Transcript WWI Notes-Russian Revolutions

Chapter 12
Section 3:
The Revolution in Russia
1. Russia and World War I
2. The Russian Revolution
3. After the Revolution
Russia and World War I
The Years Before the War
1. The Bolsheviks
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Small Marxist group of revolutionaries led by V. I.
Lenin
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Goal – to overthrow Czar & establish socialist govt.
under leadership of proletariat (worker)
Gained popularity as Russian economic & political
conditions deteriorated
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Russia in World War I
Russia entered war in 1914
1. United the Russian people at first
2. Russia not prepared for “modern war”
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Large army but little industry; unable to produce
necessary supplies/equipment
Out-dated weaponry & poor military organization
3. Russian casualties were enormous
Conditions Worsen
1. 1915: Czar Nicholas II took control of the military
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Knew little about warfare, military tactics
Linked fate of govt. to fate of war
2. Russian military conditions/morale sank
Russia in W.W. I (cont.)
Conditions on battlefield & at home
continued to worsen
1. Army lost confidence in Czar
2. Shortages of food and necessities made
poor people desperate
3. Czarina Alexandra was put in charge of
govt. affairs & openly depended on
corrupt monk, Grigori Rasputin, to help
her make impt. Decisions; this
further eroded Russian people’s
confidence in govt.
The Russian Revolution
Revolution Begins
1. The February Revolution, 1917
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Russian workers storm streets of St. Petersburg
protesting lack of food & fuel
Russian soldiers refuse to fire on them
Czar ordered the Duma (legislative body) to disband,
but his orders are not followed
March 15: Nicholas II abdicated the throne
2. The Provisional Government (March –
November, 1917)
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Russia formed new democratic govt. under Alexandr
Kerensky
Kerensky pledged to keep Russia in the war despite
people’s desire to pull out (land & bread!)
The Russian Revolution (cont.)
3. The Bolshevik Revolution, Nov. 1917
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V.I. Lenin smuggled back into Russia from exile
in Germany (April,1917)
Russian army launched offensive against Central
Powers that failed; army begins to revolt
The Bolsheviks staged a successful coup over the
Provisional Govt. in October & Kerensky’s govt.
collapsed
Lenin immediately launched new Communist
program
1. Private property illegal; distributed among
peasants
2. Factories seized; turned over to workers
After the Revolution
Lenin pulls Russia out of war; Treaty of BrestLitovsk
▫ Russia forced to give up much of its western empire
Russian Civil War
1. White Army (royalists & nobility) vs. Red Army
(Bolsheviks)
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White Army supported by multi-national force against
Bolshevism (including U.S.) but lost war in 1920
By 1922, Russia had become the USSR (Soviet
Union); the world’s 1st and only Communist
nation
1. Slowly the USSR’s economy recovered due to Lenin’s
N.E. P. (New Economic Plan)
2. Lenin died in 1924; this would lead to a major power
struggle within the new nation
Russian Revolution Summary
• .The Bolshevik Revolution: 1917, Czar Nicholas II (last
Russian Czar), is leading his troops in battle in WWI, leaving
his wife and Confidant (Rasputin) in charge of running
Russia. People do not like or trust Rasputin, several
assassination attempts (Poison, stab, drown, shot, and he
survives all), before he finally executed. Bolsheviks, Led by
communist leader Vladimir Lenin, overthrow the Czar and
murder the entire Romanov family (except for maybe
Anastasia). Bolshevik Revolution is sometimes called the
Communist Revolution, and the Russians withdraw for WWI.
***The United States tries to support the Czar and his family
in a failed mission at Archangel. This is one reason the
Russians hate us and don’t trust us and leads to Cold War.
America enters the war
• Germany practices unrestricted submarine warfaresinking all ships leaving or entering waters around Britain
• The Lusitania
• Ship sank in WWI, torpedoed by a German U-boat on 7 May 1915.
The ship sank in 18 minutes, eight miles (15 km) off the Old Head of
Kinsale, Ireland, killing 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard, including
several hundred Americans. The sinking turned public opinion in
many countries against Germany, and was instrumental in bringing
the United States into World War I. The sinking of the Lusitania
caused great controversy, which persists to this day. In the
aftermath of the sinking, the German government tried to justify it
by claiming in an official statement that she had been armed with
guns, and had "large quantities of war material" in her cargo. IT
REALLY WAS CARRYING WEAPONS. Leads to yellow journalism,
helps get U.S. into WWI.
The “Final Straw”
• The Zimmerman Note
• Known as the final straw to get the U.S. into WWI.
It was an intercepted letter sent from Germany to
Mexico to try to persuade Mexico to attack the
southwestern US. Germany’s intention was for
Mexico to preoccupy the US long enough for
Germany to defeat the British and then they would
help Mexico defeat the US. They promised Mexico
all former Mexican territory after the war (Texas,
New Mexico, parts of California). This was the
“Final Straw” which caused the US to declare war
on Germany.
U.S. Troops join the battle
• When the U.S. declared war in 1917,
President Woodrow Wilson sent the
American Expeditionary Force (AEF) to the
Western Front in France. The unit was led
by General John Pershing!!
• The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF
was the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe
in World War I. The first American troops, who were
often called "Doughboys," first landed in Europe in
June 1917. However the AEF did not participate at
the front until late October 1917, The AEF sustained
about 320,000 casualties; 53,402 battle deaths,
63,114 non combat deaths and 204,000 wounded.
U.S. engagement
• Selective Service Act – THE DRAFT….Age
21-30 were recruited, had to sign up or register
for the draft.
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September 12, 1918 ---23,908,566 registered
for the draft….4,000,000 were actually
drafted.