Russian Revolution

Russian Revolution (Revolutions and Nationalism)

Who was Tsar Nicholas II? What was he like as a leader?

Tsar Nicholas was the last ruling emperor of Russia. He was abdicted in 1917. All around Europe, countries were undergoing change, and Russia was one country that had yet to adapt to these changes. Tsar Nicholas was often criticized of not being able to keep up with the rapid demand of reformation. He married Tsarnia Alexandra, who was of German descent, which made Russia look even worse. There were many contributing factors to his eventual downfall, such as widespread public discontent, reluctance to have reforms to the country, and not handling many situations well.

Who was Rasputin? How did he become close to the Romanovs, and how was he ultimatley turned on by the Russian people?

Rasputin was a mystic, spiritual healer. He was endorsed by Tsarnia Alexandra, who was known for being closeted and detatched from the rest of Russian society. He was extremely close to the Romanov royal family, especially beacuse Rasputin had magically healed their son Alexei of a seemingly uncureable disease at the time, hemophilia. After he healed their son, he gained a huge influence on Russia, and was seen as a powerful figure. When Tsar Nicholas II had left to go to the front lines of WWI, he left Alexandra and Rasputin, and when this happened many citizens believed that Rasputin was really the one who was calling the shots and had also been sleeping with Alexandra. This took a very negative toll on the Romanov family, as Rasputin was seen almost as an infiltrator on Russia. Russians revolted, and had eventually attempted to kill Rasputin, which took numerous attempts. He was poisoned, shot, and finally drowned, where he later died. Despite this, Rasputin had left a letter to the Romanov family, proclaiming that they’d soon meet their demise in 2 years at the hands of those close to them. This left the Romanov family, especially Alexandra, extremely paranoid for the last few years of her life.

What was Russia like before 1917?

Life in Russia before 1917 was tough especially for peasants and farmers. There was a rigid hierarchial structure formed with the Tsar on top, followed by nobles, clergy, and a very large population of peasants. The middle class was still an emerging population that was small, and upper class held significant wealth and power within Russia.

What was the impact of WWI on Russia?

Russia suffered numerous deaths during WWI, and a lot of people blamed the incompetence of the military and Tsar Nicholas’ involvement. The war created a lot of ecnomic instability, and social unrest.

What is communism?

Communism is the idea that everyone is equal, and the power is shared among the people.

Who was Vladimir Lenin? What did he hope to gain?

Vladimir Lenin was the leader of the bolsheviks, a revolutionary group in Russia. He got Russia out of WWI, and later founded/established the USSR

Who were the bolsheviks? What did they want in Russia?

The bolsheviks were a revolutionary communist group in Russia, demanding change. They wanted Russia to leave the war (WWI), and wanted a communist change. They wanted to end the provisionary goverment.

What was the slogan “Peace, Land and Bread”

Peace - Promised to stop the war going on in Russia.

Land - Promised land to peasants, who were living on small impoverished lands.

Bread - Promised bread, and food, to peasants who were undergoing starvation.

What was war communism?

War communsim was aimed to benefit soldiers. They were given more supplies and food, and this was a system put in place by the soviets.

What was the new economic plan (NEP)

The new ecnomic plan was a plan aimed to help private buisnesses recover from the effects of the war.

What is totalitarianism?

Totalitarianism is a political system in which practices abosulte control and power over their country. They restrict press, public speaking, and limit privacy.J

Who was Joseph Stalin, and what kind of leader was he?

Stalin was the successor to Lenin, after he had died. Stalin was a totalitarian leader, and wanted a totalitarian government in Russia.

NKVD - He implemented a secret police within Russia, which made things even worse!

What was the 5 year plan?

The 5 year plan was a plan implemented in the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin. The 5 year plan was aimed to help private buisnesses recover from the effects of WWI.

What was command economy?

Command economy was were the government had full control over the economy.

What were collective farms?

Collective farms are where peasants work together in union under state control.

What was the great purge?

The great purge was the era of terror. It was supression laid out by the soviet union in Russia, led my Joseph Stalin. It was the purging of anyone who went against Stalin and the USSR, including politcal members of the Communist party, government officals and military officers.