Russia in WWI

• Czar Nicholas II of the Romanov Dynasty went to the Eastern Front to oversee Russia’s activities in WWI.

• His wife Czarina Alexandra was left in charge of the country.– Had 4 daughters and one son, Alexis.

• Had hemophilia.– Blood does not clot.

Czar Nicholas II

Czarina Alexandra

Rasputin

• In Siberia, a monk named Rasputin made himself famous as a prophet and healer.– Was believed to be a very holy man.

• Alexandra invited him to her home, the Winter Palace in Petrograd.

• During the visit, Alexis (son) injured himself.– In danger of bleeding to death.

• Rasputin somehow stopped the bleeding.

Rasputin

D

• Alexandra quickly named Rasputin as her advisor.– Gave Rasputin control over Russian gov’t.

• Rasputin began to ruin the government.

• Russian nobles wanted Rasputin gone.– Plotted to assassinate him.

• Poisoned, beaten, shot, stabbed, drowned.

• Rasputin was dead, but the damage to the gov’t was done.

Start of Revolution

• Czar Nicholas II came home from the war to starving people.

• Czar tried to use army to crush rebellion, but army joined rebellion.

• Czar was forced to step down, and Romanov family was placed under house arrest.

• A temporary gov’t took over, but were unable to do the job.

October Revolution

• Vladimir Lenin was living in exile in Switzerland.– Anti-Czar writer who was kicked out of

Russia.– Saw his chance to bring Communist rebellion

to Russia.

• Lenin snuck back into Russia and formed the Bolshevik Party.– Communists.

• Lenin and Bolsheviks took over temporary gov’t.

Vladimir Lenin

Civil War• Many were not happy to see the

Bolsheviks in power.– Nobles, royalists, people who supported the

Czar.

• Led to a civil war.– Bolsheviks – Communists - Reds– Mensheviks – Royalists – Whites.

• War lasted 2 years, with 4 million dead.• Bolsheviks won, and Lenin is now in

control of Russia.

The New Russia• Lenin ordered the execution of the entire

royal family.

• Renamed the Bolsheviks the Communist Party.

• Moved the capital from Petrograd to Moscow.

• Changed the name of Russia to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.– USSR, Soviet Union.

Anastasia

Moscow

• Lenin had a stroke in 1923, and died in 1924.

• Two possible successors:– Josef Stalin.

• Communist Party official; knew all the dirty secrets of Communist leadership.

– Leon Trotsky.• Leader of Red Army, best choice to succeed

Lenin.

• Both fought for control.– Stalin won.

• Assassinated Trotsky in Mexico City.

Lenin’s Tomb

Joseph Stalin Leon Trotsky

• Stalin took power and began to reorganize the economy.– Created Collective Farms – took over all

private land and forced peasants to work on huge farms.

• Did not work. Farms did not produce and at least 10 million starved.

– Started Five-Year Plans – Major programs to increase industrial production.

• Forced workers to work in any job available, not what they were trained for.

• Soviet economy increased, but at tremendous cost.