The Russian Revolution
Starting in 1905 with Russian’s defeat in naval battles with Japan, the Russian people began to lose faith in Czar Nicholas II. Their discontent turned into hatred when peaceful protestors were shot down in cold blood in St. Petersburg Square on January 22, 1905. Farmers throughout Russia and the Baltic regions rose up in protest. Czar Nicholas refused to even amend the Russian constitution, and was urged to keep his absolute rule by his wife. This reaction only empowered the rebels. Eventually Nicholas allowed the people some representation in government but it still wasn’t enough. The rebellions continued and increased when Russia entered WW I until the Czar finally abdicate his throne in 1917. The Czar was replaced by the Provisional Government, run by leaders of the rebellion. However, socialist and communist leaders such as Vladimir Lenin were freed from prison and/or exile, resulting in The October Revolution otherwise known as The Bolshevik Revolution. With slogans such as “Bread, Peace, and Land” and “Down With The Provisional Government; All Power to the Soviets!” Lenin lead the rebellious Bolshevik party to overthrow the recently established Provisional Government, forming Soviet Russia (the USSR). President Wilson welcomed the Russian revolution, as he believed in democracy and it was against his policy to be allies with an absolute ruler. The new Russian “democracy” played a part in encouraging the entrance of the USA into WW I.