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TheRussianRevolu.on

RussianLifebeforeRevolu.on•  In1913,underrule

ofTsarNicholasIIandTsarinaAlexandra

•  Tsar,landowningnobles,andpriestscontrolledgovernmentandeconomy

•  PeasantpopulaAonenduredpoverty

•  TsarNicholasfailedtosolveRussia’spoliAcal,social,andeconomicproblems,whichledtounrest

Russian Peasant 1917

Tsar Nicolas II

Faberge Eggs: The ultimate in decadence

Well…Maybe Not

ImpactofWWI•  Russiawasnotpreparedtofightwar

•  TsarNicholaswenttothefrontlinestotakecontrol,whichfailed

•  DuringthisAme,TsarinaAlexandrareliedonGregoryRaspuAn

•  RaspuAnweakenedpeople’sconfidenceinthegovernmentandwaseventuallykilled

Russian Soldier WW1

Dead Russian Soldier WW1

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Rasputin

Came from the rural Ural Mountain region

Mystic

Claimed to be able to cure Tsarivish Alexei’s hemophilia

Tsarina Alexandra welcomed him into her court.

Many nobles despised his presence and murdered him.

Noble Russian women hosting a party for Rasputin

PLAYA!

CREEPY!

CREEPY!

CREEPY!

TheDeathofRaspu.n•  Stabbed(Lived)•  Poisoned(Lived)•  ShotOnce(Lived)•  ShotThreeTimes(Lived)

•  Beaten(Lived)•  ThrownintoIcyRiver

(Died–Causeofdeath:Drowning)

•  Inrealitynobodyknowsforsure.It’sshroudedinlegend.

STILL

CREEPY!!!

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TsarStepsDown•  WWIfailuresledtocollapseofmonarchy

•  Provisionalgovernmentsetup,butwasveryweak

•  LedtoriseofrevoluAonarysocialists

FAIL!

THE SHAME!!!

don, Don DON!!!

LeninandtheBolsheviks•  LenininspiredbyMarxistideas

•  CalledforanelitegrouptoleadrevoluAonandsetup‘dictatorshipoftheproletariat’calledBolsheviks

•  ExtremeideasandweaknessofprovisionalgovernmentledtoBolsheviktakeover

TheBolshevikTakeover•  RedGuardsoverthrewprovisionalgovernmentandquicklyseizedpowerinotherciAes

•  Renamed‘Communists’

•  LeonTrotskywasapivotalleaderinthisfight

Propaganda depicting a strong Trotsky

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WhatHappenedtotheTsar?•  Tsarandfamilyweretakento

theUralsfortheirownprotecAonbutwereunderguard.

•  WhentheBolshevikstookovertheyhadthefamilylinedupandexecuted.

•  DaughterAnastasiasurvivalhasbeenalegendforyearsunAl2008whenDNAevidenceprovedshewaskilledalongwithherfamilyjustburiedinaseparategrave.

Anastasia Romonov A horribly historically inaccurate movie was

made as well.

CivilWar•  LeninandBolshevikssoughtpeacewithGermany

•  TreatyofBrest‐Litovsksignedin1918,whichwithdrewRussiafromWW1

Red Propaganda encouraging people to raise up against the Whites

Redsv.Whites•  Civilwarragedbetween‘Reds’andcounterrevoluAonary‘Whites’

•  Alliedforcesintervened,butwereunabletohelptheWhites

•  ThisAlliedinvasionlaterfedCommunistdistrustoftheWest

Battalion of Death: White Russian

White Russians stand over slain Reds

Propaganda Demonizing Trotsky

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CommunistRule•  Communistsusedterrortocontroltheirownpeople

•  Forcedlaborcamps,secretpolice,andpolicyof‘warcommunism’

•  TrotskyturnedtheRedArmyintoaforcethateasilydefeatedtheunorganizedWhitearmy

Hard Labor in Wintery Siberia: Life Expectancy = Less than 2 months.

ResultsofCivilWar•  Le_Russiainchaos•  Millionsdied,widespreadfamineanddisease

•  Leninfacedenormousproblemofrebuildingasha`eredstateandeconomy

Who’s got two thumbs and hates paperwork?

V.I. Lenin!!!

NewGovernment•  In1922,Lenin’sCommunistgovernmentunitedmuchoftheoldRussianempireintotheUnionofSovietSocialistRepublics(USSR),orSovietUnion

•  ConsAtuAonthatseemeddemocraAcandsocialist,whichsetupandelectedlegislatureandgaveciAzensvoAngpower

Soviet Union is Born

More Paperwork?

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•  Intheory,allmemberssharedequalrights.

•  However,theCommunistparty,notthepeople,reigned.

•  Partyusedarmyandsecretpolicetoenforceitswill.

“If you’re going to make an omelette, you have to break

some eggs.”

NewEconomicPolicy(NEP)•  AdoptedbyLenin•  Allowedsomecapitalistventuresandsmallbusinessearningprivateprofit

•  Statekeptcontrolofbanks,foreigntrade,andlargeindustries

•  NEPhelpedSovieteconomyrecoverandendedresistance

•  However,NEPonlyatemporarysoluAon Lenin was a master of

propaganda.

StalinTakesOver•  Lenin’sdeathin1924setupastruggleforCommunistpowerbetweenTrotskyandJosephStalin

•  TrotskyurgedsupportforworldwiderevoluAonagainstcapitalism

•  Stalinwantedtoconcentrateonbuildingsocialismathomefirst

Tomb of Lenin

Dead Lenin

Vs.

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•  StalineventuallyisolatedTrotskyandstrippedhimofpartymembership

•  Trotskyfledthecountry•  Later,TrotskywasmurderedbyaStalinistagentinMexico

Death of Trotsky

TheStalinYears•  Inthecomingyears,Stalinusedruthlessmeasurestowindictatorialpower.

•  Hewasparanoidandhadmostofhisenemieskilled.(LikeTrotsky)

•  Notonlydidhekillhisenemiesmanyinnocentswerekilledbecauseofhisparanoiaaswell.

TheCommunistParty!•  CommunismbecomesamajorthreattonaAonsaroundtheworldincomingyears.

•  TheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionhadaveryrealanddangeroustensionforalmostacentury.

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Funny

Open the door or it will just keep scratching.

Real Magazine from 1960’s. When would a man need to

learn to get out this situation?