RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

• 1. Some suggest Russian peasants would have been excited when they heard about the Russian Revolution. Why is that?

  • Russian peasants would have been excited about the Russian Revolution because they hoped for improvements in their lives, such as land redistribution and better working conditions
• 1. How were the tsar's actions one of the causes of the revolution?

  • The tsar's actions, including his autocratic rule, mishandling of military affairs, and failure to address economic and social reforms, contributed to discontent among the Russian people and laid the groundwork for the revolution
• 1. Why did Russia have a different experience with nationalist fervor than its European neighbors?

  • Russia had a different experience with nationalist fervor than its European neighbors due to its diverse ethnic and cultural makeup, which made it difficult to foster a unified national identity based on ethnicity or language
• 1. After the tsar stepped down, why did the Provisional Committee eventually lose power to the Bolsheviks?

  • After the tsar stepped down, the Provisional Committee lost power to the Bolsheviks due to their inability to address the pressing issues facing Russia, such as food shortages, military defeats, and continued involvement in WWI
• 1. How did the Bolsheviks change both economic systems and social interactions and organization in Russia?

  • The Bolsheviks changed economic systems in Russia by implementing communist reforms, including nationalization of land and industries, while also promoting class-based unity and equality. Social interactions and organization were transformed through the establishment of collective ownership and control over resources, as well as the promotion of proletarian solidarity
• To what extent does the Russian Revolution explain how internal and external factors contributed to change in various states after 1900

  the Russian Revolution demonstrates how internal factors such as social and economic discontent, as well as external factors like involvement in WWI, contributed to revolutionary change. While the war exacerbated existing grievances and provided a catalyst for the revolution, it cannot be solely blamed for causing it, as underlying issues of governance and inequality were present before the war began
• 1. Dissatisfaction with Russian governance was high before the First World War. What role did that conflict play in the Revolution? Should we say that the war caused the Revolution? Why or why not?


  • The First World War heightened existing dissatisfaction with Russian governance. So it served as a catalyst for the Revolution. It was not the sole cause, but it significantly rose the downfall of the tsarist regime by making the  economic hardships and social unrest worse
• 1. What evidence from the Russian Revolution supports the idea that World War I was a total war?

  • Evidence from the Russian Revolution supports the idea that WWI was a total war, as it led to widespread social upheaval, economic disruption, and political instability, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the tsarist regime and the rise of revolutionary forces
• • in 1905, tsar Nicholas II refused to withdraw from a war with Japan
• • bc tsar nicholas kept going to war, the russian working class and citizens began to protest and march to the Winter Palace in Petrograde (St. Petersburg)
• • the protest to st petersburg protests was known as "Bloody Sunday”
• • the bloody sunday was the day the tsar's military forces killed hundreds of protesters
• • the “bloody sunday” sparked massive protests and civil war across russia
• • The protests only ended when the tsar agreed to form an assembly of representatives known as the Duma
• • During the 1905 civil war, Russian workers organized and began forming groups called soviets
• • These soviets(workers' groups) gave them a community identity as workers who came together for a common purpose
• • in Russia, there was almost no middle class and very little common "national" identity to build upon
• • Many people were not ethnic Russians, and less than half the population even spoke the Russian language
• • Russia was geographically massive, socially diverse, and economically divided
• • Political revolutionaries such as Vladimir Lenin seized upon divisions and began to unite people into one community based upon their roles as workers
• March Revolution of 1917


  Sparked by food shortages and dissatisfaction with Tsar Nicholas II's rule, the March Revolution led to widespread protests and strikes in Petrograd, ultimately resulting in the abdication of the tsar and the establishment of a Provisional Government
• Bolshevik Revolution of 1917


  Led by Vladimir Lenin, the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd in November 1917, overthrowing the Provisional Government and establishing a communist regime
• End of Russian Involvement in WWI

  The Bolsheviks signed a treaty with Germany in March 1918, pulling Russia out of WWI and focusing their efforts on consolidating power domestically
• Establishment of Communism


  Under Lenin's leadership, the Bolsheviks implemented communist reforms, including nationalization of land and industries, redistribution of wealth, and the promotion of class-based unity
• Global Impact


  The Russian Revolution altered the dynamics of WWI, marked the transition from empire to nation-state, and established the first communist nation-state in the world. Communism emerged as a significant political force, shaping the course of the twentieth century and influencing the Cold War