Russian Revolution

The Causes

Cruel Czar…A Weak Leader

• Did not pay attention to the needs of his people

• Believed in divine, absolute rule…God given power

• Resisted change• Allowed Rasputin to

have power

Russo-Japanese War

• Czar Nicholas thought his country was powerful

• He wanted to test them out and believed if he conquered someone else, he could prove he was a good leader

• 1904 Attacked Japan and was not fully prepared with his military

• Lost the Russo-Japanese War

Problems for Serfs• No freedom• Wanted land and better wages• No say in the government• Unhappy with long hours and low pay

Poor Working Conditions

• Unrest in the middle and lower classes• No freedom• Bad working conditions• Long hours/low wages/child labor• No say in government • Bread and fuel shortages• **All this led to strikes and protests

Bloody Sunday• 200,000 workers and families

peacefully protest• Want better working conditions,

more individual freedom, and elections/an elected national government

• Czar’s soldiers fired on the people (men, women, and children) killing 500-1,000 people

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_dS4nIqc0 (3:46)

The Duma• Parliament govt set-up in

Russia• The czar did not totally like

this group• They wanted to fix the

country and limit power of czar

• Within 3 months of allowing the Duma, Czar Nicholas II ends their power (he is not going to share power)

Rasputin• Monk from Siberia• Had visions and healed the

royal son• Govt. and people of the country

did not trust him – they did not know why he was in the palace

• He put his crazy friends in the govt.

• People believed he had too much power

• Killed by people of Duma including the nephew of the czar

WWI

• Russia suffered huge defeats

• People angry because the country was suffering

• High casualties/ no supplies

Czar Steps Down• With all the problems building

up, including losing WWI, the czar was hated

• Nicholas II tried to give power to his brother, but he denied it

• He thought about giving power to his son, but that would be a death sentence

• So by 1918, he steps down as czar of Russia…he abdicates the throne (gives up the crown)

Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks

• Lenin, and his group the Bolsheviks, lead the violent Russian Revolution to change the country

• Wanted rights, a new government, and no more czar

• They are called the Red Army and fight for power in Russia against the White Army (supporters of the czar)

• After the czar abdicates, they arrest the family and send them to Siberia

• They kill the entire royal family• Lenin and the Bolsheviks bring communism to

Russia (new govt)

Road to Revolution• There were many causes of the Russian Revolution:

– Russo-Japanese War– A weak leader– Poor working conditions– Problems with serfs– Bloody Sunday– The Duma– Rasputin– WWI– Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevikshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-x4VcmHfxU

(Land of the Tsars 18 10 min.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W1b6j8U46k&feature=related (Land of the Tsars 19 10 min.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-qxWWRcN-4&feature=related (Land of the Tsars 20 6:43min.)