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Lenin
Vladimir Ilich Lenin was born in Simbirsk (Russia) in 1870. He was the founder of the Russian Communist Party (Bolcheviks), inspirer abd keader if tge Bolshevik Revolution and the architect, builder and first head of the Soviet state. His sucessors joined Marx and Lenin´s theories to form Marxism-Leinism, which became the comunist worldview. He died in Moscow (Russia) in 1924. -
Stalin
Joseph Stalin was born in 1879 in Georgia (Russia). He was general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and premier of the Soviet state until his death. He dictatorially ruled the Soviet Union: his repressive regime caused the death and suffering of tens of millions. But he also transformed the Soviet Union into a world power an oversaw the war machine that played a key role in the defeat of Nazism. He died in Moscow (Russia) in 1953. -
Russia enters war with Japan and loses
After breaking a series of agreements over the territories of Korea and Manchuria Russia and Japan broke out into war. The repeated losses by the Russians sparked anger back home ultimately leading to revolt. This war showed the czar’s weaknes and the revolts that were bound to break out. -
Strike
120,000 workers strike in St. Petersburg; government warns against any organised marches. -
Bloody Sunday
200,000 workers and their families carried a petition asking for better working conditions, more personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. Instead of negotiating he ordered his soliders diers to fire on the crowd. This event became known as Bloody Sunday and sparked many more revolts to come. -
Creation of soviets
played a huge role in the development of the 1905 revolution in Russia, the word "Soviet" simply means council or board, was a form of organization and combat the Russian working class created and played an important for the Russian proletariat role that befell the capitalist regime in 1917 and served as a basis for building a new society without exploited or exploiters. -
October Manifesto
Nicholas II issues the October Manifesto, a liberal scheme proposed by Witte. It grants civil liberties, the need for Duma consent before passing laws and a widening of the Duma electorate to include all Russians; mass celebrations follow; political parties form and rebels return, but acceptance of the Manifesto pushes the liberals and socialists apart. The St. Petersburg soviet prints its first issue of the newsheet Izvestia; left and right groups clash in streetfights. -
War is Declared
Russia was fully unprepared for the war economically and as a military. Once again WWI revealed the weaknesses of
czarist rule of Nicholas II. In less than a year 4 million
Russian soldiers had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. -
The February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 in the Russian Empire marked the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. It caused the abdication of the czar, ended the Russian monarchy and led to the formation of an interim government. This revolution was born as a reaction to the policy carried out by the Tsar, his refusal to liberal reforms, because the government of the czar was an alliance between socialists and liberals whose aim was to get a constituent assembly -
Czar Nicholas abdicates the throne
As a local protest exploded into an uprising known as the March Revolution, Czar Nicholas II was forced to step down. A year later he and his family was executed by revolutionaries. -
Provisional government is establish
Leaders of the Duma established aprovisional government led by Alexander Kerensky. Kerensky decided to continue fighting in the war which lost him support and worsened the conditions in Russia. Soviets were created as people got angrier and gained power. -
Lenin Returns to Russia
After many years of exile Russia arranged Lenin’s return although they believed that he could once again stir up troubles. -
Kerensky becomes First Minister
Lvov resigns as Prime Minister of the provisional government, asks Kerensky to form a new government. The new government formed on July 25th -
The October Revolution
The Bolsheviks took the Winter Palace, in this situation to see that the Bolsheviks advanced, those who led the provisional government, Kerensky and his ministers, formed the village council which was preceded by Lenin. The government makes socialist reforms, abolish the possession of large properties, increased workers 'control in the factories and will also allow the creation of workers' committees. People begin to support them. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ends Russia’s involvement in WWI
After signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to end the war many Russians were angery at Lenin. This treaty caused the Russians to surrender a large part of its territory to Germany. -
Civil War between Red and White Armies begins
The White Army was made up of very different groups but all had the same goal which was to defeat the Bolsheviks who represented the Red Army. Even with the aid of the United States and several Western nations the White army was no match for Lenin's Red Army. Around 14 million Russians died in the three-year struggle and in the famine that followed. The victory proved that the Bolsheviks were able to maintain power. -
New Economic Policy
Lenin seeing that Russia was falling apart due to western nations not having marxist revolutions, and the economy failing due to in part by his War Communism, implements the "New Economic Policy", known as the NEP. The NEP permits some degree of private trade, allowed peasants to sell their surplus of food and resources, and allows small factories to be privately owned. This was controversioal within his party, but was eventually accepted. -
Lenin suffers stroke
fter suriviving a stroke in 1922 the incident gave the communist party a chance to gain more power. The communist party was led by Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin was a tough guy and wouldn't put up with anyone with opposing beliefs. -
The Five Year Plans
Stalin now being the leader of the Soviet Union removes Lenin's NEP, and installs his own "Five Year Plan". The plan forced heavy industrialization through a command economy headed by the government. -
Stalin becomes Dictator
From 1922 to 1928 Stalin was slowly gaining more power without people even knowing. He very quietly moved his supporters into positions of power. Right before Lenin died in 1924 he wrote about how dangerous Stalin would be to the country. By 1924 Stalin had complete control of the Communist Party. Within a year Stalin held the position of dictator holding absolute power -
The Purges
Stalin, fearing opposition within his own party begins to purge it of opeople who could potentially oppose him. He staged public trials, got forged evidence, and began executing anyone who could potentially oppose him. The most noted of these people were old revolutionary heroes. But anybody could be executed from the lowest peasant to the highest officials. Essentailly he started a witch hunt.
