russian revolution
Russia had lost the Russo Japanese war, which took a toll on the Russian Government, causing chaos within the country. Russia was facing debt from the Russo-Japanese war and was focusing on industrializing the country.
Before the Russian Revolution was in full chaos, World War I was taking place leading the Russians Czar Nicholas ll, not being able to please the citizens in Russia. Many citizens of the Soviet Union became in outrage because of their low wages and horrible working conditions. Within the social structure of the society, there was great difference from the peasants and the nobles. The Nobles had complete control leading the peasants to plead for the change, eventually leading to and up rise. Peasants also felt that the Czar Nicholas II was not doing anything to fix the issues. The citizens were suffering and his family lived in the palace, enjoying their life. When Russians citizens were ready to make a change, they marched to the Winter Palace on January 22nd, 1905, trying to ask for change, also known as Bloody Sunday. Father George Gapon arranged Bloody Sunday in order to make changeand take a stand. This turned into chaos and the guards shot fire leading many citizens to their death. Then causing the citizens to become extremely anger, leading the revolution to take full action. Russia was still in war with Germany at this time, which leads to complete dysfunction within Russia. After, disaster took place on the battlefield the citizen took action in the March Revolution. This was when citizens were not happy on the battle field and wanted change. The armed guards refused to fire at the citizens becasue they wanted change also which caused the government to make changes. The government then took action and made a new constitution. This was the first step toward the New Russia.
Lenin
Lenin was born Vladimir Illyich Ulyanov on April 22, 1870 in Simbirsk, Russia. His family was in the middle class because his father was a school inspector. Lenin attended Kazan University in 1887. His family has a history of being revolutionaries and ruthless, because his brother wanted to kill Czar Alexander III. Lenin felt that he needed to continue and follow his brother's footsteps and change society. As working toward change he read many works of Karl Marx, and was in favor of his socialist society that everyone was to be treated equally. As spreading Marx’s theories he was exiled to Siberia. Lenin had then found his wife to Nadezhda Krupskaya who, was also in prison for the spreading the ideas of Marx’s. Later they were then sent to Switzerland where then they worked to change the government. Lenin adapted ideas of Karl Marx and worked to spread ideas in factories and all around the world. He then changed the ideas to solve Russia’s problems. Lenin created the theory of having a dictatorship that rules all, and creates equality between social classes. His theory was also known as “dictator ship of the proletariat.” Which means the must have a ruler over the wealthy class. After Lenin was working to make change, Russia realized his therories to be a threat to the government; he was then exiled from Russia in March of 1917. After, stalemate was reached within World War I, Germany and Russia then decided to sign the Treaty of Brest. This treaty had stopped the war between the countries, and allowed for Germany to gain territory.
Germany was clever in that they thought to help Lenin get back into Russia to elevate the Russian Revolution. By helping Lenin get back into Russia, this would weaken their enemy so that they can focus on other issues. Lenin then was back in Russia and arranged the Bolsheviks to overthrow the Czar, Lenin and Trotsky arranged to people into a form of military in order to overthrown the Czar. Lenin then targeted the working class because he knew that there were unhappy and wanted to over throw the Czar. He referred to the working class as the Bolsheviks. In October he arranged the October Revolution, which was a plan to overthrow the Czar. In November 1917 the Bolsheviks went to fight the Czar and within one week the government stepped down and Lenin took complete power. From here on out therewere no mores Czars within the Russian Government. The Bolsheviks considered their capital to be Moscow. When Lenin took power he took all the land, and ended private land owning. He then distributed the land to the peasants inorder to create equality. After distributing the land he allowed for the workers to control the factories.
Lenin was then faced with the White Army, which consisted of the past government, (Czar) who were attempting to gain their power back by fighting the Red army, which were the folks under Lenin’s control. The Red Army consisted of the citizens who had faith and believed in Lenin’s theories. The White Army had their alliances (Britain, U.S., France) come help fight against the Red Army. The Red Army, run by Lenin, defeated the White Army and Lenin continued with holding power. After, defeating the White Army Lenin was facing strokes and died in January 21st, 1924. Lenin doubted Stalin before he left his power open. He often trusted Trotsky when they worked together.
PRIMARY SOURCE:
An excerpt from Vladimir Illyich Lenin: Testament, 1922
Lenin, 24 December 1922
Stalin is too rude and this defect, although quite tolerable in our midst and in dealing among us Communists, becomes intolerable in a Secretary-General. That is why I suggest the comrades think about a way of removing Staling from that post and appointing another man in his stead who in all other respects differs from Comrade Stalin in having only one advantage, namely, that of being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite, and more considerate to the comrades, less capricious, etc. This circumstance may appear to be a negligible detail. But I think that from the standpoint of safeguards against a split, and from the standpoint of what I wrote above about the relationship between Stalin and Trotsky, it is not a detail, or it is a detail which can assume decisive importance.
Review Questions
1) List three causes of the Russian Revolution.
2) Explain why Russia was in debt before entering the Russian Revolution.
3) Why did Germany feel a need to help Lenin get back into Russia after being exiled?
4) Explain Lenin’s political views? (HINT: Some ideas are from Karl Marx)
5) How did the Bolsheviks get the Czar to step down? Explain why there were two armies Red Army and White Army.
Citations:
-Ellis, Elisabeth G., Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers Sr. World Histroy Connections To Today. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1916
-Internet Histoy Sourcebooks." Internet History Sourcebooks. Fordhman University, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013.
-N.d. Photograph. File:Trotzki and Lenin in Petrograd.jpg. Wikipedia, 30 Aug. 2005. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.
-"Vladimir Lenin." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
Before the Russian Revolution was in full chaos, World War I was taking place leading the Russians Czar Nicholas ll, not being able to please the citizens in Russia. Many citizens of the Soviet Union became in outrage because of their low wages and horrible working conditions. Within the social structure of the society, there was great difference from the peasants and the nobles. The Nobles had complete control leading the peasants to plead for the change, eventually leading to and up rise. Peasants also felt that the Czar Nicholas II was not doing anything to fix the issues. The citizens were suffering and his family lived in the palace, enjoying their life. When Russians citizens were ready to make a change, they marched to the Winter Palace on January 22nd, 1905, trying to ask for change, also known as Bloody Sunday. Father George Gapon arranged Bloody Sunday in order to make changeand take a stand. This turned into chaos and the guards shot fire leading many citizens to their death. Then causing the citizens to become extremely anger, leading the revolution to take full action. Russia was still in war with Germany at this time, which leads to complete dysfunction within Russia. After, disaster took place on the battlefield the citizen took action in the March Revolution. This was when citizens were not happy on the battle field and wanted change. The armed guards refused to fire at the citizens becasue they wanted change also which caused the government to make changes. The government then took action and made a new constitution. This was the first step toward the New Russia.
Lenin
Lenin was born Vladimir Illyich Ulyanov on April 22, 1870 in Simbirsk, Russia. His family was in the middle class because his father was a school inspector. Lenin attended Kazan University in 1887. His family has a history of being revolutionaries and ruthless, because his brother wanted to kill Czar Alexander III. Lenin felt that he needed to continue and follow his brother's footsteps and change society. As working toward change he read many works of Karl Marx, and was in favor of his socialist society that everyone was to be treated equally. As spreading Marx’s theories he was exiled to Siberia. Lenin had then found his wife to Nadezhda Krupskaya who, was also in prison for the spreading the ideas of Marx’s. Later they were then sent to Switzerland where then they worked to change the government. Lenin adapted ideas of Karl Marx and worked to spread ideas in factories and all around the world. He then changed the ideas to solve Russia’s problems. Lenin created the theory of having a dictatorship that rules all, and creates equality between social classes. His theory was also known as “dictator ship of the proletariat.” Which means the must have a ruler over the wealthy class. After Lenin was working to make change, Russia realized his therories to be a threat to the government; he was then exiled from Russia in March of 1917. After, stalemate was reached within World War I, Germany and Russia then decided to sign the Treaty of Brest. This treaty had stopped the war between the countries, and allowed for Germany to gain territory.
Germany was clever in that they thought to help Lenin get back into Russia to elevate the Russian Revolution. By helping Lenin get back into Russia, this would weaken their enemy so that they can focus on other issues. Lenin then was back in Russia and arranged the Bolsheviks to overthrow the Czar, Lenin and Trotsky arranged to people into a form of military in order to overthrown the Czar. Lenin then targeted the working class because he knew that there were unhappy and wanted to over throw the Czar. He referred to the working class as the Bolsheviks. In October he arranged the October Revolution, which was a plan to overthrow the Czar. In November 1917 the Bolsheviks went to fight the Czar and within one week the government stepped down and Lenin took complete power. From here on out therewere no mores Czars within the Russian Government. The Bolsheviks considered their capital to be Moscow. When Lenin took power he took all the land, and ended private land owning. He then distributed the land to the peasants inorder to create equality. After distributing the land he allowed for the workers to control the factories.
Lenin was then faced with the White Army, which consisted of the past government, (Czar) who were attempting to gain their power back by fighting the Red army, which were the folks under Lenin’s control. The Red Army consisted of the citizens who had faith and believed in Lenin’s theories. The White Army had their alliances (Britain, U.S., France) come help fight against the Red Army. The Red Army, run by Lenin, defeated the White Army and Lenin continued with holding power. After, defeating the White Army Lenin was facing strokes and died in January 21st, 1924. Lenin doubted Stalin before he left his power open. He often trusted Trotsky when they worked together.
PRIMARY SOURCE:
An excerpt from Vladimir Illyich Lenin: Testament, 1922
Lenin, 24 December 1922
Stalin is too rude and this defect, although quite tolerable in our midst and in dealing among us Communists, becomes intolerable in a Secretary-General. That is why I suggest the comrades think about a way of removing Staling from that post and appointing another man in his stead who in all other respects differs from Comrade Stalin in having only one advantage, namely, that of being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite, and more considerate to the comrades, less capricious, etc. This circumstance may appear to be a negligible detail. But I think that from the standpoint of safeguards against a split, and from the standpoint of what I wrote above about the relationship between Stalin and Trotsky, it is not a detail, or it is a detail which can assume decisive importance.
Review Questions
1) List three causes of the Russian Revolution.
2) Explain why Russia was in debt before entering the Russian Revolution.
3) Why did Germany feel a need to help Lenin get back into Russia after being exiled?
4) Explain Lenin’s political views? (HINT: Some ideas are from Karl Marx)
5) How did the Bolsheviks get the Czar to step down? Explain why there were two armies Red Army and White Army.
Citations:
-Ellis, Elisabeth G., Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers Sr. World Histroy Connections To Today. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1916
-Internet Histoy Sourcebooks." Internet History Sourcebooks. Fordhman University, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013.
-N.d. Photograph. File:Trotzki and Lenin in Petrograd.jpg. Wikipedia, 30 Aug. 2005. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.
-"Vladimir Lenin." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.