1. Communist Revolutions in Russia and China
Before the revolutions – monarchs were from a long
lasting dynasty
• QING – 1644-1912
• Romanov Tsars – 1300s to 1918
PROBLEMS – economic, social class tensions,
rebellions, war
Revolution part 1 – Dynasty fell and a provisional
government took over (semi-democratic)
Problems continued, Provisional government failed,
radicals gained power
Civil War and Communist victory
1921-1991 Soviet Union
1949 - ? Peoples Republic of China
3. THE FALL of TSAR’s Government
PROBLEMS in Russia:
lack of freedom, poor
leadership, major
economic problems, &
food shortages.
EVENTS that challenged
the Tsar’s authority:
westernization, defeat in
the Russo-Japanese War,
“Bloody Sunday”, 1905
Revolution, & losses
during World War I.
4. Stages of Russian Revolution
1916-1917
Soldiers, rural and urban
workers, & intelligentsia
lead protests.
Bloodless Revolution
in March 1917: the
Tsar abdicated the
throne and a
PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT was
set up.
5. PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT failed as
Russian losses in WWI and economic
problems continued
Radical movements gained support and
momentum.
6. The BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION
1917 The Bolsheviks (one of the
radical communist groups) and their
leader, Vladmir LENIN, gained
enough support and power to seize
control of the government “on behalf
of the people”
8. CIVIL WAR:
1918 - 1920
Civil War began as
forces against the
communists fought
back.
Red (Bolshevik)
Army vs. White (anti-
Bolshevik) Army
9. CIVIL WAR:
1918 - 1920
The Tsar and his
family were
executed before
the communists
won and took
complete control of
the country.
10. COMMUNIST RULE
Land was
redistributed
(collectivization)
Industrialization
(5-Year Plans)
Women gained
status
Military was built-
arms race
11.
12.
13. A single death is a
tragedy; a million
deaths is a statistic.
Joseph Stalin
14. Psycho!
“To choose one’s
victims, to prepare
one’s plan, to quench
a strong desire for
vengeance, and then
to go to bed . . .there
is nothing sweeter in
the world.”
Josef Stalin
15. How bad was Stalin & his
government?
• 1 million imprisoned or exiled between 1927 to
1929
• 6 to 7 million killed by an artificial famine in 1932-
1934
• 1 million executed during the ''Great Terror'' of
1937-1938
• Most other estimates from reputed scholars
and historians tend to range from between 20
and 60 million.