Russian Revolution Flashcards
what was a Czar?
Absolute Monarch or ruler of Russia
what was a proletariat?
lowest class in a society, mostly industrial workers
what was the Bolsheviks?
communist majority faction of Russia Social Democratic Workers party
what was the Bourgeoisie?
the middle class
Who were the Romanov’s?
Czarist royal family who ruled Russia for 3 centuries?
what is totalitarianism?
absolute unlimited power by a ruler
what was a soviet?
elected councils formed during the revolution
Pre-revolution Russia?
only true Autocracy left in Europe
no representative political institution for the people
Nicholas ll became Tsar in 1814
what ideas became popular?
Marxist ideas.
Popular Mensheviks VS Radical Bolsheviks, led by Lenin
3 causes of Russian Revolution?
1.Russia suffers humiliating defeat in the Russia-Japanese war
- bloody Sunday
3.WW1 the last straw
bloody Sunday
thousands of discontented peaseants
sought to petition the Czar for better working conditions and suffrage
the guards fired into the crown
Shooting sparked wide spread strikes and uprisings
The last straw WW1
Czar Nicholas II brings Russia into the Great war
war revealed the ineptitude and arrogance of the country’s aristocratic elite
most peasants had very little invested in the war
poorly supplied troops result in massive casualties
Czarina Alexandra the power behind the thrown
while Nicholas II was at the Eastern front of war his wife Alexandra ran the country
she was heavily influenced by Rasputin a mystical “holy man”
scandals surrounding Rasputin served to discredit the monarchy
collapse of the imperial government
Alexandra and Rasputin throw the government into chaos
complete mismanagement of war time economy
Alexandra and other high government officials accused of treason
Rasputin assassinated in December 1916
The march revolution
starts with food riots, strikes and protests against the war
The duma declares itself a provisional government
Formed soviets- local councils
Czar Nicholas abdicates the throne (steps down)
Lenin and his Bolsheviks return
Vladimir Lenin
leading Marxist revolutionary
Exiled to Serbia for anti-Czarist protests
later fled to western Europe
Returned to lead and implement socialist reforms
how long was the Russian revolution
1917-1920
who were the reds?
the Bolsheviks and red army
who were the whites?
were army officers, bourgeoisie, Cossacks, and moderate revolutionaries
how did the imperial (royal) family die?
placed under house arrest
during the march revolution
czar Nicholas, Alexandra, and their 5 children were executed in July 1917
what did the Bolshevik red guards do?
workers take over government offices and arrest the leaders of the provisional government
part of the October Bolshevik revolution
what happened in march of 1918
the Bolshevik party is renamed communist party in march of 1918
part of the October Bolshevik revolution
what happened during the October Bolshevik revolution
all private property of wealthy was abolished and divvied among the peasantry
largest industrial enterprises nationalized
political police are organized
revolutionary army created with Leon Trotsky in charge - the red army
what treaty was negotiated for Russia to leave WW1?
the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germy to let Russia leave the war due to the revolution
part of the October Bolshevik revolution
who renamed the country? and what was it’s new name?
Vladimir Lenin renamed and reorganized Russia the soviet Union
what ideas did Lenin implement in the soviet union?
He implemented the ideas of Carl Marx
what new policy did Lenin issue?
Lenin Issued the New economic policy in 1921 allowing some capitalist policies
who was Joseph Stalin?
He was a Bolshevik revolutionary
appointed general secretary of the party’s central committee in 1922
what was Stalin’s mode of opperation
He viciously eliminated any opposition
what did Stalin Creat?
He created a fully communist state
ordered the execution of thousands
His secret police allowed no oppositions or freedoms
He also modernized the soviet union through 5 year plans of industrialization
Did France, England, the US, and Japan support the Whites or Reds?
The whites received support
what happened to the Duma (Russian Congress) after bloody Sunday?
The duma (Russian Congress) was allowed more power temporarily
Nicholas dissolved the Duma within weeks
