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Keypoints Leading Upto The Russian Revolution of 1917.

Peter the Great proclaims himself first emperor of the Russian Empire. 1721 Mass expansions take place initially from the province of moscow.

By the death of Peter, Russia is a powerful force but shows signs of backwardness.

Catherine the Great advances Russia even further, expanded territory especially at the cost of the decaying Ottoman Empire. She was responsible of the legalisation of the sale of serfs seperate from land, essentially making them slaves.

Napoleons failed invasion of Russia allowed Poland to fall into the hands of Russian control, and allowed for the expansion of Russian Fuedilism.

A number of educated russian officers traveled in Europe in the course of the military campaigns realised that the liberalism of Western Europe was superior over the autocratic Russia. The result was the Decembrist Revolt of December 1825. The liberal nobels and officers who wanted to install Nicholas's brother as the monarch were crushed and Nicholas turned away from any path to westernization. He championed the maxim "Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Respect to the People".

- November uprising in 1830 and January uprising of 1863 highlighted Russia's growing disfavour of the autocratic regime

- The Crimean War of 1853-56 highlighted Russia's backwardness. Logistical, Militarist and Economical.

- Alex II comes into power in 1855. By now the desire of reform was widespread. Humanitarian movements attacked the feudal system of serfdom. By 1859 there were more then 23 million serfs living in worse conditions then that of 16th Century western european peasants.

- In 1861 Alexander the II issued the emanicipation of serfs edict. Initially seeming to free the serfs, the now peasants were left with massive debts to landowners and little real freedom. It did however lessen the monopoly of the tsar over the people.

- When Alex II was assasinated by Nihilists in 1882 he was replaced by Nicholas I, a committed Slavophile who again restored the maxim of "Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Respect to the People". Under Nicholas I, revolutionaries were hunted dwon and exiled to siberia. The farflug policy of Russification was carried out throughout the empire.

- Alex II was succeeded by Nicholas II in 1894. His reign would last only 21 years. Alex II was the weakest tsar in the history of the empire. Coinciding with his reign was the effects of the delayed industrial revolution in russia. A major catalyst in the formation of forces that would overthrow the Tsar regime.

- Nicholas II reign saw the emergence of the Social Democrats, exponents of Marxism. They gathered there support from radical intellectuals and the urban working class they advocated violent revolution.

- In 1903 the RSDLP split. Forming the Mensheviks (socialism would grow gradually and replace the Tsar regime peacefully) and Bolsheviks led by Vladmir Lenin. The Bolsheviks advocated the formation of a small elite ruling class of revolutionists to act as the vanguard of the proletariat. They deemed violent revolution as the only way to bring about total social reform within russia.

- The humiliating and first time defeat of a major european in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05 was a major blow to the Tsarist regime and increased unrest.

- In 1905, "Bloody Sunday". Cossacks fired upon crowd of petitioners , killing hundreds. The russian populaces were so enraged over the massacre that a general strike was declared demanding a democratic republic. This marked the beginning of the shadow russian revolution of 1905.

- Soviets (Councils) appeared in most cities to organise revolutionary activity. Russia was paralyzed and the government was desperate.

- In October 1905, under pressure Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto which enabled the immediate creation of the national Duma (legislature). No law was to go into force without confirmation by the Duma. And basic civil liberties were introduced. The moderate liberals were satisfied, but the radicals rejected the concessions as insufficient and tried to organize strikes. By the end of 1905 there was disunity among the reformed and the tsar's position was strengthened if only for the time being.

- In May 1906. Nicholas II, determined to remain the sole power of the empire issued the Fundamental Laws, which directly contradicted the October Manifesto. It stated that Tsar's ministers couldnt not be appointed by and were not responsible to the Duma, thus denying responsible goverment. Furthermore the Tsar had the power to dismess the Duma and announce new elections whenever he wished. The Duma was not totally undermined.

- The Duma was elected 4 times, in 1906, twice in 1907 and in 1912.

- Russia embraced WWI with enthusiasm and patriotism. In defence of the Orthodox Slavs, the Serbs. In 1914, the Russian Army entered Germany to support the French armies. However the weaknesses of the Russian logistics and military, along with a desperate conscription based army and a corrupt and inefficent beaurocrautic goverment surfaced. Military defeats and government incompetence soon turned the before patriotic population bitter. German control of the Baltic Sea severed Russian from most of its foreign supplies and potential markets, and essentially choked the life from the empire. Nicholas II who fancied himself as a tactician and master of warfare lead the russian army supremely allong with a war cabinent of unexperienced nobles. There decisions were careless and cost lives.

- By the middle of 1915. The impact of the war was demoralizing, food and fuel were in very short supply and casualities were staggering. Inflation was mounting and strikes increased among the low-paid proleteriats. The descendents of the serfs, now peasants desperately demanded land reforms.

- The autocracy's reputation was further hurt by the Tsarina's rule in Nicholas's absence. The fact she was German helped little. And the large sway the scandolous Gregori Rasputin had over the russian court caused outrage among the populace. Despite his assasination in 1916. The damage was already done to the reputation of the Tsardom.

- On March 3, 1917, a strike occurred in a factory in the capital of Petrograd. Within a week almost all the workers in the city were idle, and street fighting broke out. When the Tsar dismissed the Duma and ordered strikers to return to work his orders triggered the February Revolution. The Duma, refused to disband. The strikers held mass meetings in defiance of the regime and the army openly side with the populace. A few days later a provisional government headed by Prince Lvov was named by the Duma, and the following day the tsar abdicated. Meanwhile the socialists in Petrograd had formed a Soviet of workers and solidier to provide them with power that they lacked in the Duma. The Russian Empire was dead. The revolution however, was not.

- A period of dual power in which the Provisional Goverment held state power and the national network of Soviets led by the socialists, had the allegiance of the lowers classes and the political Left. The mensheviks , were fighting for control over the country now.

- The final blow, was the October Revolution of 1917. In which the Bolshevik party led by Vladimir Lenin and the workers Soviets, overthrew the Provisional Government and brought about a dramatic cahnge in the social structure of Russia, as well as paving the way for the USSR. Peasants seized and redistributed land at will, and it was a time of mass demographic movement within Russia.

Sources: To be updated 6/August/2007.

Keypoints

Peter the Great proclaims himself first emperor of the Russian Empire. 1721 Mass expansions take place initially from the province of moscow.

By the death of Peter, Russia is a powerful force but shows signs of backwardness.

Catherine the Great advances Russia even further, expanded territory especially at the cost of the decaying Ottoman Empire. She was responsible of the legalisation of the sale of serfs seperate from land, essentially making them slaves.

Napoleons failed invasion of Russia allowed Poland to fall into the hands of Russian control, and allowed for the expansion of Russian Fuedilism.

A number of educated russian officers traveled in Europe in the course of the military campaigns realised that the liberalism of Western Europe was superior over the autocratic Russia. The result was the Decembrist Revolt of December 1825. The liberal nobels and officers who wanted to install Nicholas's brother as the monarch were crushed and Nicholas turned away from any path to westernization. He championed the maxim "Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Respect to the People".

- November uprising in 1830 and January uprising of 1863 highlighted Russia's growing disfavour of the autocratic regime

- The Crimean War of 1853-56 highlighted Russia's backwardness. Logistical, Militarist and Economical.

- Alex II comes into power in 1855. By now the desire of reform was widespread. Humanitarian movements attacked the feudal system of serfdom. By 1859 there were more then 23 million serfs living in worse conditions then that of 16th Century western european peasants.

- In 1861 Alexander the II issued the emanicipation of serfs edict. Initially seeming to free the serfs, the now peasants were left with massive debts to landowners and little real freedom. It did however lessen the monopoly of the tsar over the people.

- When Alex II was assasinated by Nihilists in 1882 he was replaced by Nicholas I, a committed Slavophile who again restored the maxim of "Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Respect to the People". Under Nicholas I, revolutionaries were hunted dwon and exiled to siberia. The farflug policy of Russification was carried out throughout the empire.

- Alex II was succeeded by Nicholas II in 1894. His reign would last only 21 years. Alex II was the weakest tsar in the history of the empire. Coinciding with his reign was the effects of the delayed industrial revolution in russia. A major catalyst in the formation of forces that would overthrow the Tsar regime.

- Nicholas II reign saw the emergence of the Social Democrats, exponents of Marxism. They gathered there support from radical intellectuals and the urban working class they advocated violent revolution.

- In 1903 the RSDLP split. Forming the Mensheviks (socialism would grow gradually and replace the Tsar regime peacefully) and Bolsheviks led by Vladmir Lenin. The Bolsheviks advocated the formation of a small elite ruling class of revolutionists to act as the vanguard of the proletariat. They deemed violent revolution as the only way to bring about total social reform within russia.

- The humiliating and first time defeat of a major european in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05 was a major blow to the Tsarist regime and increased unrest.

- In 1905, "Bloody Sunday". Cossacks fired upon crowd of petitioners , killing hundreds. The russian populaces were so enraged over the massacre that a general strike was declared demanding a democratic republic. This marked the beginning of the shadow russian revolution of 1905.

- Soviets (Councils) appeared in most cities to organise revolutionary activity. Russia was paralyzed and the government was desperate.

- In October 1905, under pressure Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto which enabled the immediate creation of the national Duma (legislature). No law was to go into force without confirmation by the Duma. And basic civil liberties were introduced. The moderate liberals were satisfied, but the radicals rejected the concessions as insufficient and tried to organize strikes. By the end of 1905 there was disunity among the reformed and the tsar's position was strengthened if only for the time being.

- In May 1906. Nicholas II, determined to remain the sole power of the empire issued the Fundamental Laws, which directly contradicted the October Manifesto. It stated that Tsar's ministers couldnt not be appointed by and were not responsible to the Duma, thus denying responsible goverment. Furthermore the Tsar had the power to dismess the Duma and announce new elections whenever he wished. The Duma was not totally undermined.

- The Duma was elected 4 times, in 1906, twice in 1907 and in 1912.

- Russia embraced WWI with enthusiasm and patriotism. In defence of the Orthodox Slavs, the Serbs. In 1914, the Russian Army entered Germany to support the French armies. However the weaknesses of the Russian logistics and military, along with a desperate conscription based army and a corrupt and inefficent beaurocrautic goverment surfaced. Military defeats and government incompetence soon turned the before patriotic population bitter. German control of the Baltic Sea severed Russian from most of its foreign supplies and potential markets, and essentially choked the life from the empire. Nicholas II who fancied himself as a tactician and master of warfare lead the russian army supremely allong with a war cabinent of unexperienced nobles. There decisions were careless and cost lives.

- By the middle of 1915. The impact of the war was demoralizing, food and fuel were in very short supply and casualities were staggering. Inflation was mounting and strikes increased among the low-paid proleteriats. The descendents of the serfs, now peasants desperately demanded land reforms.

- The autocracy's reputation was further hurt by the Tsarina's rule in Nicholas's absence. The fact she was German helped little. And the large sway the scandolous Gregori Rasputin had over the russian court caused outrage among the populace. Despite his assasination in 1916. The damage was already done to the reputation of the Tsardom.

- On March 3, 1917, a strike occurred in a factory in the capital of Petrograd. Within a week almost all the workers in the city were idle, and street fighting broke out. When the Tsar dismissed the Duma and ordered strikers to return to work his orders triggered the February Revolution. The Duma, refused to disband. The strikers held mass meetings in defiance of the regime and the army openly side with the populace. A few days later a provisional government headed by Prince Lvov was named by the Duma, and the following day the tsar abdicated. Meanwhile the socialists in Petrograd had formed a Soviet of workers and solidier to provide them with power that they lacked in the Duma. The Russian Empire was dead. The revolution however, was not.

- A period of dual power in which the Provisional Goverment held state power and the national network of Soviets led by the socialists, had the allegiance of the lowers classes and the political Left. The mensheviks , were fighting for control over the country now.

- The final blow, was the October Revolution of 1917. In which the Bolshevik party led by Vladimir Lenin and the workers Soviets, overthrew the Provisional Government and brought about a dramatic cahnge in the social structure of Russia, as well as paving the way for the USSR. Peasants seized and redistributed land at will, and it was a time of mass demographic movement within Russia.