russian revolution

Who did Lenin sign a piece treaty with in 1918?

Germany

what was the peace treaty called that Lenin signed with Germany?

the treaty of brest-litovsk

was the treaty of brest-litovsk an equal treaty?

no, it was expensive for Russia, who gave up their territory and population

Who fought in the Russian Civil War?

The reds and the whites

in the Russian Civil War, who supported the Reds

communists

in the Russian Civil War, who supported the whites

A collection of different groups united by desire to beat the bolsheviks

Who won the Russian Civil War?

The Reds

what was the cheka?

A secret police force

what did the cheka do?

they executed ordinary citizens, even if they were only suspected of taking action against the revolution

under war communism, what did communists take over?

they took over banks, mines railroads and factories

under war communism, what did peasants deliver?

they delivered all crops to feed hungry people in the city

under war communism, what did laborers get drafted into?

they were drafted into military and factory work

how did Trotsky turn the red army into an effective fighting force?

• used former czarist officers under the close Watch of commissioners

• communist officials taught Army party principles and loyalty

• his speeches roused (woke them up) soldiers to fight

what were the main characteristics of the new economic polixy?

• combined democratic and socialist elements

• gave citizens the right to vote

• technically gave power to workers and peasants

• communist party maintained power

what did the new economic policy allow?

• capitalist ventures on a small scale

• reopening of private small businesses

• certain economic freedoms for peasants

• overall state control of major industries

how did Lenin view the NEP?

• saw it as a temporary retreat from strict communism

• he used it to help the Soviet economy recover food and industrial production levels

for Stalin’s five-year plans how many sets were launched

three sets

what were the main goals of the five-year plans?

-building up industry

increasing agricultural and farm output

producing economic surplus with high standards

how did Stalin‘s government motivate workers for the five-year plans?

• used the system of strict punishments alongside rewards

• produced reports through careful, decision making

what was the final outcome of the five-year plans?

• production level successfully increased

• many new problems and challenges followed

what was the main goal of modernizing agriculture and selling grains

To raise money for state needs

what were changes made to farms under collectivization

• farms were made larger

• owners were not compensated

• they were run by peasants

what did peasants receive for farming under collectivization

farming tools and education

what ways did peasants resist collectivization?

• refused to give up land

• slaughtered animals

• burned crops

• broke machinery

what was the fate of uncooperative peasants?

they were forced through punishments and eventually death

why did Stalin become furious with peasants?

they resisted giving up land and sold crops at low prices

Who did Stalin blame for agricultural resistance?

The kulaks

what was Stalin‘s intention for the kulaks

to liquidate (murder) them

what happened to the kulaks in the end?

they were sent to labor camps, overworked, and killed

what was the Gulag?

A system of labor camps that held prisoners in the soviet union

Who is mainly sent to the Gulag’s?

political prisoners who opposed Joseph Stalin and people who failed to meet work criteria

what kind of work did the Gulag prisoners do

they were sentenced to hard labor, including hard construction jobs

why did many Gulag prisoners die in the camps?

due to poor environmental conditions and extreme neglect

what was the great purge?

A period of systematic arrests and murders of Soviet Citizens also known as the great terror

what was the main goal of the great purge?

to eliminate anyone who opposes stalin and to increase his total power

what government agency carried out these eliminations

The NKVD

why were many innocent people killed in the great purge?

they were targeted and executed based on false accusations

what tactics were used to control the population during the time of the great purge

• lies

• executions to intimidate others

• forced disappearances

• starvation

• exile to create widespread suspicion

what did communists in the soviet union want to achieve globally

to bring about the worldwide revolution predicted by Karl Marx

why did the Russians want to win support of other countries?

to secure their own safety of their security

what organization did Lenin create to aid revolutionary groups

The communist international (comintern)

what reactions did the US have due to the suspicions of Bolshevik plots?

it led to the red scare in the US

what were the major diplomatic steps taken by the Soviet Union despite these tensions

• broke off relations with some nations

• won Recognition

• joined the league of Nations

Into what type of government did Stalin transform the Soviet Union?

He turned it into a totalitarian state regulated by a one-party dictatorship.

What are the six basic features of Stalin's totalitarian state listed in the text?

1. Single-party leader

2. State control

3. Use of police spies and terror

4. Media control

5. Use of youth schools and organizations

6. Strict censorship for artists

colossus

giant

Alexander ll

• Son of Emperor Nicholas, the first

• became tsar in 1855

• assumed power in the middle of the Caribbean war, which revealed Russia’s backwardness

• instituted broad modernizing reforms

• emancipated the serfs in 1861

crimean war

war fought mainly on the crimean Peninsula between the Russians and the British French and Turks from 1853 to 1856

emancipation

granting a freedom of serfs or enslaved people

Zemstvo

local elected assembly set up in Russia under Alexander the second

pogrom

violent attack on a Jewish community

refugee

A person who flees from home or country to seek refuge elsewhere, often because of political upheaval or famine

duma

elected national legislator in Russia

peter stolypin

• Russia statesman under tsar nicholas ll

• served as minister of the interior

• served as president of the council of ministers

• instituted, agricultural reforms that improve the life of the peasantry

• made enemies on both sides of the political spectrum

• assassinated in 1911

Who was Alexander II and how did his reign end?

He was the father of Alexander III and was assassinated on March 13, 1881. His death caused Russia to return to strict repression.

What major war occurred when Alexander II came to power, and what did it cause?

The Crimean War. Russian defeat led liberals to demand changes, prompting Alexander II to agree to major reforms.

What was Alexander II’s most famous social reform regarding peasants?

He issued a royal decree granting emancipation (freeing the serfs).

What political and legal reforms did Alexander II introduce?

• Set up a system of local government called Zemstvos.

• Introduced trial by jury.

• Eased censorship, reformed the military, and encouraged industrial growth.

How did Alexander III respond to his father's assassination?

He returned heavily to repression by increasing secret police power, restoring strict censorship, and exiling critics to Siberia.

What was Alexander III's "Russification" policy?

A program aimed at suppressing non-Russian cultures within the empire to enforce "one language, one religion" (Russian and Russian Orthodox).

How did Alexander III persecute Jewish people under his rule?

• Limited the number allowed in universities and professions.

• Forced them to live in strictly restricted areas.

Who was the last Tsar (czar) of Russia?

Back: Nicholas II (son of Alexander III).

What conflict did Nicholas II face in 1904, and what was his rallying cry?

The Russo-Japanese War. He called on his people to fight for "the faith, the Tsar, and the Fatherland."

What historic tragedy triggered the Russian Revolution under Nicholas II?

Bloody Sunday. Father George Gapon led a peaceful march, but panicked soldiers opened fire on the crowd, "shooting away" the people's Orthodox faith.

What did Nicholas II promise in response to the Revolution's widespread discontent?

He promised sweeping reforms, including "freedom of person, conscience, speech, assembly, and union."

What legislative body did Nicholas II agree to establish, and what power did it hold?

The Duma (an elected legislature). He declared that no law could go into effect without Duma approval.

• Who did Nicholas II appoint as his Prime Minister during this era of unrest?

: Peter Stolypin

serf

in medieval Europe, a peasant bound to the Lord‘s land

proletariat

working class

hemophilia

A disease where your blood will not clot

soviets

A council of workers and soldiers set up by Russian revolutionaries

commissars

communist party official assigned to the army to teach party principles and ensure party loyalty

Gregory Rasputin

-mystic advisor who heavily influenced Rasputin‘s wife Alexandra

known as the holy man who treated his son’s hemophilia

murdered by Russian nobles

vladimir ilyich ulyanov (lenin)

• leader of the Bolsheviks, who supported Marxist ideas

• hated the tsarist regime after his brother was executed for planning kill the tsar

• exiled to Siberia before leading to the revolution

karl marx

• co-author of the communist manifesto

• predicted that the working class would overthrow communism

• believed conflict always existed between workers and business owners

Bolsheviks

• means majority

• lead by lenin

• eventually renamed communists

Red guards

armed factory workers

reds

known as the communist during the Russian Civil War

Whites

known as the counter revolutionaries during the Russian civil war

• What did Russia issue due to the Pan-Slav movement?

• 
  

Russia issued Serbia protection treaties, meaning they would not abandon them to Austria-Hungary (AH).

• What was the purpose of the "Willy-Nicky" letter exchanges?

• 
  

Kaiser Wilhelm and Czar Nicholas desired peace and tried to get each other to back down.

Why did Nicholas II initially order only partial mobilization?

Russia had no plans for partial mobilization; it was meant only against the Austrian border to prevent war with Germany.

What major order did Nicholas II confirm on July 31, 1914?

He confirmed the order for general mobilization, which triggered the outbreak of World War I.

Why was Russia vulnerable when WWI broke out on August 1, 1914?

Germany and Austria-Hungary had mutual defense plans, while Russia was completely unprepared when the attack was ordered.

What happened to the Russian armies early in WWI?

The Germans mobilized and defeated two Russian armies.

What characterized the war of attrition on the Eastern Front?

It was a vast front where Russian armies faced combined German and Austro-Hungarian forces, suffering massive losses

• What major military decision did Nicholas II make during the war?

• 
  

He took the role of commander-in-chief, dismissing his uncle (Nikolai Nikolaevich) from the position to oversee the war personally.

What was the domestic result of Nicholas II taking direct military command?

He left domestic issues in the hands of his wife, Czarina Alexandra, while the Duma called for political reforms and unrest continued.

Why did the common people grow suspicious of Czarina Alexandra?

Nicholas II did not understand the people's suspicion regarding his wife and the wild rumors surrounding her relationship with Rasputin.

How did Nicholas II handle rumors in the press?

He refused to censor the press, allowing wild rumors about his family to spread freely.

What did Nicholas II's accumulated incompetencies lead to?

They led directly to the Russian Revolution and his forced abdication of the throne.

What economic conditions sparked the February/March Revolution?

Food supply shortages, rising prices, and a scarcity of commodities in Petrograd.

What triggered the mass strike on February 22nd?

Workers of the Putilov Iron Works demanded higher wages, were locked out, and took to the streets to riot for food.

How did Nicholas II respond to the streets riots in the capital?

He ordered his military commander to suppress all disorders on the streets, which instead led to more chaos.

What political shift happened after the Petrograd strikes and military chaos?

The Duma was ordered to shut down but refused, instead nominating a Provisional Government due to fears of a violent revolution.

Who was chosen to lead the Provisional Government, and what was their stance on WWI?

Alexander Kerensky (implied leader with prior experience), who was unwilling to end the war, causing many soldiers to desert.

What happened to Bolsheviks and generals who opposed the war or wanted to revolt?

They were arrested by Kerensky, leading others to join the revolt.

Which key committee's arrest by Kerensky sparked the final overthrow?

The Military Revolutionary Committee.

How was the Provisional Government officially overthrown?

The Red Guards surrounded the Winter Palace, opened fire, entered, and arrested the Cabinet ministers.

To whom was power handed after the fall of the Provisional Government?

• The Soviet Council of People's Commissars.