-
The Start of the Revolution
Alexander III succeeded his father, Alexander II, and stopped all reforms in Russia. Like his grandfather Nicholas I, Alexander III clung to the principles of autocracy, a form of government in which he had total power. Anyone who questioned the absolute authority of the czar, worshiped outside the Russian Orthodox Church, or spoke a language other than Russian was labeled dangerous. -
Nicolas II takes the throne
Alexander iii dies, and his son Nicholas II is the ruler. Nicholas had similar ideas about autocracy as his father and continued the tradition. -
The Russian Social Democrat Labor Party Splits
Russian Marxists split into two groups, the Bolsheviks, and the Mensheviks. The more radical Bolsheviks supported a small number of committed revolutionaries willing to sacrifice everything for change. The more moderate Mensheviks wanted a broad base of popular support for the revolution. -
Bloody Sunday
About 200,000 workers and their families approached Nicholas ll Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The workers contained a petition asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. Nicholas II’s generals ordered soldiers to fire on the crowd. More than 1,000 were wounded and hundreds were killed. -
Nicolas II promises freedom
Nicholas II promised more freedom for Russia after a wave of strikes erupted after Bloody Sunday. He created the Duma which was Russia’s first parliament. The Duma wanted a similar constitutional monarchy to Great Britain, which Nicholas got rid of in 10 weeks because he would have to share his power. -
Workers strike in Petrograd
Textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike. In the next five days, riots flared up over shortages of bread and fuel. Nearly 200,000 workers swarmed the streets shouting, “Down with the autocracy!” and “Down with the war!” -
Bolshekviks Take Over Russia
A large amount of armed factory workers lead by Stalin and Lenin stormed the Winter Palace in Petrograd. They took over government offices and arrested the leaders of the provisional government. In just a few days Lenin distributed the farmland amongst the peasants, and gave control to the workers for the factories -
Russia Backs Out of WW1
Not long after the Bolsheviks to power, Russia pulled out of the war and signed a truce with Germany. Later on, Russia and Germany would sign the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which gave Germany and it's allies a portion of their own land. This triggered many Russians, and objected to the Bolsheviks and their policies and to the murder of the royal family. -
The Russian Civil War
The Bolsheviks now had face their opponents, the White Army. The White Army was made up of various groups, who had just one thing in common: they opposed Lenin's ideas. The war between the Red and White armies lasted 3 long and deadly years, and resulted in 14 million Russians dead, but with the Red Army coming out victorious. -
Lenin dies, Stalin becomes dictator
Stalin had always been Lenin's right hand man, was the general secretary of the communist party. Stalin worked his way up by gaining supporters, and by 1928 Stalin had complete control of the Communist Party. When he forced Trotsky into exile in 1929, he had absolute power of Russia.
