Summary History between the wars
2.1 the Russian Revolution
Key words:
Duma = Russian parliament
Soviet = revolutionary council of labourers or peasants in Russia before 1917; also: citizen of
the Soviet Union (Soviet)
Communism = system of social organisation in which all property is owned by the
community and each person contributes and receives according to his ability and needs
Bolshevik = member of the political party of Lenin
Dictator = ruler with total power over a country, mostly one who had obtained control by
force
Russia before 1917
Around 1900 Russia was the largest, greatest grain production, most inhabitants, big army
country
But there was a huge gap between rich and poor, 90% were still slaves (poverty and hunger)
In cities industrialisation advances as quickly as in the western countries
Labourers worked long days with low wages and there was only a small middle class
Tsar Nicholas II ruled this empire with absolute power until 1905 when he used violence at a
demonstration and lost support of his people
This had led to a revolution, one of these was the founding of the Duma but it didn’t bring
big change and the Duma lacked real power
The February revolution
After 1905 the situation didn’t improve and during World War I it became even worse
The soldiers were poorly trained and the army lacked weapons
Millions of soldiers were killed and German even conquered Russian territory
This increased people’s resistance to the government even more and Tsar decided to lead
the army himself but he was a terrible war leader
In February 1917 woman led a demonstration demanding bread, end to the war and Tsarist’s
rule, poor labourers joined them
Tsar told the soldiers to shoot the demonstrators but they resisted which turned into a
revolution
Labourers and soldiers united to govern themselves in committees called soviets, Russia was
given to a socialist government
Lenin
The country was still at war and Germany used advantage of the unrest in Russia
They contacted a Russian revolutionary called Lenin, who was banished from Russia because
he was against Tsar
A German Philosopher Karl Marx predicted a revolution: poor against the rich and take
power to form a society based on equality where there were no individual possessions
This was called communism
Lenin wanted to make Russia a communist country and formed his own party (the
Bolsheviks)
Germany paid for his trip and plans in secret and in exchange Lenin would make peace with
the Central powers
, On 16th April 1917, Lenin was welcomed in Petrograd by many supporters
The October revolution
Lenin immediately began to organise his followers to prepare for a attack
The country was still at war and Lenin promised the Russians bread, peace & land
He would take wealth food and land of rich and gave it to the poor and to end the war
The power would be given to workers who were organised in soviets
On October 25th the Bolsheviks attacked the government and gained control over the city
Lenin became the leader of the government and he called for elections, but he didn’t get
most votes
He disagreed and took all power and became a dictator (he thought it was necessary for a
communist state)
Civil war
Lenin kept his promise to Germany and signed the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The war ended for Russia but a civil war broke out between the white and red army
Red army -> founded by Lenin’s right hand man Leon Trotsky (because of resistance to
Lenin’s take over)
White army -> pro-Tsarists Russians and people against the peace treaty United
A bloody civil war broke out that led to destruction and famine
Britain and France supported the white army in hopes to restore their ally
The red army was more organised and won and in 1922 a new country was founded: The
USSR of the Soviet Union
2.2 the Soviet Union under Stalin
Key words:
New economic policy: program instituted by Lenin for a temporarily more capitalism-
oriented economic policy
Superpower: very powerful and influential nation in the world
Totalitarian state: state with a centralised government that is dictatorial and controls every
part of people’s lives
Five-year plan: Stalin’s plan to industrialise the Soviet Union over 5 years
Collectivisation: forceful joining of agriculture into huge state farms
Kulak: peasant in Russia wealthy enough to own a farm and hire labour
Great Purge: period of repression and persecution in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s
Gulag forced Labour camps: system of forced Labour camps in which opponents of the
Soviet Union were imprisoned and many people died
Cult of personality: excessive public admiration for or devotion to a famous person
Lenin’s new economic policy
The revolution, World War I and civil war led to a destruction of agriculture which caused
famine
Lenin also forcefully confiscated food from the peasants to feed his red army
The Soviet-Union was even more backwards then in 1914
To make things better Lenin brought in the New economic policy: peasants were allowed to
produce food themselves, sell on markets and people could own small industries
With this he thought the damage of the civil war could be restored but communists didn’t
agree
2.1 the Russian Revolution
Key words:
Duma = Russian parliament
Soviet = revolutionary council of labourers or peasants in Russia before 1917; also: citizen of
the Soviet Union (Soviet)
Communism = system of social organisation in which all property is owned by the
community and each person contributes and receives according to his ability and needs
Bolshevik = member of the political party of Lenin
Dictator = ruler with total power over a country, mostly one who had obtained control by
force
Russia before 1917
Around 1900 Russia was the largest, greatest grain production, most inhabitants, big army
country
But there was a huge gap between rich and poor, 90% were still slaves (poverty and hunger)
In cities industrialisation advances as quickly as in the western countries
Labourers worked long days with low wages and there was only a small middle class
Tsar Nicholas II ruled this empire with absolute power until 1905 when he used violence at a
demonstration and lost support of his people
This had led to a revolution, one of these was the founding of the Duma but it didn’t bring
big change and the Duma lacked real power
The February revolution
After 1905 the situation didn’t improve and during World War I it became even worse
The soldiers were poorly trained and the army lacked weapons
Millions of soldiers were killed and German even conquered Russian territory
This increased people’s resistance to the government even more and Tsar decided to lead
the army himself but he was a terrible war leader
In February 1917 woman led a demonstration demanding bread, end to the war and Tsarist’s
rule, poor labourers joined them
Tsar told the soldiers to shoot the demonstrators but they resisted which turned into a
revolution
Labourers and soldiers united to govern themselves in committees called soviets, Russia was
given to a socialist government
Lenin
The country was still at war and Germany used advantage of the unrest in Russia
They contacted a Russian revolutionary called Lenin, who was banished from Russia because
he was against Tsar
A German Philosopher Karl Marx predicted a revolution: poor against the rich and take
power to form a society based on equality where there were no individual possessions
This was called communism
Lenin wanted to make Russia a communist country and formed his own party (the
Bolsheviks)
Germany paid for his trip and plans in secret and in exchange Lenin would make peace with
the Central powers
, On 16th April 1917, Lenin was welcomed in Petrograd by many supporters
The October revolution
Lenin immediately began to organise his followers to prepare for a attack
The country was still at war and Lenin promised the Russians bread, peace & land
He would take wealth food and land of rich and gave it to the poor and to end the war
The power would be given to workers who were organised in soviets
On October 25th the Bolsheviks attacked the government and gained control over the city
Lenin became the leader of the government and he called for elections, but he didn’t get
most votes
He disagreed and took all power and became a dictator (he thought it was necessary for a
communist state)
Civil war
Lenin kept his promise to Germany and signed the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The war ended for Russia but a civil war broke out between the white and red army
Red army -> founded by Lenin’s right hand man Leon Trotsky (because of resistance to
Lenin’s take over)
White army -> pro-Tsarists Russians and people against the peace treaty United
A bloody civil war broke out that led to destruction and famine
Britain and France supported the white army in hopes to restore their ally
The red army was more organised and won and in 1922 a new country was founded: The
USSR of the Soviet Union
2.2 the Soviet Union under Stalin
Key words:
New economic policy: program instituted by Lenin for a temporarily more capitalism-
oriented economic policy
Superpower: very powerful and influential nation in the world
Totalitarian state: state with a centralised government that is dictatorial and controls every
part of people’s lives
Five-year plan: Stalin’s plan to industrialise the Soviet Union over 5 years
Collectivisation: forceful joining of agriculture into huge state farms
Kulak: peasant in Russia wealthy enough to own a farm and hire labour
Great Purge: period of repression and persecution in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s
Gulag forced Labour camps: system of forced Labour camps in which opponents of the
Soviet Union were imprisoned and many people died
Cult of personality: excessive public admiration for or devotion to a famous person
Lenin’s new economic policy
The revolution, World War I and civil war led to a destruction of agriculture which caused
famine
Lenin also forcefully confiscated food from the peasants to feed his red army
The Soviet-Union was even more backwards then in 1914
To make things better Lenin brought in the New economic policy: peasants were allowed to
produce food themselves, sell on markets and people could own small industries
With this he thought the damage of the civil war could be restored but communists didn’t
agree
