.

Russia did terribly in WWI and a lot of people died, and everyone hated him. So, he decides to take control of the military and while he is gone he puts his wife (Czarina Alexandra) in charge. Nicholas II really wanted to stay in the war to get stuff from winning.

A magical healer from Siberia. He said he could help Czarina Alexandra’s child (Alexis) who had hemophilia. He says in 3 months he will be healed, and in 3 months he is healed. To repay him, Alexandra lets him. stay in the palace and he slowly gains power until a group of nobles assonate him.

1. Political Pressure

2. Hoping if he resigns it will buy Russia time

3. He wants to stay in the war for the things they could get

The Bolsheviks tell him that he is in danger, and when he walks down the stairs of his hiding place, him and his family get shot and killed and burried in the woods.

When the Czar is out of power, and the Provisional Government is in.

Temporary Government in Russia. Alexander Kerensky was the leader and he did nothing to help Russia with WWI or the issues of land.

Local governments who compete with the Provisional Government for the peoples loyalty (and they get it). They get so much control that Lenin feels safe to come back.

The Germans because they want Russia to back out of the war (Lenin’s saying was PEACE, land bread).

The Provisional Government is out, the Bolsheviks are in.

They want it to be like the Storming of the Bastille, but it is very anticlimactic, the Provisional Government just hands the power to the Bolshevik Red Guard. Walk in, walk out.

1. Factories to workers

2. Farmland to poor

3. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Out of war)

Red vs Whites. 14 Million people died because of war, hunger, and the Spanish Flu. The war lasted 3 years, when the reds won, it showed they could hold power

Well organized and strong. The leader was Leon Trotsky who was a military genius.

Very unorganized, only thing in common is that they hated the Bolsheviks. The U.S. and GB supported them, but it wasn’t enough.

Farmers would have to produce a minimum amount of crops, and then give them all to the government, but every crop they make above that quota, they get to keep and do whatever they want with it.

Also added privately owned businesses and farms.

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs

USSR/Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic)

The Communist Party to appeal to more.

1. Liam Trotsky

2. Joseph Stalin

He made anyone in power he could put in power have loyalty to him or they denied them. After he wins, he sends Trotsky to exile (Mexico) and eventually tells and assassin to kill him.