Russia
In 1900, Russia covered 22 million square km’s
The vast territory was ruled by Romanov tsars
The rule was autocratic (absolute power, taking no account of other’s wishes or
opinions)
Political structures:
Autocratic state ruled by emperors called tsars
Tsar Nicholas II was a kind and gentle man but a weak ruler
Tsar Nicholas and his family were becoming unpopular because he married
Alexandra, a German princess, and the Russian people did not like her. She was
under the influence of a holy man called Rasputin.
Social structures
Russian society was deeply divided and there was unequal division of wealth
Wealthy nobles owned most of wealth and privilege
The middle class was educated and comfortable
85% of the population were peasants who lived in self-governing village
communes. They could not read or write and lived in poverty
The urban workers were a small group and lived under dreadful conditions
Why were the workers and peasants unhappy with tsar Nicholas II?
Urban workers lived in overcrowded slums on the outskirts of the cities
Housing was scarce
Hours of work were long and they were paid little
They lived in extreme poverty
An increase in population meant less land and a battle to produce sufficient food
Peasant unrests broke out in 1902 due to bad harvests…they ransacked grain
stores and seized stretches of land
*Study the 1905 and 1917 Revolutions here
Civil War and war communism:
After the October 1917 revolution, civil war broke out in Russia during which the
Bolsheviks took increasingly repressive measures against their domestic
opponents
They also took control of the economy through a series of drastic measures that
came to be known as war communism
Civil war:
In 1900, Russia covered 22 million square km’s
The vast territory was ruled by Romanov tsars
The rule was autocratic (absolute power, taking no account of other’s wishes or
opinions)
Political structures:
Autocratic state ruled by emperors called tsars
Tsar Nicholas II was a kind and gentle man but a weak ruler
Tsar Nicholas and his family were becoming unpopular because he married
Alexandra, a German princess, and the Russian people did not like her. She was
under the influence of a holy man called Rasputin.
Social structures
Russian society was deeply divided and there was unequal division of wealth
Wealthy nobles owned most of wealth and privilege
The middle class was educated and comfortable
85% of the population were peasants who lived in self-governing village
communes. They could not read or write and lived in poverty
The urban workers were a small group and lived under dreadful conditions
Why were the workers and peasants unhappy with tsar Nicholas II?
Urban workers lived in overcrowded slums on the outskirts of the cities
Housing was scarce
Hours of work were long and they were paid little
They lived in extreme poverty
An increase in population meant less land and a battle to produce sufficient food
Peasant unrests broke out in 1902 due to bad harvests…they ransacked grain
stores and seized stretches of land
*Study the 1905 and 1917 Revolutions here
Civil War and war communism:
After the October 1917 revolution, civil war broke out in Russia during which the
Bolsheviks took increasingly repressive measures against their domestic
opponents
They also took control of the economy through a series of drastic measures that
came to be known as war communism
Civil war:
