Russian Revolution (World History) Flashcards
Life for Russians under czarist rule
- All published material censored
- Sent to Siberia for speaking out against the government
- peasants had few rights (treated a little better than slaves)
- Only speak Russian
- Mistreated the Jews
Industrialization in Russia - Later than Europe (Behind)
The good - Modernized Country
The Bad -
Terrible working conditions
Child labor
Low wages
Unions are illegal
Trans-Siberian Railway
Longest railway, during industrialization of Russia
Things that caused the Russians to follow the ideas of Karl Marx
- Harsh czars
- Bad working and living conditions (no bread, bloody sunday)
Goal: Proletariat overthrow of the government.
Russo-Japanese war
Russia defeated, so Russia is embarrassed/ humiliated.
Bloody Sunday
Workers went to the palace to request better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected National Legislature. Czar Nicholas had soldiers fire into the crowd of people.
Duma
In response to Bloody Sunday, the czar creates the Duma - First parliament in Russia
Russia in WW1
Not prepared (economically or militarily), price inflation and food shortages, and huge casualty numbers.
Nicholas II at the front lines of WW1
Russia was struggling, so to boost morale, czar Nicholas moved to the front lines to command the troops himself.
Rasputin in the government and the outcome of him
Czarina allowed Rasputin to control govt. He took advantage of power and money to benefit himself and his buddies. Ultimately, the nobles killed him.
Mensheviks
Pro monarchy (czar), but still wanted a revolution. (Moderate) Broad base of popular support of revolution.
March Revolution
People protesting/revolting - czar was overthrown
The outcome for last czar and family
They were murdered in a basement.
Bolshevik Revolution
Unhappy with provisional govt. Bolsheviks overthrow the provisional govt.
Why the Bolshevik´s cry of Bread! Peace! Land! Would have been so popular
Bread - people are starving (food shortages) and people liked the promise of food.
Peace - Tired of WW1, liked the promise of exiting the war
Land - peasants had no land, so they liked the idea of redistributing land throughout Russia.
Bolshevik response to Nationalism
Split up Russia into republics (soviets), renamed to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR)
Lenin´s New Economic Policy
Helped to rebuild the Russian economy wrecked by war. The government controlled banks, industries, and communications. Foreign investment was encouraged. Small farmers were allowed to sell crops. Small businesses and farms were privately owned.
Forced Famine
Ukranian famers protested giving the government crops, Stalin punished them by starving them.
Examples of Stalin´s totalitarianism
Censorship, forced famine, Great Purge, Secret Police (NKVD), killed suspected traitors.
Positive outcomes of Stalin´s rule
Education became more available
Women were given equal rights.
Lenin
The leader of the Bolsheviks until 1924
Soviet
One of the local representative councils formed in Russia after the downfall of Czar Nicholas II
Communist Party
A political party practicing the ideas of Karl Marx and Lenin; originally the Russian Bolshevik Party.
Joseph Stalin
Leader of the Communist party and totalitarian dictator of the USSR.
Totalitarianism
government control over every aspect of public and private life.
Great Purge
A campaign of terror in the Soviet Union during the 1930s, in which Joseph Stalin saught to eliminate all Communist Party members and other citizens who threatened his power.
Command Economy
An economic system in which the govt. makes all economic decisions
Five-Year Plan
Plans outlined by Joseph Stalin in 1928 for the development of the Soviet Union´s economy.
Collective Farm
A large government-controlled farm formed by combining many small farms.
Proletariat
In Marxist theory, the group of workers who would overthrow the czar and come to rule Russia
Rasputin
A “holy man” who impressed czarina Alexandra, so she gave him power over Russia’s political decisions
Provisional government
A temporary govt.
Cheka
A secret police force used to control the people of the Soviet Union.
