Russian Revolution

Causes

Landless peasantryAbsolute monarchyMilitary inadequately supplied –

losing World War IDefeat in a war with Japan

Russian Revolution – March Revolution

Czar abdicatedDuma (representative assembly)

Russian Republic (liberal constitution)

Provisional government continued war against Germany (bad decision)

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Russian Revolution – November Revolution

Lenin and the Bolsheviks (communists)

Lenin organized the communist takeover of Russia

Communism – government owns and operates the means of production

Executed both the Czar and his family

Lenin signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – got Russia out of World War I

Lenin’s Promise

Bread Land Peace Peace, Land, and Bread

Lenin Builds a Communist State

New Economic Policy (NEP) – state controlled banks, foreign trade, and large industries while small businesses are owned and operated by individuals (socialism) – worked improved Russian economy

Lenin Builds a Communist State

Seen as temporary retreat from communism

Lenin dies and Stalin comes to power in the Soviet Union,

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Five Year Plan

Goal – make Soviet Union a modern industrial power by building heavy industry, improving transportation, and increasing farm output

How – Command Economy government controls all economic activity (communism)

Five Year Plan - Results

Oil, coal, and steel production grewMining expanded and new railroads

were builtStandard of living remained poorWages were low

Revolution in Agriculture - Collectivism

Goal – end peasant ownership of small plots of land

How – peasants could keep only homes and personal belongings and had to give up land (two choices – live on state owned farms or collectives – farms owned and operated by peasants as a group)

Results – did not improve farm output (grain production grew slightly while meat, vegetables, and fruits remained in short supply)

Great Purge

Goal – seek out and destroy anyone who might weaken Stalin’s power (writers, intellectuals, heroes, etc…)

How – Secret Police (rounded up people), Show Trials (people confessed to all kinds of crimes against the government due to torture)

Results – people sent to labor camps in Siberia or executed increased Stalin’s power

Stalin

Totalitarianism

  Stalin         establishes a totalitarian state (Soviet Union)

 Totalitarianism    state a one-party dictator (Stalin) attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of its   citizens      

Propaganda

Radios, movies, theaters, etc…

Emphasized communist success

Capitalism is evil

Censorship

Government controlled what books were published, what music was heard, etc…

Communist Ideology

Sacred texts – Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

Shrine – tomb of Lenin

Portraits of Stalin replaced religious icons

Religion

War on Religion

Atheism – belief in no godDestroy religious organization in the

Soviet Union

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Secret Police

Rounded up the accusedSought out people who might

threaten Stalin’s power