From Tsars to Communism to

Today

The rise and fall of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union;

Russia today

Rise of the TsarsTimeline

• 13th -15th century - Mongols from Mongolia invade and rule Russia

• 15th Century – Ivan III pushes Mongols out

• 15th Century – Ivan the Terrible rules

• 17th – 20th Century - Romanov dynasty rules Russia– Peter the Great– Alexander I, II, III– Catherine the Great– Nicholas II (Anastasia) – LAST TSAR

HOW MANY YEARS DID THE TSARS RULE?

• Each Tsar sought to expand the empire

• Some made reforms to help peasants, while others made changes that hurt peasants

• All were ruthless but successful in making Russia powerful

• Tsars lived extravagantly wealthy lives in comparison to the people

Political and Economic Situation in Russia from 1900 on

• Tsar/Czar ruled as autocrats (a ruler who does not have to share power

• Tsar and Nobles live lavish lives while the peasants suffer harsh lives– Nobles: 1% of population

owned 25% of land, peasants and workers: 99% of population

Political and Economic Situation in Russia cont…

• By 1900 new class of capitalist rich (bankers, traders etc)

• Conditions for peasants and city workers were terrible

• Things get worse by WWI

Fall of Tsarist Russia

Poor leadership

Economic problems

Lack of freedoms

Gap between rich and poor

CommunismCommunism

Soviet Empire and Utopian Soviet Empire and Utopian DreamsDreams

19911917

20071848

Russian Revolution

Fall of USSR

……but there was more to Communism than but there was more to Communism than just the USSRjust the USSR.

Hugo Chavez

Marxism :Marxism :

Karl MarxKarl Marx, 1818-1883, 1818-1883

The theory behind Comunism““Workers of the World, Unite ! You Workers of the World, Unite ! You have nothing to lose but your chains !”have nothing to lose but your chains !”

•History is shaped by “Class Struggle”“Class Struggle”

•The conflict between different levels in The conflict between different levels in society (poor, rich, middle class etc)society (poor, rich, middle class etc)

•New technologies (Industrial Revolution) create new social groups

• Factory workers (proletariat) are treated badly and are paid little- eventually start a Revolution!

•Rich owners (Bourgeoisie or capitalists) who are very rich and treat the workers badly

Marxism Continued

• In its purest form: If everyone has the same no one will want more…

– All people hold all land

– All people own and run factories together

– All goods are shared by the people

• Everyone helps each other equally

– People would stop being selfish and only get paid what they needed

– People work according to their abilities

– Everyone is prosperous together – a sharing of wealth

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917 !1917 !

“ “ Ten Days That Shook The Ten Days That Shook The World ”World ”

Tsar Nicholas Tsar Nicholas II “ The II “ The Unlucky”Unlucky”

WWI Exhausts Russia

Democrats, Liberals and Moderate Socialists overthrow Tsar in February,

BolsheviksBolsheviks & Anarchists Anarchists topple Provisional Government in October

Lenin creates the Red Guards & CHEKA CHEKA secret police - launches “ Red Terror”“ Red Terror” against “ Class Enemies”. Tsarist “ Whites”“ Whites” fight back

“Iron Felix” Dzerzhinsky

The first Soviet Secret Police were known as “The CHEKA”Used Terrorism, Torture, Assassination and Espionage

Spied on everyone

CHEKA -KGB badge

LenIns

Russia

• Lenin follows promises (Peace, Bread, Land)

• Things did not go smoothly and civil war erupts between “Reds” and “Whites”– Reds – Communists (WIN)– Whites - Monarchists

• communism and new economic policies begin

“Former Classes”

“Rich” Peasants & Middle-Class

Capitalists & Priests

Nobility & White Guards

Poor and “ Middle” Peasants

Workers

Bolshevik Party

“ Soviet People”

“Enemies of the People”

Party Members

Local, Provincial, Regional, Republic Party Officials ( “Nomenklatura” Nomenklatura” )

Central Committee

Secretariat

Politburo

Leader Power was Power was rigidly rigidly centralized in a centralized in a pyramidpyramidDiscipline Discipline waswas

harshharsh

Lenin’s death set off a fearsome power struggle between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky with terrible consequences for the Russian people….

Lenin set down the brutal rules for the Soviet System.

Stalin built that system into a global powerLenin was willing to share power & tolerate some debate inside the Party.

Stalin insisted on absolute obedience and all the power.Lenin took great risks to spread Communist Revolution.

Stalin wanted security and power for the Soviet Union even if it harmed the chances for Communist revolution elsewhere.

Were they true Marxists?

Trotsky Vs Stalin• Stalin believed a

powerful USSR making it as secure as possible– leave the rest of the world to themselves

• Trotsky believed in permanent world revolution and the spread of communism

•Stalin was paranoid and autocratic•Trotsky was more like Lenin in being open to more debate and democracy

Trotsky Expelled and Stalin Takes Over• Stalin takes control and rules the USSR as

dictator for life• Life under Stalin: (http://www.slideshare.net/matt/stalin-presentation-20894)

– Secret police, night raids (millions die or are sent to labor camps during Stalinist era) (ppt Stalin Presentation 8-11)

– Shortages of food– Stalin and his favorites live lavish lives while people

suffer in poverty– Russia industrializes– Censorship and Propaganda (ppt Stalin Presentation 12-17)

Stalin and Changing History

Stalinist Propaganda

The Great Terror

• Arrests – about 7 million

• Executed – about 1 million

• Died in camps – about 2 million

• Only 10% survived camps

• Stalin’s signature appears on death warrants of over 600,000

Life under Communism

• Economically powerful in the 1980’s– BUT! Wide gap between rich and poor– SCARCITY– Most money going into military

• Few freedoms for people – live in fear!

• No equality – political party is still top!

Fall of the USSR1980s: Economic problems

• Too much money into military, not enough into country

• Mistrust of government– Didn’t trust propaganda

• Secrecy– Gov’t doesn’t admit to

problems so can’t do anything to fix them

– Gov’t doesn’t trust each other

• Poor working conditions

Relaxing of Rules• New leader Gorbachev declares

partial freedom of speech and press

• Political reform: Communist party loses absolute power

• Explosion!

• Country’s in the USSR cry for independence!– 92 ethnic groups and 112

languages

From the time of the 1500s to the present, the Russian people have experienced changes politically, economically, and socially.

• Politically: three government styles, numerous leaders cruel and good, demonstrations, expansion and diminishing of empire

• Economically: prosperity, collapse, changing gaps in wealth, government owned, peasant owned, wealth gaps, backwards to advanced technology

• Socially: Inequality, Tsars and serfs, workers and communist comrades, equality and independence, fear