The end of Lenin's reign and the rise of Stalin
Bloody Sunday - 22 January 1905
Unarmed protesters in St. Petersburg who were marching to present a petition to Czar Nicholas II, were fired upon by his guard. There was an estimated 96 dead and 300 wounded. This sparked the fall of the Romanov era. The citizens were denied the right to peacefully demonstrate.
Fall of Romanov Dynasty - 1917
There were many social, political and economic situations that lead to the fall of the Romanov family. Bloody Sunday being one. Many soldiers began deserting the family. WWI took a huge toll on the country, Russia had little weapons and resources to fuel the country in war. The lack of a good leader was also detrimental. The economy went crazy, prices rose and women were angry that they could not purchase bread.
Russian Revolutions - 23 February 1917 & 25 October 1917
In 1917, two revolutions completely Russia. The first revolution toppled the Russian monarchy and established a Provisional Government. The second revolution placed the Bolsheviks as the leaders of Russia, resulting in the world's first communist country. On the first day of the first revolution, women working in factories left and began walking the streets protesting against the war and the autocracy, the next day the man had joined them, the entire city shut down. No one was working. Soldiers were made to shoot into the crowds but soon mutinied and joined the protesters. On March 2 the Czar abdicated. The second revolution lead to the rule of Lenin in the first communist country.
War Communism - 1918-1921
On June 28th, 1918, a law was passed that ended all forms of private capitalism. Many large factories were taken over by the state and on November 29th, 1920, any factory/industry that employed over 10 workers was nationalised. War Communism also took control of the distribution of food. The Food Commissariat was set up to carry out this task.
War Communism had six principles:
1) Production should be run by the state. Private ownership should be kept to the minimum. Private houses were to be confiscated by the state.
2) State control was to be granted over the labour of every citizen. Once a military army had served its purpose, it would become a labour army.
3) The state should produce everything in its own undertakings. The state tried to control the activities of millions of peasants.
4) Extreme centralisation was introduced. The economic life of the area controlled by the Bolsheviks was put into the hands of just a few organisations.
5) The state attempted to become the soul distributor as well as the sole producer. The Commissariats took what they needed to meet demands. The people were divided into four categories – manual workers in harmful trades, workers who performed hard physical labour, workers in light tasks/housewives and professional people. Food was distributed on a 4:3:2:1 ratio.
6) War Communism attempted to abolish money as a means of exchange. By 1921, the value of the rouble had dropped massively and inflation had increased. The government had gotten rid of most taxes. The only tax allowed was the ‘Extraordinary Revolutionary Tax’, which was aimed at the rich and not the workers.
War Communism had six principles:
1) Production should be run by the state. Private ownership should be kept to the minimum. Private houses were to be confiscated by the state.
2) State control was to be granted over the labour of every citizen. Once a military army had served its purpose, it would become a labour army.
3) The state should produce everything in its own undertakings. The state tried to control the activities of millions of peasants.
4) Extreme centralisation was introduced. The economic life of the area controlled by the Bolsheviks was put into the hands of just a few organisations.
5) The state attempted to become the soul distributor as well as the sole producer. The Commissariats took what they needed to meet demands. The people were divided into four categories – manual workers in harmful trades, workers who performed hard physical labour, workers in light tasks/housewives and professional people. Food was distributed on a 4:3:2:1 ratio.
6) War Communism attempted to abolish money as a means of exchange. By 1921, the value of the rouble had dropped massively and inflation had increased. The government had gotten rid of most taxes. The only tax allowed was the ‘Extraordinary Revolutionary Tax’, which was aimed at the rich and not the workers.
Treaty of Brest-litovsk - 3 march 1918
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty that the Soviet government was forced to sign after almost six-month-long negotiations at Brest-Litovsk between Russia (the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic) and the Central Powers marking Russia's exit from World War I. This gave relief to the Bolsheviks who were fighting the Russian Civil war, by renouncing claims on a few small countries. And Poland regained some lost territory. It was in the collective interest of Russia to sign this treaty.
New Economic Policy - 1921-1928
The New Economic Policy was brought into replace the failing economic system of War Communism. The NEP took a more capitalist approach to economic growth. Wages went back to being paid in cash and extra staff was fired. Businesses were allowed to go back to being privatized, they didn't need to give profits over to the government anymore.
Creation of the Soviet Union - 1922
In 1922, delegates from four countries assembled in Moscow for a session of the Congress of Soviets. The purpose of this gathering was the enactment of documents and the declaration of the creation of a new state. There, they unanimously adopted the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR. Joseph Stalin, at the time, was Commissar of Nationality Affairs.
Lenin's Death - 21 January 1924
After years of non stop work, the effects took a massive toll on Lenin's body. He was prescribed rest from doctors, and while doing so suffered the first of 3 strokes that left him unable to speak for weeks. After four months or rest and recovery he went back to work doing limited duties. In December of 1923, he suffered his second stroke which left him partially paralyzed on his right side. He then left active politics. His final stroke left him mute and bedridden, he stayed like that until his death in 1924. The death of Lenin lead to a political battle between Stalin and Trotsky which Stalin would end up winning.