Czarist Russia

Czar Nicholas II

Alexander II

Reforms: modernized military-industrial complex, expanded Russian railways, grew communications, modernized military, abolished serfdom
Tried to make Russia into a constitutional monarchy
Assassinated by anarchists

Alexander III

Russo-Japanese War

Japan began to imperialism parts of China and all of Korea
Russia became angry with Japan and started the war, partially because of Japan’s imperializing and because Czar Nicholas II had a prior dislike of Japan
Russia saw it as an easy win
Russia lost to Japan
Results in Russia: morale dropped, the economy became stagnant, workers went on strikes, civil unrest, etc.
Political Result: Treaty of Portsmouth (Korea becomes a Japanese sphere of influence, Port Arthur is given to Japan)

Bloody Sunday

A petition spearheaded by priest Father George Gapon demanded a reduction of the working day, increased wages, and improved working conditions
In January 1905, Father George Gapon led thousands of workers to present the petition to Czar Nicholas II
Czar Nicholas II ordered his military to fire on these protestors and several hundred were killed with many more wounded
This sparked the 1905 Revolution

1905 Revolution

The period of violence following Bloody Sunday that included strikes, protests, violence, etc.
In October 1905, Czar Nicholas II was pressured into agreeing to give the Russian people more freedom
Czar Nicholas II signed the October Manifesto and created the Duma, Russia’s first parliament
The Duma was dissolved by Czar Nicholas II only a few months later

Russia in World War 1

Russia’s troops were poorly equipped with weapons, factories could not keep up with the demand for supplies
On the home front there were food and fuel shortages
Czar Nicholas II took control of the army in 1915, thinking it would increase his popularity with the Russian people
Russia sustained heavy losses, decreasing his popularity instead
The Czarina was left to rule in his place and was unable to rule well, instead letting Rasputin make most decisions
Russia remained in the Great War even after the Czar abdicated, though the people were unhappy with it
Eventually Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk under Alexander Kerensky’s provisional government

Grigori Rasputin

Claimed to be a holy man who could heal the Czar and Czarina’s son who had hemophilia
He was severely disliked by the Russian people as they had no idea why the Czar and Czarina trusted him so much
They assumed he was trying to control them and come into power
When Czar Nicholas II took control of the Russian army in WW1, he made most of the decisions for the Czarina, creating further distrust among the Russian people

The March Revolution

Causes: Defeats in the Russo-Japanese war and the Great War, distrust in the Czar, strikes, food and fuel shortages
The spark: Women textile workers went on strike
The textile workers strike expanded into an uprising, forcing Czar Nicholas II to abdicate his throne
Russia was left with no government, and so the provisional government was formed

Provisional Government

Established after the March Revolution
Lead by Alexander Kerensky
The government decided to keep Russia in the Great War, which lost it the support of most Russians
People were very unhappy with the provisional government’s decisions, socialist revolutionaries began to form soviets
Soviets were local councils of workers, peasants, and soldiers that often had more influence than the provisional government itself

October/November Revolution (Bolshevik Revolution)

Bolsheviks, radical Russian Marxist revolutionaries, toppled the provisional government and took power
As a result, Lenin came to power and Russia became communist