The Collapse of Imperial Russia Flashcards
Vladimir Lenin
( 1870-1924) His goal was to bring Marxism to Russia. He is leader of the Bolsheviks. He was exiled from Russia, but Germany helped smuggle him back into Russia to bring Russia to ruin and get the Russians to leave the war.
Tsar Nicholas II
Last Tsar. Exiled and then murdered.
Discuss the February Revolution.
February 25, 1917 is a General Strike. The Duma is ordered to dissolve, they refuse.
February 27, socialists create worker’s councils (soviets).
March 2, 1917, the Tsar abdicates.
Discuss the revolution of 1905.
A priest led a worker’s procession to the Winter Palace to deliver a petition to the Tsar. Soldiers guarding the palace opened fire on demonstrators. More than 300 die, over 1,000 wounded. “Bloody Sunday” reveals to the people that the Tsar will not protect them. The Tsar is forced to agree to a Duma (parliament).
Who are the Bolsheviks.
Bolsheviks, (Russian: “One of the Majority”), members of a wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party, which, led by Lenin, seized control of the government in Russia (October 1917) and became the dominant political power.
When were the serfs liberated?
In 1861, but weren’t really set free. They were set free so that their free labour could now be taxed. Either they were going to be set free by force, or the government could do something about it.
Discuss Russia from 1905-1914.
Chaos continues; the Tsar appoints the conservative Prime Minister, Pyotr Stolypin in 1906. Stolypin dissolves the Duma and orders summary executions. Russia is in internal crisis by 1914.
Discuss the Tsarina and Rasputin relationship.
Rasputin was an advisor to the Tsar, a religious man, healer and a contriversial character not liked by the right or left, and was involved in many scandals and rumors with Tsarina.
Tsarina was German, so the Russians didn’t trust/like her.
Demonstrates the failing credibility of the regime.
Discuss the worsening crisis in Russia.
By 1916, peasants start hoarding grain; strikes get worse, territories protest. Alexander Kerensky and nobles demand reform.
What is communism?
A political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.
What is Marxism?
The political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, later developed by their followers to form the basis for the theory and practice of communism.
“Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.”
What is the April Theses of Lenin?
Demands for Russia to withdraw from war.
No support for provisional government.
Call for revolution in other countries.
Demands for land redistribution.
“Peace and Land” which resonated with the peasants.
What is provisional government?
A provisional government, also called an interim or transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition, generally in the cases of new nations or following the collapse of the previous governing administration.
The intention of the provisional government was the organization of elections to the Russian Constituent Assembly and its convention.
