1. Russian Revolution
~ The Romanov Family
Tsar Nicholas II
Alexandra - wife
Olga
Tatiana
Marie daughters
Anastasia
Alexi – son
~Rasputin
Rasputin was a spiritual advisor/holy man who advised Alexandra
while Nicholas was away at war. He tried to use her to control
government appointments. He was not an honest man and was
eventually murdered by a member of the royal family.
~World War I

2. Russia joined World War I to assist Serbia. They had a previous
relationship with each other and Russia wanted to protect the
people of Serbia because they had similar ethnic makeup. When
Austria-Hungary declared ear on Serbia, Russia agreed to help.
Russia then joined the Triple Entente alliance and later the Allies,
along with France, UK, Italy, and the United States. Russia was
unprepared for war. They lost many battles and had many
casualties. Russians were unhappy with the involvement in the
war and with Tsar Nicholas II. A revolution was brewing!
~The February Revolution
February 1917, people rioted in the streets. They were joined by
soldiers and members of the Duma, the Russian Parliament.
Nicholas II was forced (by public pressure and no loyal military) to
abdicate (give up) his thrown. A new government, called the
Provisional Government, took over Russia. The Provisional
Government wanted to set up a democracy in Russia and elected
its leader, Alexander Kerensky, to be their President.
~The October Revolution
Alexander Kerensky and the Provisional Government did not pull
Russia out of WWI as the people wanted. Instead they devised a

3. new plan for an offensive attack. This angered the people and
soldiers and they began deserting the military. Some of them took
their guns with them and took land from wealthy people. Vladimir
Lenin, a known Communist, returned from exile. He was mad
because some of his party members, the Bolsheviks, supported
the Provisional Government. Joseph Stalin, who was supporting
the Provisional Government, decided to support Vladimir Lenin
th
and join the Bolsheviks. On October 24 , the Bolsheviks seized
the Winter Palace and took control of the Russian government;
bringing communism to Russia. This was the end of the
Romanov’s. Under Lenin’s orders, Tsar Nicholas and his family
were murdered.